Hay, Cincy ~!
I'm not a driver, but the wife of one here in Ohio, and your list looks good, thus far. Where did you graduate CDL school from? Did you check with Home Run, and verify that they accept that school's accreditation? Home Run tends to be kinda picky, but they ARE a good (mostly) open deck carrier, here in Ohio. (I see them in the scales a lot, so keep that in mind, however!)
What led you to choose them as your starter company, per chance? Just wondering!
Wish you the best; hopefully you will commit to a thread in the 'diaries' section when you get rolling~!
Best of luck;
Anne :)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
When a violation by either a driver or company is confirmed, an out-of-service order removes either the driver or the vehicle from the roadway until the violation is corrected.
Great job earning that CDL.
From what I can tell it looks like you're ready to go! Definitely stick around, you're bound to run into something you didn't experience in training and I can almost guarantee someone here has been through it and can help guide you on how to best handle it.
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
Congratulations !
Hay, Cincy ~!
I'm not a driver, but the wife of one here in Ohio, and your list looks good, thus far. Where did you graduate CDL school from? Did you check with Home Run, and verify that they accept that school's accreditation? Home Run tends to be kinda picky, but they ARE a good (mostly) open deck carrier, here in Ohio. (I see them in the scales a lot, so keep that in mind, however!)
What led you to choose them as your starter company, per chance? Just wondering!
Wish you the best; hopefully you will commit to a thread in the 'diaries' section when you get rolling~!
Best of luck;
Anne :)
Thanks for the kind words, Anne. I graduated from Napier Truck Driver Training, Inc in beautiful Hamilton.
I have researched Home Run and have had two face-to-face meetings with Kyle Ritchie, the recruiter for the corporation, when he presented at school. In a word, ‘yes’, they accept the school’s accreditation as KR is an alum of Napier.
I opted for HR for a couple of reasons: (a) they’re Ohio-based (headquartered in Xenia, as you know) and I’m a Buckeye born and bred (it’s 12:43 a.m. and meat-chicken still sucks), therefore I want to work for a company with deep roots in our state, (b) I’m drawn to the flatbed/skateboard side of the industry because I like the ‘pay for performance/commission-based’ structure, and (c) during his presentation KR didn’t spend a lot of time simply trying to sell us/me on HR, rather he shared information about the lifestyle and pluses and minuses about the industry. He didn’t pull any punches and he challenged us, and I really, really liked that.
My goal is ‘regional’ as our family has a 150 acre ‘hobby’ farm/log cabin/family retreat (Two Walnuts) in northern Adams County and I’m the last man standing (literally) in regards to maintaining it, so the home on Friday (sometime before 11:59 p.m.) and out sometime on Sunday plays well with my responsibility of maintaining it. No way I could keep it up if I went OTR and the idea of ‘local’ seems boring to me.
I’m flattered that you believe that anyone would read a diary that I would write, therefore I’ll commit to it once everything lines up, I’m accepted into their orientation program, and I show up at their terminal for Day 1.
To Rob T: you can bet that I’ll continue to read, learn, and ask questions. Every CDL school should share the existence of Truckingtruth.com with its students as this this site is the ‘student union’ of trucker college.
To G-town: Thank you. I enjoy the dancing bananas.
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
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.
Usually refers to a driver hauling freight within one particular region of the country. You might be in the "Southeast Regional Division" or "Midwest Regional". Regional route drivers often get home on the weekends which is one of the main appeals for this type of route.
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.
When a violation by either a driver or company is confirmed, an out-of-service order removes either the driver or the vehicle from the roadway until the violation is corrected.
Made a list, finished your list and now you're looking for more things to put on your list? High speed, low drag.
Get the apps, install them, know how to use them:
OHGO - Be the first to know, before you go. With the OHGO app, drivers get real-time traffic updates, personalized route notifications, can view live traffic cameras and get accurate delay times.
Trucker Path - Information on truck stops, parking, weigh stations.
You've got the loyalty card, now get the loyalty card apps. Pay for fuel inside your truck. Reserve showers or parking spaces. Check your points. Earn coupons and discounts:
TravelCenters of America (TA/Petro)
Get a good weather app so you know what's coming, and when to shut down.
Made a list, finished your list and now you're looking for more things to put on your list? High speed, low drag.
Get the apps, install them, know how to use them:
OHGO - Be the first to know, before you go. With the OHGO app, drivers get real-time traffic updates, personalized route notifications, can view live traffic cameras and get accurate delay times.
Trucker Path - Information on truck stops, parking, weigh stations.
You've got the loyalty card, now get the loyalty card apps. Pay for fuel inside your truck. Reserve showers or parking spaces. Check your points. Earn coupons and discounts:
TravelCenters of America (TA/Petro)
Get a good weather app so you know what's coming, and when to shut down.
Thanks, PP! I’m on it. I’ve downloaded every app you suggested except for Love’s (my iPhone 5s is topped out at iOS 12.4, therefore the Love’s app, which requires iOS 13.0 or above won’t fit). For the Love’s app I’ve learned that if I bookmark their web site on my phone and iPad I’ll be able to receive the same benefits albeit a bit slower.
With your statement about ‘high speed, low drag’ can I infer that you’re referencing less wind resistance for the truck which will equate to higher mileage and better fuel economy? If that’s correct, I guess I’m out of luck as I anticipate a role as a company driver, therefore the modifications that can be made to the tractor will be initiated and implemented by my company.
Your profile reports that you’re from Seattle. I spent about 45 days out there three different times in the summer and early fall of 2013 as my previous employer was contracted with the team to supply food and beverage services at CenturyLink Field. Your region of the country is spectacular. If I wasn’t such a died-in-the-wool Buckeye I would strongly consider relocating to the Great Northwest.
Thank you for the additions to my list.
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Yesterday I crested the first hill in my quest to become an experienced, qualified and respected professional driver when I successfully completed the ‘road’ portion of the CDL test here in the great state of Ohio.
I’m making sure I have all the boxes checked as I move forward. Here, in no particular order, is the list of accomplishments I have completed:
TWIC card (applied for it yesterday) Visit to the BMV (completed yesterday about 20 minutes after the road test)
Endorsements: HazMat , Doubles , Triples, Combo, Air brakes, Tanker
Loyalty programs: Loves and Pilot Flying J (I still need to apply for TA)
Bookmarked truckingtruth.com and read topics germane to my situation
Opened dialogue and completed initial online forms for the employer of my choice (Home Run, Inc. In Xenia, Ohio)
What have I left out or forgotten?
Thanks in advance for your responses and assistance.
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
Doubles:
Refers to pulling two trailers at the same time, otherwise known as "pups" or "pup trailers" because they're only about 28 feet long. However there are some states that allow doubles that are each 48 feet in length.
Bmv:
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.