Newb Questions About CDL Training And Qualifications

Rainy, I hadn’t heard of the 160 day training certificates . What exactly is it?

Hours, not days. Upon completion of a CDL school, you recieve a certification that you received 160 hours of schooling. Now imagine you are an employer and you have some who just got out of school and another who hasnt driven a truck in months since school. Which person would you take? Your skills diminsh as time goes on without driving. Even coming back from home time I sometimes have less endurance and rusty backing the first day.

Heres a perfect example on another thead of what i was talking about earlier. This guy went to CDL school and wasted his money. I thought it was a joke when he posted his DUI , criminal drug possessions, reckless driving, prison contraband charge, and license suspensions.

This guy will never get hired by a higher paying company. IF he has a chance at all, it will be at almost half the pay at many of the larger carriers. But he wasted his time and money on a school. Had he tried company sponsored, he would have known early of his difficulty finding a job.

Thread on Newbie Who Went Local and Probably Wont Get Hired

Thanks Rainy. Sometimes I get my hours and days mixed up and I also have Furniture Disease. That’s when you get to my age and your chest falls into your drawers.

This gives me more to think about. I’ll take a look at the links you sent me.

Rainy, that’s my biggest concern as well. I don’t want to shell out $5K just to find out that nobody will touch me with my meds.

Other thoughts welcome. I appreciate all the replies so far.

I plan to stay with my first job at least a year, so I’m under no illusions that I’ll be a free agent.

I am concerned about getting on with a company then realizing that I had made a bad company choice. Either way, I probably just need to do the research now. I guess I’m no worse off having to pay back company tuition than I would be paying full-boat up front for a school.

Another question... I’m in the Boise area. How concerned should I be about finding a company with a terminal close by (say within a couple hours). Is hometime harder to schedule when the terminal is farther away (say 5-6 hours)?

Tell us more about yourself... are you currently working?

The more background information you provide, the better we can assist.

I am concerned about getting on with a company then realizing that I had made a bad company choice. Either way, I probably just need to do the research now. I guess I’m no worse off having to pay back company tuition than I would be paying full-boat up front for a school.

Didn’t you read anything Brett replied with?

Your approach is flawed for the simple reason Sage will take you money, not give a hoot about your medical issues, only for you then to find you cannot get a job...

If you take the approach of Paid CDL Training Programs you will not be wasting any money or time because they will medically prequalify you before accepting you into school.

Just to be clear, SD1978 is possibly “Boise Todd”. Let’s temper any further responses until after Brett validates his credentials.

Tell us more about yourself... are you currently working?

The more background information you provide, the better we can assist.

Not currently working. Last major job was as a 9-1-1 dispatcher prior to relocating to the Boise area in October. I had a job for a month at Alaska Airlines in December, but quit for personal reasons.

I’m a little burned out on the 9-1-1 career and have considered truck driving for the last 5 years or so.

No accidents or tickets in the last 3+ years. No criminal history. Married, no kids.

I am concerned about getting on with a company then realizing that I had made a bad company choice. Either way, I probably just need to do the research now. I guess I’m no worse off having to pay back company tuition than I would be paying full-boat up front for a school.

Didn’t you read anything Brett replied with?

Your approach is flawed for the simple reason Sage will take you money, not give a hoot about your medical issues, only for you then to find you cannot get a job...

If you take the approach of Paid CDL Training Programs you will not be wasting any money or time because they will medically prequalify you before accepting you into school.

Just to be clear, SD1978 is possibly “Boise Todd”. Let’s temper any further responses until after Brett validates his credentials.

I was being truthful when I said that the replies had given me some things to think about. Just being honest with my concerns and thoughts, that’s all.

I am not the same person as Boise Todd (whoever that is).

Sd1978,

You may also have a problem with your work history. Have you been working since you quit in December? THAT will be an issue in itself.

As far as needing a terminal nearby, that is not necessary. I am from NJ but I am dispatched out of MO....1000 miles from home. As long as a company has freight in your area, getting home wont be an issue. Many of the larger companies hire from all 48 states.

Also, not all companies make you pay anything as long as you stay your year. Prime (my company) and CFI (according to Big Scott) never take a dime out of your pay. If you leave, then you owe. Others have different pay plans where you get it back after you complete the year.

Jim Palmer is in Missoula. But again, the work history might be a problem for you.

Some additional thoughts on Paid CDL Training Programs:

You have already heard about the money. It is true that you are on the hook for tuition, even on a company sponsored program - but a company will automatically finance you, and probably interest free to boot! That's where that one year (or so) commitment comes in.

Now if you do your research on which company is "best", you might find that you have a large list of OK companies. The difference is in the details, like APU , pet & rider policy, terminal locations, etc. So, most companies that offer "paid training" will work out for you.

Another thing about the company training: you are all but hired the day you first sit in the classroom. No real job yet, but the sponsoring company figures you just might make it to Driver status. This pre-check will include any medical considerations, and you should have a chance to correct anything that needs correcting. Going to a private school (re-read Brett's list of "why's") is ya pays yer money and ya takes yer classes. "Employment assistance" is all you get from the school. And you still need to pay, either from your bulging bank account or back to the loan company.

Finally, terminal location: once you get in a truck, terminals, offices and even your home location don't mean much. On a daily basis you are driving around the country. If you need to do something at the terminal, you can probably swing by any terminal to take care of business. And for home time, once you let the DM know, arrangements will be made for you to get back to the fam for a few days.

And finally, placing a new driver costs a company a few thousand bucks. If you go to a company school, they are very interested in you getting it right, not just in getting past the CDL tests. No secret: in my opinion, company sponsored school is the way to go.

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.

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.

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.

APU:

Auxiliary Power Unit

On tractor trailers, and APU is a small diesel engine that powers a heat and air conditioning unit while charging the truck's main batteries at the same time. This allows the driver to remain comfortable in the cab and have access to electric power without running the main truck engine.

Having an APU helps save money in fuel costs and saves wear and tear on the main engine, though they tend to be expensive to install and maintain. Therefore only a very small percentage of the trucks on the road today come equipped with an APU.

Rainy,

I’ve been doing some Lyft and Amazon Flex, but nothing full-time since January 8th (coming up on 2 months).

Previous job was 7 years duration.

What sort of work history do I need in order to get past this hurdle?