Office To Trucking
Topic 25872 | Page 1
Kayman , welcome. Don’t be surprised if you have to redo your cdl training. Since you have had your cdl for a year and not driven, many will consider your training stale. Others, more knowledgeable folks will chime in soon for you.
Best of luck Chris
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.
I have heard of people never going OTR and still getting a job local, you might be able to land a local job if you are persistent enough. Also, as Army said, you kinda let the whole training go stale on you waiting so long, that might shoot you in the foot. It's not impossible to overcome though, just need to get off the fence and start walking good sir. :)
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.
I agree with Army and Mathew about your training being stale. But the part about getting local jobs is not impossible. I drove for 11 years before, mostly fuel and chemical tankers. All local. I did do some time OTR with a freight company. Then I got into a motorcycle accident. Fast forward 9 yrs and I'm driving for Swift. Happy there and I'm now 66. So it can be done. But you might have to have a refresher course because you haven't driven for anyone since obtaining your CDL. Some local company might take a chance on you but it would be pretty rare. Check if the School you took your test with has a refresher course and since you went there it may not cost that much.
Good luck.
Raptor
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.
Why did you get your CDL a year ago and not use it? A stale license does nothing, and can actually be more of a hindrance than asset.
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.
Why did you get your CDL a year ago and not use it? A stale license does nothing, and can actually be more of a hindrance than asset.
Thanks for all the feedback!
I wanted to get it out the way while also saving enough of a cushion before leaving my job. I didn't think that it would go stale. That never crossed my mind. Hopefully that don't hurt me as don't need to spending more cash for a refresher. I'm going to make a few call to see what's what.
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.
Going from the office to a truck? No problem! Your truck becomes your new office, but with an ever changing view.
. I didn't think that it would go stale. That never crossed my mind
Lots of private CDL Schools will gladly take your money, but leave out a few minor details.😬 Your first move should be to contact the School. They may offer you a refresher course at a discounted rate. It's worth a shot. I'm assuming that you received a 160 hour certificate from said School?
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.
New Reply:
New! Check out our help videos for a better understanding of our forum features
Preview:
Why Join Trucking Truth?
- The High Road Training Program
- The High Road Article Series
- The Friendliest Trucker's Forum Ever!
- Email Updates When New Articles Are Posted
Apply For Paid CDL Training Through TruckingTruth
Did you know you can fill out one quick form here on TruckingTruth and apply to several companies at once for paid CDL training? Seriously! The application only takes one minute. You will speak with recruiters today. There is no obligation whatsoever. Learn more and apply here:
TT On Facebook
Good evening TT family,
I've been working in the office all my life but it's time for a change. I attended a local tractor trailer school in my area and received my CDL with Hazmat , Tanker, T/D and also got my TWIC card back summer 2018. It's been a dream of mines to drive big rigs since I was a child. I really don't want to do OTR if I don't have to but I'm hearing I have to pay my dues before local companies will give me a shot. Due to young tweens at home, I would prefer local to the DMV area. I know I need to pull the trigger at some point but I'm a little nervous with making the change. Can anyone share some of the things that helped you get out of your comfort zone? I'm going to start calling some recruiters to get the ball rolling hopefully before the end of this summer fingers crossed. Thanks for your time and I'm loving this site. Going to spend some time over the next few days exploring.
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
HAZMAT:
Hazardous Materials
Explosive, flammable, poisonous or otherwise potentially dangerous cargo. Large amounts of especially hazardous cargo are required to be placarded under HAZMAT regulations
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.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.
TWIC:
Transportation Worker Identification Credential
Truck drivers who regularly pick up from or deliver to the shipping ports will often be required to carry a TWIC card.
Your TWIC is a tamper-resistant biometric card which acts as both your identification in secure areas, as well as an indicator of you having passed the necessary security clearance. TWIC cards are valid for five years. The issuance of TWIC cards is overseen by the Transportation Security Administration and the Department of Homeland Security.