When To Apply With Trucking Companies?
Topic 17374 | Page 2
Sharon, Not sure if you have had an opportunity to review Trucking Truth's starter kit:
- Truck Driver's Career Guide
- Brett's Book: The Raw Truth About Trucking (free online version)
- High Road Training Program
These links will help you establish a base of knowledge necessary to proceed with a realistic set of expectations and goals. The HighRoad is a CBT course designed to prepare you for the permit exams.
In addition considering you are attending a private school these links will help define a path of success for sending out pre-hire letters as you get closer to graduation.
- Article: Understanding Pre-Hire Letters: The What, Why, And How Of This Important Step
- Trucker's Wiki: "Pre-Hire Letters"
- Forum Topics Tagged "CDL Pre-Hire Letters"
And finally...this: Trucking Company Reviews
Good luck, we're here to help!
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.
Pre-hire:
What Exactly Is A Pre-Hire Letter?
Pre-hire letters are acceptance letters from trucking companies to students, or even potential students, to verify placement. The trucking companies are saying in writing that the student, or potential student, appears to meet the company's minimum hiring requirements and is welcome to attend their orientation at the company’s expense once he or she graduates from truck driving school and has their CDL in hand.
We have an excellent article that will help you Understand The Pre-Hire Process.
A Pre-Hire Letter Is Not A Guarantee Of Employment
The people that receive a pre-hire letter are people who meet the company's minimum hiring requirements, but it is not an employment contract. It is an invitation to orientation, and the orientation itself is a prerequisite to employment.
During the orientation you will get a physical, drug screen, and background check done. These and other qualifications must be met before someone in orientation is officially hired.
You don't have to relocate for the companies I listed. Home time is based on company policy, not how close to a terminal you are. The only benefit to living near a terminal is easy truck parking plus if any maintenance needs to be done on the truck, the mechanics can do it while you're on home time. If you do relocate, come on out to Las Vegas; no personal income taxes in Nevada...lol.
Terminal:
A facility where trucking companies operate out of, or their "home base" if you will. A lot of major companies have multiple terminals around the country which usually consist of the main office building, a drop lot for trailers, and sometimes a repair shop and wash facilities.
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First question to ask; "Am I allowed to take my dog?" Some companies have weight limitations for dogs also. Another question; "How much is the pet deposit and may I pay it with payments or credit card?" Here's a few that hire new cdl grads and have pet policy and hire California drivers ://Watkins-Shepard///Pride Transport-super nice trucks//Schuster//KKW Trucking//Jim Palmer Trucking//Southern Refrigerated Transport//KLLM//May Trucking Company//Knight Transportation- dry van national fleet. I can't figure out how to get these names on a list instead of a sentence format. If you want something more local, try Mountain Valley Express and Wildwood Express.
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
Dry Van:
A trailer or truck that that requires no special attention, such as refrigeration, that hauls regular palletted, boxed, or floor-loaded freight. The most common type of trailer in trucking.