Props To This Site For All The Great Info And Friendly Drivers!

Hi, I'm Randy, 47 and making a change to start driving trucks which I've always wanted to do. I joined here last summer as I was studying to take my written exam the Maine and found your training pages. I took my tests, including tanker and hazmat , and passed except the combination. It kinda discouraged me and then I started using High Road and taking the practice tests and a month later when I finally got back in there to retest(I put my paper in the mail same day I failed, thanks covid!) I easily passed the combination test and received my learners permit. I have a brother in law that owns a 20 truck company up here that hauls a little of everything but mostly wood chips, so I am getting some good practice reversing around the yard and shifting. My father in law was a long time trucker and has been with me showing me how its done, but also giving me plenty of space to work on developing my skills. His thing is not allowing me on the road until I master maneuvering the truck and trailer(53' triple axle) and being able to reverse with ease. I have been at it about a month or so usually spending a few hours on Satuardays, and I feel I have learned so much about how everything moves and how little adjustments can go a long way! I never thought I would be able to do what I do now, which is backing up several different scenarios including blind-side backing between trailers, reversing in an oval around the garage, and straight backing down the long lane to the road which, surprising to me, was the hardest of all the backing at first. I feel really fortunate in how ideal this area is that I have to my disposal to learn. My father in law lives up the road from the company about 3 or 4 miles and has a garage with a huge lot so when we go on the road I will be able to go back and forth down the road, and it has a few good twists in it too! When I do get my license, I will likely be hauling a chip trailer part time for my brother in law, and build my experience. If I do that for a year or so, I wonder how likely companies will want to hire me with getting my experience that way? I don't really want to run chips forever but a year or two could be doable I guess. Thank-you for this awesome site, I love going on here and reading everything!

Hi, I'm Randy, 47 and making a change to start driving trucks which I've always wanted to do. I joined here last summer as I was studying to take my written exam the Maine and found your training pages. I took my tests, including tanker and hazmat , and passed except the combination. It kinda discouraged me and then I started using High Road and taking the practice tests and a month later when I finally got back in there to retest(I put my paper in the mail same day I failed, thanks covid!) I easily passed the combination test and received my learners permit. I have a brother in law that owns a 20 truck company up here that hauls a little of everything but mostly wood chips, so I am getting some good practice reversing around the yard and shifting. My father in law was a long time trucker and has been with me showing me how its done, but also giving me plenty of space to work on developing my skills. His thing is not allowing me on the road until I master maneuvering the truck and trailer(53' triple axle) and being able to reverse with ease. I have been at it about a month or so usually spending a few hours on Satuardays, and I feel I have learned so much about how everything moves and how little adjustments can go a long way! I never thought I would be able to do what I do now, which is backing up several different scenarios including blind-side backing between trailers, reversing in an oval around the garage, and straight backing down the long lane to the road which, surprising to me, was the hardest of all the backing at first. I feel really fortunate in how ideal this area is that I have to my disposal to learn. My father in law lives up the road from the company about 3 or 4 miles and has a garage with a huge lot so when we go on the road I will be able to go back and forth down the road, and it has a few good twists in it too! When I do get my license, I will likely be hauling a chip trailer part time for my brother in law, and build my experience. If I do that for a year or so, I wonder how likely companies will want to hire me with getting my experience that way? I don't really want to run chips forever but a year or two could be doable I guess. Thank-you for this awesome site, I love going on here and reading everything!

Howdy, Randy~!

Welcome to Trucking Truth, finally~! A 4 month member and just now a 1st post? LoL... I did that for 2 YEARS before I spoke up. Think I got 'lurker of the year' award 2x in a row, LoL~!!

Interesting background you've got; hay, its a way to learn!

Don't be a stranger; jump into the fray, good sir.

See ya'around, then~

~ Anne ~

Hello Randy, We're glad to have you introduce yourself to us. Thanks for your kind words about our community here!

It's great that you have relatives helping you get accustomed to maneuvering the trucks in their yard. I loved your post, but I would think twice about this part of your plan.

When I do get my license, I will likely be hauling a chip trailer part time for my brother in law, and build my experience. If I do that for a year or so, I wonder how likely companies will want to hire me with getting my experience that way?

As a rookie, the best way to start this career is to jump right in there with one of the companies that will hire rookies. The problem with your plan is that nobody will consider hauling chips as "experience." That's just the sad truth about your plan. I'm not trying to discourage you, but I just see a big hole in that plan. Over the road driving has long been the standard for gaining driving experience.

Again, a warm welcome to you!

And when OTR companies are looking for "experienced drivers" - they mean OTR (as OS mentioned) - but having some local experience handling a rig will put you that far ahead of the game then someone who never got behind the wheel at all.

Just follow the rules of the road - and don't pick up BAD HABITS - and the transition should be fairly painless (at least the DRIVING PART - the being out for weeks at a time, is another story).

Welcome to TT - please keep us posted on your progress...

Rick