Considering A Trucking Career
Topic 13866 | Page 1
Welcome to Trucking Truth, Dave! There's lots of stuff here to help you out.
Depending how far south in Florida you are, freight starts to thin out. But you can use this list to get started:
- Truck Driver's Career Guide
- Brett's Book: The Raw Truth About Trucking (free online version)
- High Road Training Program
The Career Guide will give you the layout of the trucking business. Brett wrote of his experience as an Over The Road driver. The High Road Training program will go along way in preparing you for your CDL written test.
Anything else, just ask on the forum.
Errol
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.
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.
This wont be good for me!
Welcome to Trucking Truth, Dave! There's lots of stuff here to help you out.
Depending how far south in Florida you are, freight starts to thin out. But you can use this list to get started:
- Truck Driver's Career Guide
- Brett's Book: The Raw Truth About Trucking (free online version)
- High Road Training Program
The Career Guide will give you the layout of the trucking business. Brett wrote of his experience as an Over The Road driver. The High Road Training program will go along way in preparing you for your CDL written test.
Anything else, just ask on the forum.
Errol
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.
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.
Miami is a VERY TOUGH SELL for trucking companies.
If you go to school yourself down here - Werner, Armellinni and CRST are the few that come to mind, hiring newbies out of school in SoFla.
I'm in the same boat myself, here in Fort Lauderdale. Pretty much NO ONE that I'd be interested in, hires out of this zip code.
The issue is GETTING YOU HOME.
Freight COMING INTO South Florida pays pretty good (for O/O's and companies) because there's NOTHING really coming OUT of SoFla - except flowers from South America, coming into Port Of Miami.
Most O/Os I'm friends with, will drop down here, and deadhead up to mid-state. Freight coming into SoFla is in the countries "normal range". Shippers ROB the carriers going out ($1-1.50), because they know folks just want to get anything to get the heck out of here and not pay for fuel.
This affects most carriers that hire company drivers, because they don't want to get robbed trying to get you home. So it's just NOT WORTH HIRING someone in this area.
So if you NEED TO GET HOME - this is going to present an issue. If you don't - change your DL address to somewhere north of I-4 (Orlando area), as that seems to be the cutoff for pretty much every company.
If I ever get off my dead butt and get out of here - I have friends/relative with "hireable addresses" I can use. I'd be "going homeless" anyways - so getting back down here wouldn't be an issue. And if I need to - I'll ask for hometime in Orlando - rent a car, and drive down for the few days.
Rick
Deadhead:
To drive with an empty trailer. After delivering your load you will deadhead to a shipper to pick up your next load.
Shipper:
The customer who is shipping the freight. This is where the driver will pick up a load and then deliver it to the receiver or consignee.
Thanks for the info. I actually live in North Central Florida, near Gainesville.
Thanks for the info. I actually live in North Central Florida, near Gainesville.
You should have no issues getting a hire out of that area.
Rick
New Reply:
New! Check out our help videos for a better understanding of our forum features
Preview:
Why Join Trucking Truth?
- The High Road Training Program
- The High Road Article Series
- The Friendliest Trucker's Forum Ever!
- Email Updates When New Articles Are Posted
Apply For Paid CDL Training Through TruckingTruth
Did you know you can fill out one quick form here on TruckingTruth and apply to several companies at once for paid CDL training? Seriously! The application only takes one minute. You will speak with recruiters today. There is no obligation whatsoever. Learn more and apply here:
TT On Facebook
Hello, I'm very interested in starting a career as a Driver. I have no experience and no CDL. Could someone please recommend a good company, to start with and who sponsors or provides CDL training? I live in Florida btw.
Thanks,
David
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles: