Deciding On Going Into Trucking Comments And Help Please
Topic 3137 | Page 2
Thats cool I hope eveything goes well and wish lots of luck .
My situation is a bit different. Went to driving school 15 years ago and drove for a year before starting a business. Sold out and would like to go back into trucking, but license expired. What is best path to get back in?
My situation is a bit different. Went to driving school 15 years ago and drove for a year before starting a business. Sold out and would like to go back into trucking, but license expired. What is best path to get back in?
Welcome aboard Tommy!
Because it's been so long you're going to be staring completely from scratch as if you've never been in a truck in your life. I think the quickest and cheapest way to get going again would be through one of the Company-Sponsored Training Programs. If it had only been a year or two you might be able to take a refresher course at any Truck Driving School but I don't think anyone would go for that at this point. If you went through a regular school you'd have to do the entire A-Z.
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
- Any combination of vehicles with a gross combined weight rating (GCWR) of 26,001 or more pounds, providing the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of the vehicle being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 or more pounds, or any such vehicle towing another not in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any vehicle, regardless of size, designed to transport 16 or more persons, including the driver.
- Any vehicle required by federal regulations to be placarded while transporting hazardous materials.
Company-sponsored Training:
A Company-Sponsored Training Program is a school that is owned and operated by a trucking company.
The schooling often requires little or no money up front. Instead of paying up-front tuition you will sign an agreement to work for the company for a specified amount of time after graduation, usually around a year, at a slightly lower rate of pay in order to pay for the training.
If you choose to quit working for the company before your year is up, they will normally require you to pay back a prorated amount of money for the schooling. The amount you pay back will be comparable to what you would have paid if you went to an independently owned school.
Company-sponsored training can be an excellent way to get your career underway if you can't afford the tuition up front for private schooling.
With all the tools and information I have gained thus far in making a decision I believe I will be going with Swift Transportation since they have what im looking for and the training seems to be a little longer than Prime Inc. just need to get get permit and physical done. I will be using the apps and all other training guids that this site has provided to help me as much as possible. Is their other android or iphone apps that I can use with studying and or for the road as well?
With all the tools and information I have gained thus far in making a decision I believe I will be going with Swift Transportation since they have what im looking for and the training seems to be a little longer than Prime Inc. just need to get get permit and physical done. I will be using the apps and all other training guids that this site has provided to help me as much as possible. Is their other android or iphone apps that I can use with studying and or for the road as well?
Sure there are but I wouldn't bother. The high road program will prepare you waaaaayyyyyy more than enough to pass your AP. The demo version of the Scania truck driving simulator helped me learn some of the theory of backing but the sim turns nothing like an American rig and controlling a truck with a mouse is nothing like controlling a truck with your eyes hands and feet.
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Becoming A Truck Driver Choosing A Truck Driving School Choosing A Trucking Company
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I just finished day 2 at Swift in Richmond, VA. Most of the information is correct...except, there are no more 2 week schools, and you don't need $150 down on day one. We started with 8 people in the class and lost 2 the first hour due to not having a hard copy of their learner's permit. The exception is PA which doesn't issue a hard copy. One of our guys is from north of Harrisburg. Three of our guys had to pay for a new physical due to not going to an approved facility. We had so much fun sitting for a couple of hours waiting on them. Even the instructor said today not to lease for at least a year and he was an o/o. If you have any other questions feel free to ask.
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles: