Older Potential Driver And Trying To Overcome One Obstacle That Would Prevent Me From Moving Forward.
Topic 32490 | Page 3
I went the self pay route.
Were I to do it over, I would go the company paid route. Myriad reasons, but first and foremost is they train you their way, with all of the expectations and guidance from day one.
Coming out with a CDL from a school, and then getting injured and not able to start right away rendered my CDL stale (more than 30 days old). I ended up with a second chance outfit. They weren't bad, just their business model differed with my concepts of space and time, especially coming from a LE background.
Go with company sponsored training , accept the commitment to them for a year, and ensure that they will give you at least 4 weeks of one on one road training.
Good Luck!
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.
If you choose to go to cdl school rather than company sponsored check into USA Truck as company to start with. They are pet friendly and you can stay regional if you choose to. USA Truck
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.
Regional:
Regional Route
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.
OOS:
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.
If you go to an approved school, Epes is a good company. Very regional. Allows pets etc.
Regional:
Regional Route
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.
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I agree. Chosing a company based on short training time is a lousy idea for the aforementioned reasons. Accidents and incidents on your CDL is a really good way to kill your career when it's just starting. Just be very aware.
Heck, I had 38k truck miles training, and when that "We are routing you through Springfield for upgrade" message came through, I panicked, swore I wasn't ready, and nearly cried.
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.