Posted: 4 years, 9 months ago
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I don't know how drinking works in the trucking world, but I would only drink on home time.
Posted: 4 years, 9 months ago
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Leaving For School On Midnight May 4th
Did you know you had hernia before the doc told you?No, I was unaware of it. I had already been checked by another doctor who missed it. Of course, he was doing med cards for the private school I attended. He didn't seem to interested in failing any of us.
Yeah same thing happened for me. I did a DOT physical but they never looked at my groin. Just felt my abdomen area. I hope I don't have it.
Posted: 4 years, 9 months ago
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Does Roehl Charge Tuition If You Fail Your CDL Exam?
Yeah, a fail is better than not trying. If OTR was the only type of driving jobs there were then I wouldn't enter the field, I have no vested interest in that path. Just like working for a company and let's say you can do sales and work your way through different levels or do MGMT, someone may not to take that path if they have no interest which could potentially hurt performance just by that person not wanting to do that job. I am going to go for what I want to do.
Posted: 4 years, 9 months ago
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Well, I made it to Wisconsin and met 2 other people on the way here. I flew and the bus ride would've taken 30 hours. Got settled in my hotel room and relaxing for the rest of the night. First day starts tomorrow. I'll keep y'all posted.
Great! Bet you are excited! You met two other ppl at the hotel or what?
Posted: 4 years, 9 months ago
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Leaving For School On Midnight May 4th
What happened that you had to leave that many schools?I didn't leave any "schools."
These were orientations for employment by trucking companies. I attended a private school. You know, the ones that people tend to think will allow them to have a lot more options when they enter this career. I got several pre-hire agreements together and went with my top choice: TMC.
During the company physical their physician decided I had a small hernia. It didn't matter that I already had my CDL, and a 2 year medical card. I was sent back home. I paid cash out of pocket to a surgeon, a hospital, and an anesthesiologist to get that repaired. A huge expense for an unemployed guy with no insurance. I had the money, and I wanted to start a trucking career, so out came my wallet.
After a six week recovery I got a full work release letter from the surgeon and TMC invited me back. Then during their physical agility test they decided I looked weak. Duh! I just had surgery! I told the guy observing me that I was going to do everything he asked, but since I was still healing I was going to be slow and methodical with the strenuous parts of the test. I accomplished each task including getting the tarp upon a trailer and then on top a 6' tall steel coil. It wasn't good enough. He DQ'd me, and back on the bus I went.
The recruiter told me to wait four more weeks, get my strength back, and he would get me back on board. I exercised, did Yoga, and in general kept myself motivated and working toward getting back up there. After setting up a third orientation, while waiting for them to let me know when they would have my bus ticket, my recruiter called to tell me someone above him determined they weren't going to "waste any more time and money" on me. I was done - they were done with me!
So, I went to my next pre-hire agreement which was PGT trucking. They were thrilled to have me, and put me on the bus the very next week. After being there three days, they discovered I'd been out of trucking school for almost 3 months. That was basically the time I spent back and forth with TMC. They said my training was too "stale" for their standards. They were willing to pay my way back home so I could go back to school for a "refresher course." Uhmm, I decided I didn't want to spend another $1,800 dollars, which is what the school quoted me.
I asked PGT for a bus ticket to Nashville, TN. I had a pre-hire agreement there with Western Express. Once there, I got hired and I never looked back. I got a great start to my flatbed driving career there. Many of the long time members here will remember how much I struggled during that time. It was a brutal entry, but I survived it.
Congrats grad you made it. Did you know you had hernia before the doc told you?
Posted: 4 years, 9 months ago
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Does Roehl Charge Tuition If You Fail Your CDL Exam?
Not trying to win anything, but saying 99% of people who try local out of school will fail is ludicrous. It is certainly a much harder way into trucking but I know of several drivers at my terminal alone who came fresh out of school.
Some people who come here can not or do not want to do OTR and might end up missing out on a good career based on some of the posts here.
I am tending to lean towards this opinion. If you fail you fail, but it is up to you and what you choose to make out of it just like any job/career. You don't know if you don't try and also if you do fail or simply don't like it at least you didn't waste too much time in the process so then move on to the next path or go back with what you know.
Posted: 4 years, 9 months ago
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Does Roehl Charge Tuition If You Fail Your CDL Exam?
So rainy you're saying going to a school and having the CDL if you dont use it for a couple months could be considered stale? Can companies verify your 160 hour class?
The longer you wait to drive after getting a CDL from a private school, you decrease your desirability of being hired. An example is if you finished schooling, then didn’t drive for over six months since, your possibilities go down when applying somewhere with zero experience. It all depends on the employer. This is why we advise people that may be on the fence about driving to make the commitment prior to attending a private school or company-sponsored training.
If you complete schooling, they will give you the certificate, as long as all fees have been paid beforehand. It’s like your trucking basic education diploma. The schools keep records of graduates, so verification is simple.
Is there a list of accredited schools?
Posted: 4 years, 9 months ago
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Leaving For School On Midnight May 4th
Doug, you are probably unaware of my beginning to this career, but I got sent home from three different orientations. It's a tough pill to swallow, but it's not the end of everything. You still have the potential to have a great career ahead of you. These things happen. We learn from them, we press on, and we conquer our fears and our doubts. It's a great lesson in realizing the resiliency required for this career.
Hang in there, and if you need some advice, feel free to reach out to us. Many of us have been right where you are.
What happened that you had to leave that many schools?
Posted: 4 years, 9 months ago
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Does Roehl Charge Tuition If You Fail Your CDL Exam?
So rainy you're saying going to a school and having the CDL if you dont use it for a couple months could be considered stale? Can companies verify your 160 hour class?
Posted: 4 years, 9 months ago
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A reminder about who we are and what we do
I like the forum. I have learned a lot here and it has been no BS. That is why I have stuck around. Rick, where did you get your CDL from which school/company?