By the way... a big thanks to Brett for making such a great place for people who want to get clear and non-negative information about entering this new lifestyle. Along with the High Road Testing program, making passing the permit test stress free. Also all the fantastic posters that contribute valuable information to us newbies, thanks!
You have accomplish a great achievement! Hold your head high. Geez I didn't know they made gold ones all I received was a Tin one. Now start that career.
Congratulations Lynette!
JJ
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I started this journey to drive trucks in early August 2015. Since I am insulin dependent, it took 2 months to get all the medical tests and doctor visits done to get my DOT physical. Once that was done, I sent all 25 pages of paperwork to the FMCSA and waited 4 months to get a waiver. Returned to school and found out that I am a terrible test taker! I am my own worst enemy at test time. Failed my first test due backing. Failed my second test on the road skills within moments due to a very chatty tester. Today, I told the tester there could be no talking only the minimum vocally to complete the test. I would have only gotten 1 off (for missing a road sign), but today I developed a NEW habit of grinding gears. I have not done that since my first day of training! Luckily, I still passed and my CDL will look just like the rest of yours. What a relief. I am leaving tomorrow for orientation. (Doing the happy dance here.)
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
CSA:
Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA)
The CSA is a Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) initiative to improve large truck and bus safety and ultimately reduce crashes, injuries, and fatalities that are related to commercial motor vehicle
FMCSA:
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
The FMCSA was established within the Department of Transportation on January 1, 2000. Their primary mission is to prevent commercial motor vehicle-related fatalities and injuries.
What Does The FMCSA Do?
DOT:
Department Of Transportation
A department of the federal executive branch responsible for the national highways and for railroad and airline safety. It also manages Amtrak, the national railroad system, and the Coast Guard.
State and Federal DOT Officers are responsible for commercial vehicle enforcement. "The truck police" you could call them.
Fm:
Dispatcher, Fleet Manager, Driver Manager
The primary person a driver communicates with at his/her company. A dispatcher can play many roles, depending on the company's structure. Dispatchers may assign freight, file requests for home time, relay messages between the driver and management, inform customer service of any delays, change appointment times, and report information to the load planners.