Ordained Minister And Trucking

You will have to declare your work hours against your 70 hour clock (will be explained in CDL Academy).

This is likely to be the main issue. Whether you're doing God's work or anyone else's, if you're being paid for it, it doesn't count as off-duty for HOS purposes. If you're working a typical M-F linehaul job it's a lot less complicated than it can get for OTR , but you'll need at least 10 consecutive hours off-duty every day, and an additional 34-hour reset each weekend. You might be able to get creative in how you define your pastoral duties and compensation, or claim that your First Amendment rights should protect you from the rules that otherwise apply, but those rules exist for a reason: you need some down time. I would think that as a pastor, you have a duty to your flock to be available when they're in crisis, and that could place you in conflict with your driving responsibilities.

Here is my dilemma, I am an ordained minister, but I am sick of medial jobs that I cannot make a career out of. I have wanted to drive a truck for as long as I can remember, but have always been talked out of it. The problem lay in that I cannot be a pastor and a truck driver without being home daily. I cannot start out with a local route as most are OTR for the first year or so.

I need help on what to do. If I could get a job where I am off on the weekends that would work, but I doubt those are available to someone who has to go through a company to get his CDL.

Solves your problem. You get trained for free and a local job, home every night

https://careers.fedex.com/freight/jobs/POSTING-3-414068?lang=en-us&previousLocale=en-US

Here is my dilemma, I am an ordained minister, but I am sick of medial jobs that I cannot make a career out of. I have wanted to drive a truck for as long as I can remember, but have always been talked out of it. The problem lay in that I cannot be a pastor and a truck driver without being home daily. I cannot start out with a local route as most are OTR for the first year or so.

I need help on what to do. If I could get a job where I am off on the weekends that would work, but I doubt those are available to someone who has to go through a company to get his CDL.

Solves your problem. You get trained for free and a local job, home every night

https://careers.fedex.com/freight/jobs/POSTING-3-414068?lang=en-us&previousLocale=en-US

Home every night

I'm thinking from your information that you are a Minister, but unpaid and needing to make a living. Am I correct? Jesus told his followers to "give free because you have been given free" But there is reason to believe that many of his disciples still had to work to survive. I don't want to get into a Theological discussion here (Peterbilt's were not invented at that time). But can you find a way to combine your Ministry with truck driving? There is a WAY.

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Christopher points out he is a pastor. In that case he needs to lead a church in worship nearly every Sunday morning. On top of that if issues come up in his congregation he needs to be able to tend to his "flock". Thus the need to be home, especially on Sundays.

Pac Pearl's suggestion about LTL is worth considering. That career path often starts out working on the cross dock (no pun there!!) until he has enough experience there and the company has an opening for another driver. In that case they can get the training done. And LTL can easily be "home daily" or at least home weekends.

The talk about HOS hours is interesting. A pastor spends lots of time in prayer. So could we have a Talmudic discussion of logging prayer time as On Duty Not Driving? Just asking!

Here is my dilemma, I am an ordained minister, but I am sick of medial jobs that I cannot make a career out of. I have wanted to drive a truck for as long as I can remember, but have always been talked out of it. The problem lay in that I cannot be a pastor and a truck driver without being home daily. I cannot start out with a local route as most are OTR for the first year or so.

I need help on what to do. If I could get a job where I am off on the weekends that would work, but I doubt those are available to someone who has to go through a company to get his CDL.

Christopher;

In doing some searching regarding your initial post, I've come across this interesting CDL driving opportunity:

Samaritan's Purse

You could always see if they would sponsor you in getting your CDL.

Your 'on the web' link in your profile doesn't work, unfortunately; perhaps you can fix that, as well!

~ Anne ~

The talk about HOS hours is interesting. A pastor spends lots of time in prayer. So could we have a Talmudic discussion of logging prayer time as On Duty Not Driving? Just asking!

Errol, the Bible also says to "Pray continuously." That would definitely go over the HOS!

I do wonder if you could get a sabbatical approved to cover you while get your training done. Then it seems people do have some luck finding dedicated routes that get them home nightly or at least for weekends fairly soon, from what I've ready on here. Or the linehaul options discussed.

I'm sympathetic to your situation, as there are a lot of "careers" out there that require quite a bit of education but hardly pay a thing... the ministry among them!

Mountain Matt quotes:

Errol, the Bible also says to "Pray continuously." That would definitely go over the HOS!

In that case the OP pastor won't be driving. Continuous prayer would be considered On Duty Not Driving. On Duty can continue beyond the 14 hour limit without any penalty. The catch is you must still wait 10 hours between the end of Duty and when you can Drive again.

Moving from the ecclesiastical to the secular, I believe the Pastor can shepherd his flock as long as he has some dependable deacons. And he gets a Home Daily driving job.

Mountain Matt quotes:

Errol, the Bible also says to "Pray continuously." That would definitely go over the HOS!

In that case the OP pastor won't be driving. Continuous prayer would be considered On Duty Not Driving. On Duty can continue beyond the 14 hour limit without any penalty. The catch is you must still wait 10 hours between the end of Duty and when you can Drive again.

Moving from the ecclesiastical to the secular, I believe the Pastor can shepherd his flock as long as he has some dependable deacons. And he gets a Home Daily driving job.

Totally agree, Erroll !!

That link I provided would've been perfect had he lived in NC; they actually DO have a 9 week training program..gonna have to add that to the cache we have here, as we get it updated. Wouldn't be for 'everyone,' ie: the secular community..but still, interesting to know of!

I think the Pastor/Minister gave up on this endeavour. . . so did the Rev; Jared.

We tried, guys!

~ Anne ~