Decisions, Decisions…load Type Question
Topic 34031 | Page 1
You are putting the cart before the horse.
Here's some links that you should read up on first:
- Truck Driver's Career Guide
- Brett's Book: The Raw Truth About Trucking (free online version)
- High Road CDL Training Program
- CDL Practice Tests
I have to head out with my load in just a little bit. When I park for the night, I'll see if anybody has responded and give some insight then, if nobody has.
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.
What are your physical capabilities?
Tanker is out of the question for a new driver. Flatbed can be hard physically. Most new drivers start out with dry van or reefer. Not too much to choose from and a lot depends on what company you work for and what you are capable of.
Dry Van:
A trailer or truck that that requires no special attention, such as refrigeration, that hauls regular palletted, boxed, or floor-loaded freight. The most common type of trailer in trucking.Reefer:
A refrigerated trailer.
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.
Well my physical capabilities aren’t anything to write home about I’m tall, but not particularly muscular by any means to the point of heavy lifting. But your previous reply in a sense already helped answer my question, thank you! Now I have a general idea of what most beginners start with which was a huge source of confusion for me.
As for the other reply I’m gonna ignore it bc I knew my question was VERY early in the process but if I’m looking into training/schools I should at least have a general idea of what types of hauls are more aligned with beginner capabilities so I can focus on those opportunities. Thanks again!
What are your physical capabilities?
Tanker is out of the question for a new driver. Flatbed can be hard physically. Most new drivers start out with dry van or reefer. Not too much to choose from and a lot depends on what company you work for and what you are capable of.
Dry Van:
A trailer or truck that that requires no special attention, such as refrigeration, that hauls regular palletted, boxed, or floor-loaded freight. The most common type of trailer in trucking.Reefer:
A refrigerated trailer.
HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.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.
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Hello TT! Current class C CDL holder I’m pretty much decided that I would like to get my class A, but I’m unsure of what type of loads I’d like to haul. I’ve only been transporting people thus far lol. Haven’t even touched a truck yet. Might seem premature to even be asking this, but I’ve been poking around in the forums reading up and some have mentioned that depending on the company you train with, you might have limitations on the type of loads you can learn (dry van, flatbed, refer, etc.)
I know applying to companies is one of the first steps, but let’s just assume I already did and got “accepted.” How the hell do you figure out your niche/speciality? I’ve seen some people who only drive tankers, some who only drive flatbed.
How did you guys figure out the best fit for you? Did you just try them all?
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
Dry Van:
A trailer or truck that that requires no special attention, such as refrigeration, that hauls regular palletted, boxed, or floor-loaded freight. The most common type of trailer in trucking.