How Goaz-zit, Folks

What shoulda greenhorn do at this site? is this the proper place to introduce oneself? where are the forum rules i should read first? tanks much

Welcome to the Trucking Truth Forum Donald.

How Green are you? Do you have your CDL , in school, road training, rookie driver...? What level are you on? Help us, "help you".

If nothing else please read these links:

• Truck Driver's Career Guide
• Brett's Book: The Raw Truth About Trucking (free online version)
• High Road CDL Training Program
• CDL Practice Tests

Welcome to the Trucking Truth Forum Donald.

How Green are you? Do you have your CDL , in school, road training, rookie driver...? What level are you on? Help us, "help you".

If nothing else please read these links:

• Truck Driver's Career Guide
• Brett's Book: The Raw Truth About Trucking (free online version)
• High Road CDL Training Program
• CDL Practice Tests

Mr. G., hello. before I can enter a driving school, I must recover from my neck injury from a car accident two months ago, my personal injury law firm told me a local chiropractor should be contacting me soon for intake... please don't worry, it was the other's driver's fault, a young bonehead gabbing on a smartphone in front of me put his SUV in reverse and backed right into the front of my car while I was at a gas station...his insurance carrier has already paid for my car as a "totaled vehicle" though it had minor cosmetic front damage and is still road legal and driveable .......I haven't yet decided which CDL school to go to living in Moore, OK, near OKC, I was wondering if Texas, DFW, has better quality schools....meanwhile, I will read all the links you posted above as my neck (one doctor told me suspected whiplash) is recovering....it might be up to 6 mo.s before I can be medically ready for school....I might also learn a thing or two from the seasoned drivers who post here.....the toughest thing for me right now is selecting a school...they are all not the same.....my career plan for life is to put at least five solid years in driving OTR then transfer over to a non-driving position with a motor carrier as manager, dispatcher , logistics, trainer, etc. ... dunno, yet, some non-driving job that allows me to come home from work most every day and have quality personal time...taking a dog for a walk in the park on evenings, going fishing and hunting on weekends....the nine-to-five...I'm thinking about getting into a new house in Texas, maybe Austin, after squirreling away money from a five-year OTR stretch...of course, I would want a short commute to work to whatever facilities non-drivers with motor carriers work as terminals and such...I checked out Schneider's site, it appears as they have a program of their own for seasoned drivers to switch over management and such....they call it Carrier Paths....it's my humble opinion that an experienced driver will be the best candidate for any non-driving position at a freight carrier...it's always nice when dispatchers, load planners, trainers, managers, etc. see things while being in the shoes of a driver...a company should be centered around drivers

i understand that non-driving jobs may not pay as well as driving jobs but non-paying jobs do provide much more home time and money isn't everything if you don't have the time to enjoy spending it! ... i honestly can't see myself driving a truck until i die of old age

That is helpful, then the links I sent you are relevant and appropriate.

Also, so is this:

Paid CDL Training Programs

We recommend Company Paid CDL Schooling/Training.

Here is why: Why I Prefer Paid CDL Training

That is helpful, then the links I sent you are relevant and appropriate.

Also, so is this:

Paid CDL Training Programs

We recommend Company Paid CDL Schooling/Training.

Here is why: Why I Prefer Paid CDL Training

thanks, G, company-sponsored training seems the logical way to fly according to Brett though he took the private school route.... most of my jobs have been whereby I was trained by my employer... military service is a classic example of employer-trained employment...a military recruit is an investment at the expense of the taxpayer's dime...if a company shells out hard economic resources toward the CDL qualification in prospective drivers, they have an incentive to try to keep them....they'd hate for you to fail...failure for new recruits is not an option for most army drill sergeants...in basic training, only one man out of 60 in my class (platoon) did not graduate, was put on the Dog back home in shame

Donald wrote:

...in basic training, only one man out of 60 in my class (platoon) did not graduate, was put on the Dog back home in shame

I'd be remiss if I didn't thank you for your service; "thank you".

Interesting how you brought up basic training in the military.

Although some compare trucking school to military boot camp, the similarities end with the graduation rate; it's remarkably different. On average about 30% graduate and pass the 3 State Administered CDL tests; Pre-Trip Inspection , Yard Skills (Backing) and Road Driving. I attended Swift's Richmond Academy over 6 years ago; my class started with 32, lost about 1/2 that in the first week for a variety of reasons (some rather absurd; one was caught drinking in the hotel room). The net of the process after 3.5 weeks; 6 graduated. 5 eventually passed their CDL tests and of that number, I know of only two of us that continue to drive over 6 years later (6.25%). That is a consistent attrition rate with most every company. To your point about the 1 man out of 60; trucking companies would be absolutely "gleeful" if 30% of their students managed to drive for them beyond the first year.

You must be thinking..."OMG, that's rather daunting!" To an outsider, it is just "that". There is a whole lot to it...beginning with the understanding and acceptance that learning the basics of this (through road training) is like nothing you have ever done and must be considered more like a life style than just a way of making a living.

That is why we encourage first-timers like yourself invest several hours of your time reading these two links (offered previously) before doing much else in the way of detailed research...or even inquiries.

Truck Driver's Career Guide

Becoming A Truck Driver: The Raw Truth About Truck Driving

Donald I am not trying to discourage you one bit. We have all been in your shoes. I am helping you to set realistic expectations and enable a primer of basic knowledge that will serve you throughout the initial process and beyond. The bane of many new trucking students is a false sense of reality. Read those links I posted and I promise you will not suffer from any delusional thinking.

Good luck!

Donald wrote:

...in basic training, only one man out of 60 in my class (platoon) did not graduate, was put on the Dog back home in shame

I'd be remiss if I didn't thank you for your service; "thank you".

Interesting how you brought up basic training in the military.

Although some compare trucking school to military boot camp, the similarities end with the graduation rate; it's remarkably different. On average about 30% graduate and pass the 3 State Administered CDL tests; Pre-Trip Inspection , Yard Skills (Backing) and Road Driving. I attended Swift's Richmond Academy over 6 years ago; my class started with 32, lost about 1/2 that in the first week for a variety of reasons (some rather absurd; one was caught drinking in the hotel room). The net of the process after 3.5 weeks; 6 graduated. 5 eventually passed their CDL tests and of that number, I know of only two of us that continue to drive over 6 years later (6.25%). That is a consistent attrition rate with most every company. To your point about the 1 man out of 60; trucking companies would be absolutely "gleeful" if 30% of their students managed to drive for them beyond the first year.

You must be thinking..."OMG, that's rather daunting!" To an outsider, it is just "that". There is a whole lot to it...beginning with the understanding and acceptance that learning the basics of this (through road training) is like nothing you have ever done and must be considered more like a life style than just a way of making a living.

That is why we encourage first-timers like yourself invest several hours of your time reading these two links (offered previously) before doing much else in the way of detailed research...or even inquiries.

Truck Driver's Career Guide

Becoming A Truck Driver: The Raw Truth About Truck Driving

Donald I am not trying to discourage you one bit. We have all been in your shoes. I am helping you to set realistic expectations and enable a primer of basic knowledge that will serve you throughout the initial process and beyond. The bane of many new trucking students is a false sense of reality. Read those links I posted and I promise you will not suffer from any delusional thinking.

Good luck!

a guy washed out of CDL school because of drinking?....thankfully, I don't drink, smoke or even use illegal dope...I bet the older set, 50+, as I am, has a much better 1st-year success rate....most failures are probably the younger generations, that's my wild guess...the older-school people had more discipline in their upbringing and weren't spoiled rotten, we were raised with a work ethic....I bet military veterans are better candidates for CDL because of their tough service experience....a soldier or marine has to have a tough "I can do it" attitude...."improvise, adapt, overcome".....I'm a bachelor too, single...no kids, no wife....Mr. G, I will get to reading stuff here...

remember when Goose was asking Maverick in the 1986 film "Top Gun" for the telephone number to a truck driving school when the future of their navy dogfighting career came into question at the Miramar Navy Fighter Weapons school? Hollywood was really dumping on the trucking business by implying it was "a big step down" from piloting an F-14 in combat

Yes, zero tolerance for drinking during school. Even once you are employed a driver; trace amounts of alcohol or banned substances found during a random, are cause for dismissal and will haunt a driver for many years to come, likely preventing future re-entry into the business.

Donald...I am being totally sincere when I say this... please don't bet on anything...

I was brutally truthful when I stated this "is like nothing you have ever done". I watched several retired military wash-out of school. Great bunch of guys, but they couldn't "get-it". Effort, dogged determination, common-sense, attention to important details, good listening skills, and a willingness to apply yourself with zero distractions is what will enable passing the CDL. That said; once a military veteran gets to the point of a first seat upgrade, they can be wildly successful because of their inherent traits; discipline, respect for peers and authority, and rules compliance (lots and lots of those in trucking).

There are some "gotchas" for everyone though...The Freedom of Trucking, "Blessing or Curse"

It's a totally level playing field. I know former teachers, dentists, business people, construction workers, military, heavy equipment operators. Very, very few previous careers provide any tangible advantage or adequately prepare a person for this. Going into this with any preconceived notion; is a mistake.

Study my friend. Study.

company-sponsored training seems the logical way to fly according to Brett though he took the private school route....

Back in the day there were very few Paid CDL Training Programs, and I didn't know they existed until I had already graduated from a private school and went out on the road. I heard about them from other drivers.

Nowadays there are quite a few paid programs because the companies have found them to be more effective with their training and a better source of new drivers. In fact, every company I've spoken with is actively trying to expand its training program. Ultimately they would like to have every student driver come through their own program.

Yes, zero tolerance for drinking during school. Even once you are employed a driver; trace amounts of alcohol or banned substances found during a random, are cause for dismissal and will haunt a driver for many years to come, likely preventing future re-entry into the business.

Donald...I am being totally sincere when I say this... please don't bet on anything...

I was brutally truthful when I stated this "is like nothing you have ever done". I watched several retired military wash-out of school. Great bunch of guys, but they couldn't "get-it". Effort, dogged determination, common-sense, attention to important details, good listening skills, and a willingness to apply yourself with zero distractions is what will enable passing the CDL. That said; once a military veteran gets to the point of a first seat upgrade, they can be wildly successful because of their inherent traits; discipline, respect for peers and authority, and rules compliance (lots and lots of those in trucking).

There are some "gotchas" for everyone though...The Freedom of Trucking, "Blessing or Curse"

It's a totally level playing field. I know former teachers, dentists, business people, construction workers, military, heavy equipment operators. Very, very few previous careers provide any tangible advantage or adequately prepare a person for this. Going into this with any preconceived notion; is a mistake.

Study my friend. Study.

one more dinky question, G, are the success and failure rates in this business about the same for all age groups 21+, or whatever the legal CDL age bracket is?..... you may have noticed more people of a certain age bracket succeed in driving than others

a job counselor a few years ago told me she thought older people were generally "better workers" but some employers favored younger workers thinking them more up to speed with modern technology....older people seem more resistant to changes, often stubborn and set in their ways of thinking, and younger people, being more naive due to their youth and inexperience, are more likely to promptly do as they are told without question or skepticism...an older person might stop a moment and put more thought into something whenever he is told to do something...I know I have to do as I'm told on the job but I might first figure out what angle to approach the problem before executing...I do believe trucking might take some open-mindedness sometimes...us older people got to live this long in the first place by being cautious, maybe a little apprehensive at times....I see, G, approach this career with a bit of caution and skepticism...the world is full of catches (caveats) to new "exciting" propositions