Waitress With CDL And No Experience Looking For Truck Driving Job

I got my CDL ten years ago, but have never driven a truck for a job. I wait tables because I needed to be home for my children. My kids are almost grown and my feet can’t handle walking around all day so I am looking into using my CDL. Where do I apply? What companies are the best to start out at?

Hi, Priscilla, welcome to Trucking Truth.

Let's get some ducks in a row first. If you have had your CDL for ten years, have you kept the DOT medical card current? If not, your CDL has been automatically down graded to a regular DL by the state. You will need to start over.

Second, your kids. What do you mean by "almost grown"? The focus here at TT is on OTR driving, where you won't be home for weeks at a time. Can your family handle your absence for that long?

Lastly, if you've never driven a truck, you'll need to take the full 160 hour (4 weeks or so) course.

If you're thinking getting a local job, without driving experience, it's possible but you might get better results buying lottery tickets.

Do you have these questions covered?

I went to trucking school. I have a cdl class a with a intrastate restriction because of no medical card, but it is a current cdl I just renewed in June. Yes my kids can handle me being gone weeks at a time as I am the every other weekend parent anyway and NO you did not answer my question of what otr company to start with.

Hi, Priscilla, welcome to Trucking Truth.

Let's get some ducks in a row first. If you have had your CDL for ten years, have you kept the DOT medical card current? If not, your CDL has been automatically down graded to a regular DL by the state. You will need to start over.

Second, your kids. What do you mean by "almost grown"? The focus here at TT is on OTR driving, where you won't be home for weeks at a time. Can your family handle your absence for that long?

Lastly, if you've never driven a truck, you'll need to take the full 160 hour (4 weeks or so) course.

If you're thinking getting a local job, without driving experience, it's possible but you might get better results buying lottery tickets.

Do you have these questions covered?

NO you did not answer my question of what otr company to start with

Check these articles out. There are members that know many of the big companies here, so keep asking questions here.

• Trucker's Career Guide: Choosing Your First Truck Driving Job
• Article Category: Finding The Right Truck Driving Job
• Forum Topics Tagged "Choosing A Trucking Company"

Your CDL with zero experience is pretty much like NOT HAVING ONE AT ALL (take it from me - I got mine 11 years ago and never used it either).

So ANY COMPANY you start out with, is going to require you to come in as a student and train as if you didn't even have a CDL (and even for me, I wouldn't have it any other way ANYWAYS - I'd want to do the full training regimen, despite knowing the rules and how to drive one).

Some companies will require you to DOWNGRADE YOUR CDL to a regular operators license, and go through the licensure process entirely from scratch (which doesn't make much sense, but I digress).

Either way - where to apply, really depends a lot on WHERE YOU ARE LOCATED - as many of the larger companies members here have started out with - don't hire from certain areas (like NO ONE really hires from So Florida where I'm located).

The hint would be APPLY EVERYWHERE - explain your situation to the recruiter, and see where it goes from there. But do be prepared to be treated as if you never had a CDL - because in essence, if you never used it - it's pretty much the same as not having it at all.

Best of luck - do keep us posted on your progress...

Rick

Priscilla replied to Errol...

and NO you did not answer my question of what otr company to start with.

I think the questions Errol posed are highly relevant, and your answers could influence suggested replies. A truckers schedule is highly variable and at times difficult to plan around. Keep that in mind with the "every other weekend" visit you mentioned.

All of the companies represented in this link, Paid CDL Training Programs are excellent companies. No exceptions. Considering you will require school and training, the best route to take is company sponsored (in the link). Apply to many...because the need for entry level drivers fluctuates for a variety of reasons, without notice. Use this link to apply: Apply For Paid CDL Training

Good luck.

I am in texas

Your CDL with zero experience is pretty much like NOT HAVING ONE AT ALL (take it from me - I got mine 11 years ago and never used it either).

So ANY COMPANY you start out with, is going to require you to come in as a student and train as if you didn't even have a CDL (and even for me, I wouldn't have it any other way ANYWAYS - I'd want to do the full training regimen, despite knowing the rules and how to drive one).

Some companies will require you to DOWNGRADE YOUR CDL to a regular operators license, and go through the licensure process entirely from scratch (which doesn't make much sense, but I digress).

Either way - where to apply, really depends a lot on WHERE YOU ARE LOCATED - as many of the larger companies members here have started out with - don't hire from certain areas (like NO ONE really hires from So Florida where I'm located).

The hint would be APPLY EVERYWHERE - explain your situation to the recruiter, and see where it goes from there. But do be prepared to be treated as if you never had a CDL - because in essence, if you never used it - it's pretty much the same as not having it at all.

Best of luck - do keep us posted on your progress...

Rick

Priscillia

Did you get the answers you were looking for? If you spend a little time surfing the forum here you will see others have had similar issues, and with getting there CDL or driving much more recent that you and had to redo training. Look at the struggle one member had. Look for articles that Mark has posted about getting another chance. If I were you, you should downgrade your CDL, apply for paid training and start over. 10 years ago, is like a long time and much has changed I am sure.

Best of luck in your search for a company that will hire and insure you with no driving experience and no recent training.

Where do I apply?

You can start here...

Apply For Paid CDL Training

What companies are the best to start out at?

Priscilla, we don't normally get into those futile discussions about which companies are good versus which ones are bad. For the most part, the company willing to train you and hire you is a great place to start. Don't believe all the nonsense you see online about how this or that trucking company mistreated me or cheated me. It's a bunch of silly talk from the many people who just couldn't handle the responsibilities of this job.

We highly recommend you go through one of the Paid CDL Training Programs. They will help you make a good start. Then we also strongly suggest you commit to one year of working at that company. It takes that long just to begin to grasp the concepts for success at trucking.

Most people quit within their first 90 days. They never learn how this business works, and then they get online and act like they are some sort of authority on which companies are good and bad. Don't be fooled! We are happy to help you sort through the ridiculous statements you'll uncover on the internet.

Hang out here in this forum and you'll learn a lot! Welcome aboard!

Pricilla W Welcome to the forum. I know how you feel about having a CDL A and not have used it. I drove chemical and fuel tankers for 11 years. Got into a motorcycle accident 9 years ago and thought I may not walk again much less drive. But, in this industry, 6 months without driving is a pass to most carriers. Not because of them, but the insurance companies basically have the final say. So after 5 ops on on my knee, I'm back out here. But I had to go back to school again. In a tanker you might back 10-15 feet. But doing dryvan or reefer or flatbed you have to be able to get into some very tight spots. You have to be able to see the end of your trailer and know to get it into the spot with trucks impatiently waiting on you to get it in there plus not hit that beautiful Peterbilt on one side and Kenworth on the other. But you'll take Errol and Old School's advice and learn on here the same questions I had when I came back to this. But if you want it then you have to do the time to get it. I don't have the patience they do, so I will not try. Read about other people's diaries on the forum, it will give you the incentive you need. You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink. Good luck,

Raptor