Comments By Pitkin

Thank you everybody

Just to clarify something:

In my state of NY, I did not need any background check to TAKE the hazmat endorsement test. I took the test the same day as the other endorsements. But I did need the BG check before the endorsement was OFFICIAL.

Thank you very much.So I guess, get my permit,licence and then I only need to take test for each endorsment I want to have.And then it is only test,no other pre trip and all that correct?

You are correct. However, with Hazmat, you need to have your background check done prior to any kind of testing. At least in my state, This is NOT done through your states DMV, but from a third party service. I'm assuming your are from PA from your profile information. Here is some information on Hazmat for PA. Note that it can take anywhere from two weeks to a month to get your results. (Mine was one month and one day).

Can I make one suggestion though? For your permit, just take your General Knowledge, Air Brakes and Combination tests. While you are in school and getting your license, you can apply for your Hazmat background check as well as study for any of the others you may want or need. The main reason for this is that you only need those first three tests for your schooling. If you DO have other endorsements on your permit, be aware that while taking your pre-trip test, your examiner is free to ask you all sorts of other stuff pertaining to those endorsements. Why add that stress?

Once you finish school and have successfully passed your pre trip, skills, and road tests, you can right there on the spot add the add'l endorsements and take the appropriate tests needed for them.

Hi everybody.I have a question.When you doing your permit and you want to take your endorsments with your CDL A licence test,are there tests for each endorsments? So If you want doubles/triples, tanker, hazmat do you have tests for each(25-30 questions)?Thank you

Thank you for another great reply but my original question was: what company are you working for and how many weeks(days) of vacation they provide?I never said,this is my first concern.I know,Im about to start something I have no idea what to expect.I read everything I could possibly find here.So please everybody!We all have millions of questions and this was one of them.I know i have to learn how to drive and a year from now I could realized this isn't for me.We all have out priorities in life,we want all help and provide for our families.We all dream about finding job that fits our lifestyle.Some want to see country,some go home every day.But benefits are very important to and many of you picked your company because their pay,home time,miles provided,or new truck.We all came from different areas of this country,perhaps other countries around the world(myself).Im not trying to be rude or disrespectfull,I'm trying to simply change my carrier and ask as much as I can so I have an good idea what Im getting into.Sorry Rainy D and G-Town about my previous post about home time

Wow...did you just imply family isn't important to some of us who drive OTR?

You do realize that many DO this for their families and come from areas of the country where jobs are scarce.

As G Town said, a newbies first concern is not vacation. His or her first concern is for not killing anyone while learning to drive.

You are getting ahead of yourself anyway. Most drivers don't make it past their first year in trucking. So pointing it out as a major concern before you even get on the road is a recipe for disaster.

Most people have unrealistic expectations when they sign up then get frustrated and quit cause they didn't understand the lifestyle.

Want to concern yourself with vacations? Get trained and safely drive the 80,000 pound 75ft long vehicle for a year. Then decide which company you want to hop to. You might find out that you aren't up for the challenge to "drive and drive and drive".

And I believe it is much different for a person WHO doesn't have to be home or take some time off: no wife,kids,girfriend(boyfriend)...It means a lot to some of us and not much for the ones who just want to drive and drive and drive.But it all depends on company you are working for.

Trucking ISN'T NORMAL. Neither are most Truck Drivers!

I heard that.

Time off paid - seems to be less of a concern to most drivers - than an extended period of time off the truck, making the company slip them out of a unit they're familiar with mechanically/idiosyncrasy-wise and have all their crap setup in.

Truck becomes your home - it's not necessarily hoarding if you've got it setup the way you're comfortable with.

On the flip side, depending on where your company runs, you can get a 34 hour (or more) break anywhere you want.

From what I've seen - companies aren't going to let you go too far out of route - to do a 34, unless you're taking it as home time. So you aren't going to normally get routed somewhere you want to grab a 34. If you're out of hours and need to do a reset - you pretty much have to take it pretty close to where you run out of hours. You don't necessarily want to give up accrued home time for a 34 - unless there's somewhere you REALLY WANT TO DO IT - in which case, put in for home time at that location and the company will get you there (eventually - LOL).

Versus hometime - which location you can request anywhere within reason of where your companies lanes run - which gives you the opportunity to hang out/visit places like Vegas, see relatives, etc..

Most folks save up for vacations - if your finances are so tight, that the 5 days of pay are the deciding factor to taking time off - some enhanced financial planning might be in order.

Have a friend that works for AME, 35 year vet driver (the last 4 with AME). He takes a week here, a week there for cruises/etc. - they don't slip him out of his truck.

YMMV...

Rick

That is truth.

But I have so.much crap on the truck

HOARDER!!!!

Thank you.I just need to know how this vacation works.I know it must be different when in this bussiness.But everybody need time off and not think about all the time:you are not driving,you are not making.

Be careful when reading "week vacation" too. Some companies consider a week as five days paid. Which means the noirmal person thinks a week in Bahamas. In trucking that could mean get home sun, fly to Caribbean Mon fly home Thurs be on truck Friday.

Not exactly the same.as a normal job. Plus you make less. Some companies I have seen pay $500. Mine pays $700.

I could take a longer period off if I turn my truck in and get a new one when I come back on the road. A friend took two weeks unpaid and did this. But I have so.much crap on the truck it would feel like I was moving into a new apartment lol

I got it, but i think it is normal where ever you work to have vacation, so hopefully we can all enjoy some time off with families.

Vacation time is almost an afterthought in the trucking business. Often your "paid vacation" is an extra deposit to your bank. And the amount does not cover 5 days worth of driving.

So for real time off, just discuss what you want to do with your DM. (Remember this: besides the extra bit of pocket change you get, if you're not driving you're not earning.)

On the flip side, depending on where your company runs, you can get a 34 hour (or more) break anywhere you want.

I did but not all of them.

Have you looked here? Trucking Company Reviews

Hi everybody.I know there are probably 500 different trucking companies you can work for but I would like to know what are the one provide best vacation plans for truckers?Most of them will give a week of vacation after one year,2 weeks after second(not all of them) and probably 3 week after 5-7-10 years of driving.Could you please share your vacation time and years of service and company your are driving for?Thank you