Super Noob Looking For Any And All Advice
Topic 13657 | Page 1
Best advice I ever got was "You're not learning to drive a truck, you're learning to pull a trailer"
Trust me, you can double that in your first year Wishbone, I'm fresh out of cdl school and company training. I cleared just under 900 after taxes for my 3rd full week as a solo company driver. I do haul alot of forklift loads with multiple drops however, and we are paid really well to knock out the wooden blocks/bracing that holds the forklifts secure in the trailer and to pull nails out of the trailer floor at each stop in addition to extra stop pay.
What's even nicer is many lift dealers see lil ole me (female) driving and suddenly become these southern macho men and do most of the sledgehammer work for me while I pull nails and sweep up the mess :-)
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
- Any combination of vehicles with a gross combined weight rating (GCWR) of 26,001 or more pounds, providing the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of the vehicle being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 or more pounds, or any such vehicle towing another not in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any vehicle, regardless of size, designed to transport 16 or more persons, including the driver.
- Any vehicle required by federal regulations to be placarded while transporting hazardous materials.
What company do you work for Sue D? They hire right out of school I guess, right?
West Side Transport out of Cedar Rapids, IA. They do mostly regional in the midwest, but I've been running southeast loads from day 1 solo and loving it. I did go to New Jersey once also. It wasn't so bad really. See if you're in their hiring area and check them out. If you decide to go with them I'd love to be your referral if you're willing, just pm me. Home every weekend. . I simply took my hometime in Georgia this weekend to visit cousins.
Regional:
Regional Route
Usually refers to a driver hauling freight within one particular region of the country. You might be in the "Southeast Regional Division" or "Midwest Regional". Regional route drivers often get home on the weekends which is one of the main appeals for this type of route.
TT has all kinds of things to help you decide your next steps. Look across the top of the web page and follow this links for more.
Try these out for starters:
- Truck Driver's Career Guide
- Brett's Book: The Raw Truth About Trucking (free online version)
- High Road Training Program
- Trucking Company Reviews
- Article Category: Finding The Right Truck Driving Job
- Trucker's Career Guide: Choosing Your First Truck Driving Job
- Forum Topics Tagged "Choosing A Trucking Company"
- Apply For Truck Driving Jobs
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
- Any combination of vehicles with a gross combined weight rating (GCWR) of 26,001 or more pounds, providing the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of the vehicle being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 or more pounds, or any such vehicle towing another not in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any vehicle, regardless of size, designed to transport 16 or more persons, including the driver.
- Any vehicle required by federal regulations to be placarded while transporting hazardous materials.
OOS:
When a violation by either a driver or company is confirmed, an out-of-service order removes either the driver or the vehicle from the roadway until the violation is corrected.
West Side Transport out of Cedar Rapids, IA. They do mostly regional in the midwest, but I've been running southeast loads from day 1 solo and loving it. I did go to New Jersey once also. It wasn't so bad really. See if you're in their hiring area and check them out. If you decide to go with them I'd love to be your referral if you're willing, just pm me. Home every weekend. . I simply took my hometime in Georgia this weekend to visit cousins.
Hey sue I forgot to ask. Are you in flatbed division also?
Regional:
Regional Route
Usually refers to a driver hauling freight within one particular region of the country. You might be in the "Southeast Regional Division" or "Midwest Regional". Regional route drivers often get home on the weekends which is one of the main appeals for this type of route.
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Hey guys! I graduate next week from TDI trucking school and I'll be choosing a company and going out over the road within a few weeks. I just wanted to post this up in the hopes that any of you vets out there will write down what YOU WISH someone had told you when you first started. I know my first year will basically suck and I won't make much, but I want to hear from you if you know of any particularly good companies for noobs, and if you know of any that noobs should stay away from. What can I do to maximize my income in the first year? The whole reason I started doing this was I was sick of working my ass off and barely pulling home $400 a week. My hope was to at least double that in my first year. I know that's a tall order, but if you have anything to say that you think could get me there please let me know. Pull my coat! Thanks in advance.... JR
Over The Road:
Over The Road
OTR driving normally means you'll be hauling freight to various customers throughout your company's hauling region. It often entails being gone from home for two to three weeks at a time.
OOS:
When a violation by either a driver or company is confirmed, an out-of-service order removes either the driver or the vehicle from the roadway until the violation is corrected.