Comments By Vincent S.

He never answered your question about formal schooling.

I did go on to ask him specifically if I would qualify for training to drive a tanker, but he hasn't responded. I assume "we would send you through our hiring process just like any other candidate" means that it's a possibility.

He never answered your question about formal schooling.

I mean it seems pretty clear that their requirement is "a class A CDL". I'll try again tomorrow from a different number to seek further clarification. I'm a little skeptical myself. I'm thinking maybe drive a dry van for 6 months or so...then I could move to tankers and wouldn't have to change companies.

I did go on to ask him specifically if I would qualify for training to drive a tanker, but he hasn't responded. I assume "we would send you through our hiring process just like any other candidate" means that it's a possibility.

Alright so I just contacted a Schneider recruiter. They said I would qualify for most of their positions with just a class A CDL and no experience....I was a little shocked at first, but I asked a second time and he said I'd definitely qualify. I'd just need to complete their skills test and then attend their normal training program that they require from any graduate of an accredited school.

Be careful here. You will not convince me they are okay with a CDL that has no formal training behind it. Even if they do, I don’t recommend this approach for the simple reason if it doesn’t work out with Schneider and your employment ends early, you will basically need to start over. I’ll defer to other Schneider drivers.

Alright so I just contacted a Schneider recruiter. They said I would qualify for most of their positions with just a class A CDL and no experience....I was a little shocked at first, but I asked a second time and he said I'd definitely qualify. I'd just need to complete their skills test and then attend their normal training program that they require from any graduate of an accredited school.

You guys are right, I need to just quit looking for the easiest way out, make a commitment and do it the right way. Sorry if I've offended anyone, I just wanted to put my concerns out in the open and it turns out you guys are doing a great thing here.

I guess another issue I have with the company sponsored training is the commitment level. None of them seem to offer any night time scheduling that would allow me to hold a job while I train. I mean I'd love to tell my boss "adios" and walk out of here tomorrow, because I'm so burnt out with this dead end job...but at the same time it's kind of terrifying. It's been my only means of income for about 15 years now. What if I go all in on the trucking school and it doesn't work out, or I don't like it? What if I only end up making 35K a year and I'm stuck in a one year contract? My current job would be long gone by then. There'd be no going back to it. I actually hate the idea of waiting around for the night classes to start, but I'm not sure I'm comfortable enough with the idea of throwing this job away and just hoping everything works out. I realize I'm going to have to do that to some extent at some point, but I'd at least get a taste of it first with part time schooling, and I wouldn't be locked into a contract, so if it isn't working out after a month or so I could always just come back to this job.

Vincent you seem to contradict yourself. We have all been faced with the same exact prospect you have presented.

What if? ...What if? ...What if?

Trucking isn’t the kind of thing you can hope to understand or succeed at by dipping your toe in the water. You must commit and do so with a “never look back” attitude. No matter what level of conservative, low risk approach you take, you have less than a 10% chance of long term success.

So “what if” I suggested your chances of success are doubled by things that require no skill...

Stubborn Determination

Uncompromising Commitment

Preparation

A Consistent Positive Attitude

And Patience

Patience in accepting that because you must continue generating an income while going to trucking school, you must wait for your night classes to begin. Based on everything you have written it’s currently your best option.

Commit to your plan, prepare for your success, maintain a positive attitude that you can do this and carry out your goal with dogged determination. Never looking back...

Good luck!

Thanks a lot G-town. This really is an awesome site and I currently owe 100% of the fact that I got my CLP so quickly to the site and it's members. You're probably right about the night schooling being best and I'll just have to wait on it. Schneider is a company I'm strongly considering as they have local training and I do want to drive a tanker here in Houston, TX. Since they don't have their own sponsored school, I'd need to attend one of their approved schools, which the night classes I am looking at happen to be one of those.

You guys are right, I need to just quit looking for the easiest way out, make a commitment and do it the right way. Sorry if I've offended anyone, I just wanted to put my concerns out in the open and it turns out you guys are doing a great thing here.

I guess another issue I have with the company sponsored training is the commitment level. None of them seem to offer any night time scheduling that would allow me to hold a job while I train. I mean I'd love to tell my boss "adios" and walk out of here tomorrow, because I'm so burnt out with this dead end job...but at the same time it's kind of terrifying. It's been my only means of income for about 15 years now. What if I go all in on the trucking school and it doesn't work out, or I don't like it? What if I only end up making 35K a year and I'm stuck in a one year contract? My current job would be long gone by then. There'd be no going back to it. I actually hate the idea of waiting around for the night classes to start, but I'm not sure I'm comfortable enough with the idea of throwing this job away and just hoping everything works out. I realize I'm going to have to do that to some extent at some point, but I'd at least get a taste of it first with part time schooling, and I wouldn't be locked into a contract, so if it isn't working out after a month or so I could always just come back to this job.

Okay here's a better question:

if, IF I can manage to get a company to hire me without the 160 hours cert. and I get, say 1+ year experience with that company with a lot of miles logged...would not having the 160 hour cert. hurt my job opportunities down the road? Or would they not care, if I had thousands of logged accident free miles already?

If you can answer me three pre-trip questions?

1. Is the water pump on all big rigs, belt driven or gear driven?

2. Are all of the tires the same tread depth requirements?

3. What is the spring pop out pressure parameters?

I'm not trying to be funny here but it is a lot more than just driving down the road in an oversize vehicle.

There are things you need to know for your qualifications, before you even do the drive test portion of your testing at DMV. You need to know a bunch of stuff. Even if you know already how to drive a stick shift, trucks are different than regular car and pick up truck shifting. Can you maneuver in tight quarters, can you know which way to turn your steer axle to get into an alley dock without taking out someone's car that might be near by. Or a building near the the building you are going to dock with and not take off it's overhang. Do you know what lane to be in to make a sharp Right turn, or a Left turn? What is your trucks height? These questions are things you will learn at the Paid CDL Training Programs, company paid. and so many of them here.

I'm not trying to be an a**, but you should go through many of the helpful links here at TT, they will steer you in the right direction.

And good luck!

I learned all that stuff you mentioned on this very websites free training materials section while studying for my CLP. I've already passed all the tests except the last one and it got too late in the day, so I have to go back tomorrow and finish testing to get my CLP. If all the materials are available online, from multiple sources, and I have trucks available to practice on, why would I pay thousands of dollars and wait months to attend the class? I even have drivers with decades of experience who are more than willing to mentor me/ride with me on the road once I get my CLP next week.

I guess I just need to call around tomorrow and see if any companies would hire someone without the 160 hour cert., with just a CDL and some logged hours driving.

At Jim Palmer/Wil-Trans they will bring you on but you'll still do 40k mile before you can solo. 20k C-seat and 10k B2 and 10k B2.

So the 40k rule- If I attended a 160 hour school, would it be any less, or is it the same 40k rule regardless of how I got my CDL?

I still don't understand your resistance to the Paid CDL Training Programs.

Honestly the fact that it's been so aggressively pushed, by both recruiters and this forum(the only forum that pushes it. Multiple others have suggested the opposite) is very off-putting and a bit suspicious. When I talked to the RoadMaster recruiter, the guy almost sounded defeated when I told him I could pay for my own schooling. I mean why push paying for my schooling so hard? It's bizarre.

Another question is why you keep pushing for it so hard? I don't need a loan for 3,500 dollars. Is there some kind of problem, or even a difference between who pays the bill for CDL school? What if I simply prefer paying my own way? What's the difference? It's literally the exact same school I'd be attending. Again, it's a little bizarre...

Why wouldn't they prefer someone pay their own way? Companies don't do things like that because they're just nice. There's some sort of profit motive behind it... I'm not saying I'm buying into the "free agent" myth. Obviously I still need training...but I don't think I need to spend 3,500/reimburse something "valued at 5000 dollars" and sign a lower paying contract on something I can easily pay for up front, myself. Yes I realize I still need to stay at the first company for a year anyways, I get all that...but I still prefer not to enter any binding contracts, if it all possible. I do the same thing with cars. I buy them from the new car lot, cash, because it's more simple to see what I am actually paying out that way. That's just how I have always preferred to do business.

Again, the schools I am looking at to self pay are the exact same schools that the company sponsored programs use. What is the difference in who foots the bill?