Comments By Mark F. ( DAYBREAKER )

Afternoon drivers, I finally pulled the trigger and went with NTTTS ( New England TT school ). I start on 19 Sept. After many long hours of digging and changing my mind over and over again, I went to speak with the financial aide dept. today and found out I qualified for several grants that brought the cost to me down to almost nothing. I ended up going with the 540 hr course because of all the grants. No OOP expenses at all for a yr. than I have 10 yrs. to pay it off. Which I will payoff early. If you remember I asked about the 540 hr course @ $10k and everyone of you said that's not necessary. Well with all my research and meeting with other schools for the 160 hr courses. I would have had to pay up front costs of anywhere from 3500 - 6000.00. At this time that is no way possible without borrowing it from someone which I didn't want to do. So I sucked it up and it may take me longer to obtain my CDL, but it was the best cost effective way to do it FOR ME.... Holy bats..t batman I'm starting truck driving school in 2 weeks. GIVE ME SOME DANCING NANA'S :) I just wanted to give a shout out and post all my excitement like all the rest of the noobie's. thanks, Mark soon to be the DAYBREAKER II. gotta keep the ole mans legacy rolling.

Hey there Roger, I'm also in NH ( Greenville ).. I'm 55 in a cpl mths and I can tell you that our age isn't a hindrance. As Rainy said a clean MVR and Criminal record will be what their looking for. I'm trying to come off of disability and get into a school in Chicoppee Ma. ( United Tractor Trailer ). I have a few hoops to jump through before starting school, but age isn't one of them. Good Luck buddy. Mark

I got my permit on my 53rd birthday. Signed on with Schneider, driving van truckload OTR and still going strong. Attitude will have WAY more to do with your success than age.

I've never heard of a company turning down a driver for age. Now if you're looking to a driving job where you're slinging sodas or beer for hours on end, that's a different story because of the constant physical demands.

Good luck!

Thanks Brett, Although it was good news, I'm also aware that should be able to and sign here please and here is your card are miles apart. ( no pun intended ) I've decided to go to a local school that my buddy went to. Before I can register I must get my med card and permit. Any recommendations on what to look for in a DOT doc.? I am also going to check with my bud to see who He used. It's a long road to get to the finish line. When I read about someone getting behind the wheel drunk the night before his class starts blows my mind. I have found myself being extra careful every time I get in the car. Funny story.... Remember the post I posted about my dad's advice about finding another career? Well I had a dream last night that I went through the steps and became solo in a few months. ( prob. not possible ) but I got a load to Texas and pulled my rig up to Dad's place and laid on the air horn until He walked out. I said let's go bubba we have a legacy to talk about. lol He jumped in and was crying. That was an unbelievable dream I hope someday soon to make a reality. Pretty sappy stuff I know. Sorry if I bore anyone with this nonsense but it has always been a dream of mine to run with Dad cross country. My little story reminds me of Teddybear the song :) Stack the miles and Be safe. Mark

That's great news Mark! Just be aware of the fact that companies often use their own doctors and they are free to set their own higher standards. It is entirely possible that a company might turn you down or their doctor might not pass you for the medical card. If your doctor says you should be able to pass a physical then just move on to another company if that happens. It should be no big deal. But I just wanted you to know that it can happen. Everyone has different standards.

That's a cool feeling I bet. New drivers are lining up for you Brian. Good on you bud!!!

Ditto what Sambo said. Job well done!

Good afternoon drivers, It's been a week or so since I've shared anything on here so I thought I'd just catch you up. I went to my Dr. this morning for a reg. appt. and asked him if he was familiar with the DOT physical at all. He said He used to be authorized to administer the physical but due to all the changing requirements it wasn't worth it any longer. However, He still knows what to check for. After an awesome discussion with him about my plans, concerns about my past Brain surgery and hearing or lack of in my left ear. He said " I can tell you that I see no reason why you would not pass a DOT physical. " That made my day. I was so worried about not being able to pass. I've been using every avail. moment to study the High Road Training Program and I'm confident that I will pass that without any problem. I will say the general knowledge part is pretty easy, but the air-brake section was not so easy. A lot of information to learn. So in a nutshell, I'm super pumped and ready to pull the trigger and get my new career rolling. Hope ya'll are enjoying the scenery and stacking the miles. Be safe, Mark

Thanks for the input. I'm on the right path. be safe, Mark

Here's how our High Road Training Program breaks down:

To Get Your CDL Permit:

• Rules & Regulations
• Driving Safely
• Transporting Cargo Safely
• Air Brakes
• Combination Vehicles
• Pre-Trip Inspection
• Driving Exam

To get your CDL endorsements which are optional but highly recommend:

• Transporting Passengers
• Doubles And Triples
• Tankers
• Hazardous Materials

Two sections we've built ourselves with info you'll need for everyday life on the road:

• Logbook
• Weight & Balance

Two sections for anyone considering flatbed:

• Cargo Securement
• New York State Coil Endorsement

Afternoon all, I've been busting my butt studying all I can and taking the quizzes on the program. I'm just wandering if all the catagories will be on the exam IE. bus driving. I have no intention of driving a bus school bus or transit bus, but I've been studying none the less. I was told by my buddy to only study the general knowledge, air brakes, combination sections and go take my permit test. What do you all suggest? BTW, this is an awesome program for those of us wanting to follow our dreams. Also the same friend told me to go get the manual from the DMV. Is the program the same as the actual book. I would think it is. Thanks for all the help, Be safe, Mark

Yes Ma'am I called them today and they are shooting me out the paperwork. It's not the same as unemployment offers, but they want you working instead of receiving a check for playing on the puter all day. And so do I.:) I've been doing my do diligence daily to get all my ducks floating straight. Been studying my butt off preparing for the permit. So far I'm averaging a 95% so I'm pretty happy with that. I want that 100% however. Keep the wheels rolling and be safe. Mark

Hey guys. Got a tip for you. If you are on disability check with the local unemployment office about the Federal Vocational Rehabilitation program. We had a couple people at my school who's course was paid for by Voc Rehab.

Yes sir that's how long this course is. And the same format as well. Slow but very thorough. I asked on the site and was basically told that was crazy. You get the same training in a mth you will get in 5. My concern is as I said, getting the license and then pouring coffee at DD or something. I have a few hurtles to jump before I can make a final decision. Best of Luck buddy.

Kenneth it's 4 1/2 months but who's counting lol This school covers a lot in more detail and at a slower pace and also get a lot more time behind the wheel than the company programs I believe. Plus there are other courses that cover fork lift use, dispatch, advanced mapping etc that isn't typically covered in a shorter program.

Troy

Thanks bud for the quick reply. Prior to my disability I worked for the same company for 18 yrs. My DL is crystal clean. 1 speeding ticket 8 yrs ago, and my NCIC I have a felony conviction 35 yrs ago. Crystal clean since. So basically I'm clean but on disability due to a Brain tumor 4 yrs ago. I'm gd to go now. Keep us updated.

The best advice I can give you about the work history is to be honest. Put disabled down for that gap in your employment history and list some of the work you did before that as well. Most important will be your background check for accidents and citations. Depending on the state you live in you should qualify for grants based on income and also reeducation grants from your local rehab office. I choose a company sponsored school but you should be able to get into a private school no problem.