After 25 Yrs Out, Looking To Go Back To Driving.
Topic 14570 | Page 1
Welcome Jim.
Well I started driving in '93 and things really haven't changed all that much. They've made some changes to the logbook rules and of course nowadays you have all sorts of navigation and communication aids like cell phones, GPS, and Qualcomm (satellite link to the company). But all in all trucking is still trucking.
You're also seeing a lot of the larger carriers switching to automatics. For years they experimented with them but it wasn't until very recently that they seem to have made them feasible on a larger scale. They're excellent overall. Everyone hates the idea when they first hear about it but after a short time in one you'll like it. You still have total control over gear selection by switching into manual mode so you're not hurt in any way while descending mountains and the like.
But I had just mentioned the other day in a different conversation that you could take a driver out of today's trucks and put them in the '91 Freightliner I drove for my first job and they'd have no problem handling it.
You're certainly going to start over as if you've never driven. You can either attend a private truck driving school or go through a company-sponsored program. Company-sponsored programs are simply trucking companies that either own and operate their own schools or they pay for your training through a private school. Either type of schooling is perfectly legit. It's just a matter of preference.
We have a ton of excellent materials that will help you get caught up with today's industry and prepare to get started:
The Complete Guide To A Career In Trucking - read through that as a primer to brush up on things.
The most important thing you'll want to look into is your choice of schooling. Here's a bunch of resources to help you understand your options for schooling:
- Article Category: Choosing A Truck Driving School
- Trucker's Career Guide: Choosing A Truck Driving School
- Forum Topics Tagged "Choosing A Truck Driving School"
And finally, we have an awesome online training program to help you prepare for the written tests to get your CDL permit and endorsements. It also has a section on the logbook rules which you'll need to brush up on:
Here is how our High Road breaks down:
To Get Your CDL Permit:
- Rules & Regulations
- Driving Safely
- Transporting Cargo Safely
- Air Brakes
- Combination Vehicles
- Pre-Trip Inspection
- Driving Exam
To get your CDL endorsements which are optional but highly recommend:
- Transporting Passengers
- Doubles And Triples
- Tankers
- Hazardous Materials
Two sections we've built ourselves with info you'll need for everyday life on the road:
- Logbook
- Weight & Balance
Two sections for anyone considering flatbed:
- Cargo Securement
- New York State Coil Endorsement
Pre-trip Inspection:
A pre-trip inspection is a thorough inspection of the truck completed before driving for the first time each day.
Federal and state laws require that drivers inspect their vehicles. Federal and state inspectors also may inspect your vehicles. If they judge a vehicle to be unsafe, they will put it “out of service” until it is repaired.
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.
Logbook:
A written or electronic record of a driver's duty status which must be maintained at all times. The driver records the amount of time spent driving, on-duty not driving, in the sleeper berth, or off duty. The enforcement of the Hours Of Service Rules (HOS) are based upon the entries put in a driver's logbook.
Combination Vehicle:
A vehicle with two separate parts - the power unit (tractor) and the trailer. Tractor-trailers are considered combination vehicles.
Qualcomm:
Omnitracs (a.k.a. Qualcomm) is a satellite-based messaging system with built-in GPS capabilities built by Qualcomm. It has a small computer screen and keyboard and is tied into the truck’s computer. It allows trucking companies to track where the driver is at, monitor the truck, and send and receive messages with the driver – similar to email.Doubles:
Refers to pulling two trailers at the same time, otherwise known as "pups" or "pup trailers" because they're only about 28 feet long. However there are some states that allow doubles that are each 48 feet in length.
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.
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I haven't driven for 25 years, and now I'm really considering starting a new driving career. I'm going to have to start all over with school and licensing, that's no big deal. I'm looking at starting with Swift after school, getting a couple three yrs of OTR experience. Now, having said that. I would appreciate any advice or insight from the veterans on beginning driving career all over.
OTR:
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.