Comments By Priscilla W.

I am in texas

Your CDL with zero experience is pretty much like NOT HAVING ONE AT ALL (take it from me - I got mine 11 years ago and never used it either).

So ANY COMPANY you start out with, is going to require you to come in as a student and train as if you didn't even have a CDL (and even for me, I wouldn't have it any other way ANYWAYS - I'd want to do the full training regimen, despite knowing the rules and how to drive one).

Some companies will require you to DOWNGRADE YOUR CDL to a regular operators license, and go through the licensure process entirely from scratch (which doesn't make much sense, but I digress).

Either way - where to apply, really depends a lot on WHERE YOU ARE LOCATED - as many of the larger companies members here have started out with - don't hire from certain areas (like NO ONE really hires from So Florida where I'm located).

The hint would be APPLY EVERYWHERE - explain your situation to the recruiter, and see where it goes from there. But do be prepared to be treated as if you never had a CDL - because in essence, if you never used it - it's pretty much the same as not having it at all.

Best of luck - do keep us posted on your progress...

Rick

I went to trucking school. I have a cdl class a with a intrastate restriction because of no medical card, but it is a current cdl I just renewed in June. Yes my kids can handle me being gone weeks at a time as I am the every other weekend parent anyway and NO you did not answer my question of what otr company to start with.

Hi, Priscilla, welcome to Trucking Truth.

Let's get some ducks in a row first. If you have had your CDL for ten years, have you kept the DOT medical card current? If not, your CDL has been automatically down graded to a regular DL by the state. You will need to start over.

Second, your kids. What do you mean by "almost grown"? The focus here at TT is on OTR driving, where you won't be home for weeks at a time. Can your family handle your absence for that long?

Lastly, if you've never driven a truck, you'll need to take the full 160 hour (4 weeks or so) course.

If you're thinking getting a local job, without driving experience, it's possible but you might get better results buying lottery tickets.

Do you have these questions covered?

I got my CDL ten years ago, but have never driven a truck for a job. I wait tables because I needed to be home for my children. My kids are almost grown and my feet can’t handle walking around all day so I am looking into using my CDL. Where do I apply? What companies are the best to start out at?