Hopefully Starting Class August1st And New Here
Topic 15293 | Page 1
Good luck. You will most likely have to start OTR for at least one year. Try these.
- Truck Driver's Career Guide
- Brett's Book: The Raw Truth About Trucking (free online version)
- High Road Training Program
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.
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.
Having a family and a large one at that I will not be able to do OTR right now. I am looking more into regional or local. My kids will eat their mom's soul if I am gone that long. Thanks for the links. I enjoy how everything on this site is fun to read and educational at the same time.
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.
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.
Hi, Jeremy and welcome to the place with all the right answers! :)
Scott pointed out that the chance is high you will be OTR at the start of your career. It's not a hard and fast rule, but generally that's your first step in your trucking career.
I know of people who have gone directly from school to either regional (can be home weekends) it to shuttle route (home daily and good miles to boot). That all depends on what your company needs.
Count in being in school and training, away from home and probably not being paid, for maybe two months or so. I assume your school, DMACC, is local to you, but once you're hired you'll be on the road steady for training at least a month, maybe more (but then you'll be getting paychecks).
Looks like you've done your homework. Have you contacted any company recruiters? Trucking Truth has a One And Done application tool that fires of your application to many companies: Apply For Truck Driving Jobs.
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.
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.
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.New Reply:
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Just found this web site and figured I'd chime in as well. I am 41 years old and been working manufacturing for almost 20 years. Good money to be made if the right place is found but I am finding that line of work is becoming a terrible way to live. I am unemployed currently after getting fired for clicking the wrong name on a computer form. I strive to learn everything I possibly can about whatever profession or hobby I am in. Get good at something and it make the task or day much easier. Apparently that has become a liability in that line of work as people tend to find hard work and being good at something as a threat to them. So here I am looking at driving a truck.
I have five kids (22, 19, 16, 11 and 1) two of which are out of the house. One is a regional manager of a restaurant chain here and another is in school for law enforcement. I am not looking to go OTR exactly yet to stay closer to home for the time being. Once the younger kids are older that will become more of an option. I am hoping to get in the class starting august 1st and DMACC in Ankeny Iowa. Have my medical certificate and 5 year MVR and hoping to take and pass the permit tests later today. Only hang up is school funding and that meeting is tomorrow with the state workforce agency. I've been around semis before as a youngster ( traveled with a carnival when I was 17. Don't judge me lol) so this field has always been an interest for me. Pretty scary stuff this new path in life I am on. Glad I found this site and it's resources. thanks jeremy
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.
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.
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.MVR:
Motor Vehicle Record
An MVR is a report of your driving history, as reported from your state Department of Motor Vehicles. Information on this report may include Drivers License information, point history, violations, convictions, and license status on your driving record.