Profile For Jalon D.

Here is something else to consider, you are very young. At your age three years seems like an eternity. It's not. One thing trucking companies look for is stable work history. If you can't find a local driving job, having any job for the next three years will be necessary. Good luck.

I understand that and thank you for your input. There isn't really many options here apart from fast food and I refuse to work in a fast food business. I know I'm young.

Thank you all for the great information. I got two questions, Can I get a class B cdl whilst having a class A? And, if I have a class A cdl, can I operate class B cdl vehicles? Or do I still need a class B?

Well, I live in Kansas so there ain't many options. I do live 30 mi south of Wichita, but I can't really find anything there. I know I can't drive interstate until I'm 21, but it's 18+ for intrastate. I know patience is a virtue but I don't necessarily want to wait 3 years lol. May not seem like a long time, but boy howdy it sure is to me. Especially when it comes down to career choice.

Alright. I'm just going to get right down to it. For as long as I can remember I've wanted to become a truck driver. I love big rigs. I love seeing them on the highway, and while it probably doesn't count for much, whenever I play video games, it's almost always American Truck Simulator. I love American trucks. I love the idea of being out on the road, traveling, meeting people. Now, main reasons why I'm conflicted are: I've never driven a vehicle with a manual tranny. I have only driven automatics, and I know that 80% of trucks are manual so I'm at a disadvantage there. Another thing is, I'm a pretty big fella. I have talked to a couple truckers and they've told me that it wouldn't be an issue, just that Freightliners have more room. Another issue is that I've never backed up a trailer. I've never even hauled a trailer. Sadly, I haven't had the opportunity to. I'm 17 years old and will be 18 in April. I plan to get my cdl that month, my only main concern is; out of everything I've said here, do you think I should pursue this career? I am fully prepared to make whatever necessary sacrifices I need. I know this is what I want to do.

If so, can you provide some guidance, like the steps I should follow to becoming a truck driver at my age? Thanks for the help, Jalon