New Journey Begins. Retired Paramedic

Topic 20710 | Page 1

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Grandma Day's Comment
member avatar

I left my career 10 years ago and have been lost since. I had often thought of trucking but never had the courage to go foward. But I have set those fears aside, really why let my age (47) and being female stop me. I have always worked in a male dominated field that is no problem for me. I drove fire trucks and ambulances for many years.

So I have enrolled in Johnston Community College TDT in Smithfield NC. They require a DOT physical, drivers check, CDL A permit and drug screening on orientation day prior to entering the program.

I received DOT physical yesterday and obtained a one year medical card due to history of HTN and Cardiac Ablation 2 years ago. Been studying for permit through the NCDMV and this wonderful site. Will goto test sometime this week.

It seems like many do not do their training through a community college. I hope I have made the right decision.

I am going in with a open mind as I am unsure of the direction I want to go in the industry. Basically, because of lack of knowledge and I do not know anybody in this field to mentor me.

So here is to a new journey!!

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.

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.

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.

HOS:

Hours Of Service

HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.
Frito's Comment
member avatar

Hey Terri. I'm encouraging a friend of mine to look into the same school you are planning to attend. He lives in Cary. We are considering teaming. I've been driving a bit over a year. Might you know the typical class size and if there are slots in the October session? We will be researching the school more in depth the first of the week. Can't beat the tuition. The training materials here will certainly help you pass all required testing. Best of luck.
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