School My Uncle Or Both?

Hi all,

I'm thinking about starting in Trucking, that means that I have to learn how to drive a truck, if I do start I would be driving a Freightliner, International , Kenworth T600 2005-2006. or something similar. I don't know how to drive stick shift. My uncle tells me that he can train me since he has some years on the field, but I decided to look for a driving school, CDL traning program or something like that,but haven't find one close to me all the driving schools that I contacted don't have CDL trainning, should I just go with my uncle and start trainning ???????? I mean I think it would be helpful to take the traning from an institution/school, do you have any advice, resources or information? I;m sure I'll be able to find a school in my city since I live in the Second largest city of Mexico, but on the mean time I would appreciate any advice on how to start? Thank you in advance for your help.

Welcome aboard MAR!

Unfortunately I don't know the first thing about the trucking industry in Mexico to be honest with you. I know here in the States it's important to the trucking companies that you attend a legitimate truck driving school. You can learn it on your own but they don't like hiring people that do that. They want to know you were trained properly.

I would contact some trucking companies you're interested in working for and ask them their policies on hiring. See if they'll hire you after being trained by your uncle.

Oh man the KW T600, Such a beautiful truck. C15 kitty Cat Roaring turbo, 13 Speed transmission. I hate you Sir. You make me remember the great days of driving a 2005 T600. I miss that truck, Blows Coal like no other. On the benefit of learning the 13speed. Once you learn that you will have mastered the 8speed transmission and the 18 speed transmission. Only different between a 13 and 18 speed is the 13 splits the high end of the transmission and the 18 speeds the low and high end. I'd say Learn on a 13, then go to a trucking school the make sure its a school the North Central Association recognizes. A lot of Issuing DMV's require it be one of the schools they accept or else they won't grant a CDL and a lot of company's wont hire you.

Grunt, have you ever worked a 15 speed V pattern ??? with 15th against the dash ??? Its wicked...and I hated it....I don't think I ever really learned to downshift that one...kept getting lost....

Thanks Brett,

I think they do ask you to go to truck driving school, my uncle says that there´s a way to get it without going to truck driving school, but if I´m going to do it I want to do it right. Safety is a big concern to me, my father was killed by a reckless truck driver 7 years ago just two months after my mom died of cancer,so its better to be safe than sorry I want to do everything the right way. I think my big concern is learning how to drive, because getting a job probably won´t be too easy, but might be able to start working for the same company as my uncle.

Oh man the KW T600, Such a beautiful truck. C15 kitty Cat Roaring turbo, 13 Speed transmission. I hate you Sir. You make me remember the great days of driving a 2005 T600. I miss that truck, Blows Coal like no other. On the benefit of learning the 13speed. Once you learn that you will have mastered the 8speed transmission and the 18 speed transmission. Only different between a 13 and 18 speed is the 13 splits the high end of the transmission and the 18 speeds the low and high end. I'd say Learn on a 13, then go to a trucking school the make sure its a school the North Central Association recognizes. A lot of Issuing DMV's require it be one of the schools they accept or else they won't grant a CDL and a lot of company's wont hire you.

Hey Grunt ,

Don´t hate me yet :-), I don't think I;ll be that lucky, if I do get in to trucking there're more posibilities that I'll drive a Freightliner or an International than a T600 I mentioned the T600 because my uncle just got a T600 and you're right is really nice "I forgot to mention that it's not an uncle there're two ;-) one has a International 98 and the other the T600" anyway I have to start from below zero since I don't even know the difference between 8,13, and 18 speed,but I'm willing to learn, I think that if a younger female cousing was able to get her license I can do it too. btw guys Spanish is my first language so excuse my typos, and bad grammar.