CDL Companies That Let You Train Your Spouse?
Topic 34178 | Page 1
Hi, Chris, welcome to Trucking Truth.
If you mean train from the get-go, like how io drive an 18 wheeler, that's not in the works any more. There's required courses called ELDT (Entry-Level Driver Training) taught by a registered Training Provider, No getting around that.
If you're wife has a CDL but needs the OTR "finishing" maybe if the big companies will allow you two to hit the road together.
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.
OTR:
Over The Road
OTR driving normally means you'll be hauling freight to various customers throughout your company's hauling region. It often entails being gone from home for two to three weeks at a time.
CSA:
Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA)
The CSA is a Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) initiative to improve large truck and bus safety and ultimately reduce crashes, injuries, and fatalities that are related to commercial motor vehicle
FMCSA:
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
The FMCSA was established within the Department of Transportation on January 1, 2000. Their primary mission is to prevent commercial motor vehicle-related fatalities and injuries.
What Does The FMCSA Do?
- Commercial Drivers' Licenses
- Data and Analysis
- Regulatory Compliance and Enforcement
- Research and Technology
- Safety Assistance
- Support and Information Sharing
DOT:
Department Of Transportation
A department of the federal executive branch responsible for the national highways and for railroad and airline safety. It also manages Amtrak, the national railroad system, and the Coast Guard.
State and Federal DOT Officers are responsible for commercial vehicle enforcement. "The truck police" you could call them.
Fm:
Dispatcher, Fleet Manager, Driver Manager
The primary person a driver communicates with at his/her company. A dispatcher can play many roles, depending on the company's structure. Dispatchers may assign freight, file requests for home time, relay messages between the driver and management, inform customer service of any delays, change appointment times, and report information to the load planners.
Errol, that's technically true. With the way Prime is set up, (if they didn't have the dogs...) with his experience, he could come in, qualify as a PSD instructor, qualify as a TNT instructor, THEN have his wife apply using his driver's code for referral and it would work that way.
PSD:
Prime Student Driver
Prime Inc has a CDL training program and the first phase is referred to as PSD. You'll get your permit and then 10,000 miles of on the road instruction.
The following is from Prime's website:
Prime’s PSD begins with you obtaining your CDL permit. Then you’ll go on the road with a certified CDL instructor for no less than 75 hours of one-on-one behind the wheel training. After training, you’ll return to Prime’s corporate headquarters in Springfield, Missouri, for final CDL state testing and your CDL license.
Obtain CDL Permit / 4 Days
- Enter program, study and test for Missouri CDL permit.
- Start driving/training at Prime Training Center in Springfield, Missouri.
- Work toward 40,000 training dispatched miles (minimum) with food allowance while without CDL (Food allowance is paid back with future earnings).
On-the-Road Instruction / 10,000 Miles
- Train with experienced certified CDL instructor for 3-4 weeks in a real world environment.
- Get 75 hours of behind-the-wheel time with one-on-one student/instructor ratio.
- Earn 10,000 miles toward total 40,000 miles needed.
TNT:
Trainer-N-Trainee
Prime Inc has their own CDL training program and it's divided into two phases - PSD and TNT.
The PSD (Prime Student Driver) phase is where you'll get your permit and then go on the road for 10,000 miles with a trainer. When you come back you'll get your CDL license and enter the TNT phase.
The TNT phase is the second phase of training where you'll go on the road with an experienced driver for 30,000 miles of team driving. You'll receive 14¢ per mile ($700 per week guaranteed) during this phase. Once you're finished with TNT training you will be assigned a truck to run solo.
NaeNae, I assume OP just wants to drive with his Honey and doesn't really want to teach other people.
I actually became an instructor and later helped teach my wife to get a class B.
In the interest of full disclosure for anyone else reading this later, Prime does allow a driver to get certified to instruct with the sole intention of training a spouse. It does take a while, and open communication, but it CAN be done.
Naenae is right. At Prime as long as he had 2 years to qualify as an instructor, they would have had him take a week long class to become an instructor/trainer.
Normally they say you need 3 months at Prime with 9 months total experience and one full winter driving.
Even with just one dog, they would have allowed it. But primes insurance policy is strictly limited to 3 heartbeats.
Chris, OP, states:
Prime isn't an option as we have two dogs.
I know nothing about Prime's policies on spouses or dogs. So we could suggest other companies. But my comments are general, not specific for anyone.
My sister-in-law was in the same boat as Ms. Chris. She rode with her husband for a few years, who secretly taught her about driving & backing. Later (pre-ELDT) she took a regular class A class, nailed all the maneuvers and got a class A.
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The last thread I saw on here for this was 10 years old.
My wife would like to get her CDL and she wants me to train her. She's lived on the road with me for a year so it's not a novelty idea.
Prime isn't an option as we have two dogs.
Do any other companies offer this?
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles: