Need Advice On Path To Cdl
Topic 14867 | Page 1
Steve, I was close to the same $ situation as you. And I went with Swift partly because of the no money up front thing.
I'm not sure how the CDL license goes. Last year when I took the course, the school taught what you needed to know for your home state testing, then sent you to your home state to take the skills test and get your license. (For you that would be in Ocala.)
Then last year the FMCSA or DOT said you could have a Florida permit and take the Missouri skills test and you're good to go with your Florida license.
To answer your question about a truck, don't worry about that. Study and take your Florida CDL written test now and get your permit. You take the driving/ skills test later and Swift will let you use one of their trucks. :)
Most Paid CDL Training Programs don't require a credit check. Swift also lists your financing as interest free. (Yes, you need to provide your own grub. Once you get to Swift orientation you'll be in the payroll and "your money problems are over.")
Being your first post, I assume you haven't seen the Trucking Truth High Road Training Program that will set you up for your CDL written test.
Good luck and bring your questions here.
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.
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?
- Commercial Drivers' Licenses
- Data and Analysis
- Regulatory Compliance and Enforcement
- Research and Technology
- Safety Assistance
- Support and Information Sharing
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.
hi all, I am new and I have a question about getting a class A cdl I need a no money or very little up front option because I am broke and poor. roadmaster is local but because I have crap credit so they are a no go. no other local cdl schools. option A: swift said they will take me but is have to goto Missouri for the school (I live in Tampa florida) and I need $155 + food money for the 3 weeks of school. option B: get the permit myself at the dmv , but how do I get started driving??? I need a truck to take the test in. who would hire me doing it myself?
thank you
Get together all the information on what you want to do in becoming a Trucker (what schools, getting CDL, benefits and pay for new truckers, etc.). Figure out how much money you need for yourself up to your first paycheck and than add another 15% on top of that. Write it all up so when you go to a friend or a bank you can explain what you are going to do, how you are going to do it, and how you are going to pay them back to see if they will give you a short-term loan. Think of it as a business plan selling yourself and your new career. Good luck!
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.
Dm:
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.DMV:
Department of Motor Vehicles, Bureau of Motor Vehicles
The state agency that handles everything related to your driver's licences, including testing, issuance, transfers, and revocation.
Steve, you were given good advice by the guys.
Tman is suggesting to try to get a loan to cover the cost of a private truck driving school and Errol is recommending a Company-Sponsored Training Program through Swift. Either type of schooling is great - company-sponsored or private.
The one thing you do not want to do is try to get your CDL without going to school. It can be done, but the major companies won't hire you unless you attended a legitimate truck driving school. You can get your CDL permit and the endorsements on your own. Those are just written exams. But to get the license you'll definitely want to attend a legitimate school.
Go through our career guide and it will give you a ton of information about getting started in trucking:
The Complete Guide To A Career In Trucking
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.
Company-sponsored Training:
A Company-Sponsored Training Program is a school that is owned and operated by a trucking company.
The schooling often requires little or no money up front. Instead of paying up-front tuition you will sign an agreement to work for the company for a specified amount of time after graduation, usually around a year, at a slightly lower rate of pay in order to pay for the training.
If you choose to quit working for the company before your year is up, they will normally require you to pay back a prorated amount of money for the schooling. The amount you pay back will be comparable to what you would have paid if you went to an independently owned school.
Company-sponsored training can be an excellent way to get your career underway if you can't afford the tuition up front for private schooling.
HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.
Steve All the advice that Brett, Errol and TMan has given you is spot on. Brett has created the best website on the Internet for all the information you will need about trucking and CDL schools Private and company sponsored programs, and training for obtaining your CDL A permit along with any endorsements you may want.
I am currently at the Swift training academy in Memphis. I am from KY I take my DMV test here next Tuesday some of the others in my class went back to their home state such as SC to do their road training and DMV test.
The program here is excellent Swift covered my transportation here and they will send me back home. there is no money upfront for the school. It has cost me about $400 to be here for 3 weeks.
Not trying to persuade you to choose Swift as there are several other companies that offer CDL training as well. do your research and decide which one would be the best fit for you. All the information you need is right here on this website.
Good Luck!
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.
Dm:
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.DMV:
Department of Motor Vehicles, Bureau of Motor Vehicles
The state agency that handles everything related to your driver's licences, including testing, issuance, transfers, and revocation.
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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hi all, I am new and I have a question about getting a class A cdl I need a no money or very little up front option because I am broke and poor. roadmaster is local but because I have crap credit so they are a no go. no other local cdl schools.
option A:
Swift Transport said they will take me but is have to go to Missouri for the school (I live in Tampa florida) and I need $155 + food money for the 3 weeks of school.
option B:
get the permit myself at the dmv , but how do I get started driving??? I need a truck to take the test in. who would hire me doing it myself?
thank you
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
Dm:
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.DMV:
Department of Motor Vehicles, Bureau of Motor Vehicles
The state agency that handles everything related to your driver's licences, including testing, issuance, transfers, and revocation.