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A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
Hey everybody. I just registered and wanted to say hi. I'm in the middle of a mid-life career change and am just starting to get signed up to CDL school. I can't wait to get this started. I've been reading here for a couple weeks now, and this site is straight up fantastic. I can't wait to dig into the information and get prepared for this new journey.
I'd also like to hear from everybody that would like to share what company they're with and if they're happy there. I've been researching a ton on different companies. I was all set on applying with Schneider out of school, but all the drivers are fired up over the new ambient temp sensors they just put on their trucks, so not sure now.
Thanks in advance for all the help!
Unless I am seriously mistaken this new "sensor" is to keep the truck from idling unnecessarily which saves the company money. Now companies set the temps at different spots but the few times I had to deal with this is if the temps are between 20 degrees and 70 degrees you can't idle. 70 degrees is okay to deal with. Just put up a fan to keep the air moving and its pretty comfortable. And if the temp gets to low you have a bunk heater in most trucks to keep warm with which puts out more than enough heat. Anything over 70 degrees you can idle to stay cool or below 20 you can idle to stay warm since you have to idle anyway below 20 degree to help keep the fuel warm so it will not gel up. This is not new technology. Its been around for years. Most trucks have outside temp gauges to read what the temp is outside and then the company sets the parameters in the trucks computer for the high and low temps that the truck can idle at.
Really its not a big deal. Look at the temp your thermostat is set at in your house. Most times its set to 68 to 70 degrees anyway. So it is no different than in a truck. This is not a deal breaker when looking for a job to drive a truck.
Concerned about the batteries running down and not being able to start the truck? Simple solution. Unplug a few electrical items from the truck before going to bed OR you can get your butt up every few hours and let the truck run for 15 minutes and that will help keep the batteries charged.
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
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Hey everybody. I just registered and wanted to say hi. I'm in the middle of a mid-life career change and am just starting to get signed up to CDL school. I can't wait to get this started. I've been reading here for a couple weeks now, and this site is straight up fantastic. I can't wait to dig into the information and get prepared for this new journey.
I'd also like to hear from everybody that would like to share what company they're with and if they're happy there. I've been researching a ton on different companies. I was all set on applying with Schneider out of school, but all the drivers are fired up over the new ambient temp sensors they just put on their trucks, so not sure now.
Thanks in advance for all the help!
Unless I am seriously mistaken this new "sensor" is to keep the truck from idling unnecessarily which saves the company money. Now companies set the temps at different spots but the few times I had to deal with this is if the temps are between 20 degrees and 70 degrees you can't idle. 70 degrees is okay to deal with. Just put up a fan to keep the air moving and its pretty comfortable. And if the temp gets to low you have a bunk heater in most trucks to keep warm with which puts out more than enough heat. Anything over 70 degrees you can idle to stay cool or below 20 you can idle to stay warm since you have to idle anyway below 20 degree to help keep the fuel warm so it will not gel up. This is not new technology. Its been around for years. Most trucks have outside temp gauges to read what the temp is outside and then the company sets the parameters in the trucks computer for the high and low temps that the truck can idle at.
Really its not a big deal. Look at the temp your thermostat is set at in your house. Most times its set to 68 to 70 degrees anyway. So it is no different than in a truck. This is not a deal breaker when looking for a job to drive a truck.
Concerned about the batteries running down and not being able to start the truck? Simple solution. Unplug a few electrical items from the truck before going to bed OR you can get your butt up every few hours and let the truck run for 15 minutes and that will help keep the batteries charged.
As usual, excellent info and insight. Thank you Guy!!!
G MAN
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
I'd also like to hear from everybody that would like to share what company they're with and if they're happy there. I've been researching a ton on different companies. I was all set on applying with Schneider out of school, but all the drivers are fired up over the new ambient temp sensors they just put on their trucks, so not sure now.
Welcome aboard!
First of all, don't waste your time on the Internet looking for opinions about trucking companies. 98% of everything you hear will be complete lies, mostly lies, or completely unhelpful. Choose a company based on things like the type of freight they haul, their equipment, their home time options, their pay & benefits, and the other opportunities they have (regional, local, dedicated, or other types of freight options).
Do not run around asking people at places like TheTruckersReport what they think of various companies. You're completely wasting your time.
The one source you can find for outstanding information about a company is that company's current drivers, face to face. Go to a local truck stop and speak with some while they're fueling up or on their way into the truck stop. You want to hear what life is like at a company from someone you know is actually working there and they're out there doing it successfully day in and day out. They're not dropouts or flunkies looking to blame others for their screw-ups. They're successful drivers who will give you the insider's view of life at their company. And because you're face to face with people they're likely to be far more honest than if they were hiding anonymously behind some persona in a forum.
Make sure you go through our Trucker's Career Guide where you'll find mountains of awesome information, including information on How To Choose A School and How To Choose A Company.
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.
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.
Brett is correct about everything he said. Even so, some of the current employees of a company will have a different experience than you will have. You will hear different things about the company. For example, in the little time I have been driving (all with a trainer) I have heard two different opinions on one dispatcher. It's sort of like the blind man and the elephant. Coming from the Army, I just take it one day at a time.
Dave
Sounds like good advice guys. A lot of those drivers on that other forum were complaining their bunk heaters won't work, and they can't run their electrical devices because it runs the batteries down and what not. I still like what Schneider has to offer, and there are a lot of job opportunities in my area, so I'm definitely going to give them a look.
I can't wait to get started on the training materials. Brett, thanks so much for putting this site together. It's going to be a huge help as I start this new career..
Scott you can't go wrong at Schneider - They've got so many different divisions that you can move around and try something different when you're ready for a new challenge. It's a solid company that's stood the test of time and they've got a really solid freight base. That should be one of the most important things that new drivers look for in this business, but instead they get focused on all the wrong things at the beginning because that's where most internet sites get them looking.
Best of luck to ya!
Here's a rundown of trucking and companies
They wan to make money just like you do and to do that they need to save fuel There will never be a company that fits ur every need sacrifices need to be done so don't set ur standards to high The company ya start with most likely want be ur final answer ya will jump to other companies we have or do Just pick a company that best suits ya get at least 1 yr safe driving in then ask urself is this where I want to stay? Some companies have apu's all companies I've seen have at least a bunk heater and if told that its not wrkin they get it fixed I haven't met a big company yet that want fix a truck when it needs repaired. Some allow riders ,pets,etc.
Write on paper what ur needs and expectations are and check them off as a company hits them so ya will see who will hit 3-4 out of 5 Ull be surprised.
On tractor trailers, and APU is a small diesel engine that powers a heat and air conditioning unit while charging the truck's main batteries at the same time. This allows the driver to remain comfortable in the cab and have access to electric power without running the main truck engine.
Having an APU helps save money in fuel costs and saves wear and tear on the main engine, though they tend to be expensive to install and maintain. Therefore only a very small percentage of the trucks on the road today come equipped with an APU.

On tractor trailers, and APU is a small diesel engine that powers a heat and air conditioning unit while charging the truck's main batteries at the same time. This allows the driver to remain comfortable in the cab and have access to electric power without running the main truck engine.
Having an APU helps save money in fuel costs and saves wear and tear on the main engine, though they tend to be expensive to install and maintain. Therefore only a very small percentage of the trucks on the road today come equipped with an APU.
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Hey everybody. I just registered and wanted to say hi. I'm in the middle of a mid-life career change and am just starting to get signed up to CDL school. I can't wait to get this started. I've been reading here for a couple weeks now, and this site is straight up fantastic. I can't wait to dig into the information and get prepared for this new journey.
I'd also like to hear from everybody that would like to share what company they're with and if they're happy there. I've been researching a ton on different companies. I was all set on applying with Schneider out of school, but all the drivers are fired up over the new ambient temp sensors they just put on their trucks, so not sure now.
Thanks in advance for all the help!
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles: