With CDL/Schooling, 1 Yr Exp. Required?
Topic 4546 | Page 1
Hi Robert, I too am going to go to a local CDL program at a technical school. I have been applying to get pre-hire letters and to talk to the recruiters. What I have found is that once you have your CDL they will put you in a truck with a trainer for whatever their required time is, on average about 4-6 weeks. You don't have to repeat school, but you do need additional training. You are not required to sign a contract to stay for a certain length of time, but every driver on here is in agreement you should stay with your first company for at least 1 year, so choose wisely!
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.
Pre-hire:
What Exactly Is A Pre-Hire Letter?
Pre-hire letters are acceptance letters from trucking companies to students, or even potential students, to verify placement. The trucking companies are saying in writing that the student, or potential student, appears to meet the company's minimum hiring requirements and is welcome to attend their orientation at the company’s expense once he or she graduates from truck driving school and has their CDL in hand.
We have an excellent article that will help you Understand The Pre-Hire Process.
A Pre-Hire Letter Is Not A Guarantee Of Employment
The people that receive a pre-hire letter are people who meet the company's minimum hiring requirements, but it is not an employment contract. It is an invitation to orientation, and the orientation itself is a prerequisite to employment.
During the orientation you will get a physical, drug screen, and background check done. These and other qualifications must be met before someone in orientation is officially hired.
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.
A good amount of companies hire out of private CDL school. Some of them want you to go to a specific private school though. Your school should have someone there that there job is "job placement" or something along those lines. Most schools are teemed up with OTR companies. I did privite CDL school and i know my school was conected with Werner, may trucking, Roehl and a couple others. So if they have a job placement person ask them who hires you after school. thats the way my school and other schools seem to be set up. You can also check out some resources on this site that will guide you to who hires out of school.
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.
HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.
As long as your school is certified, and the program is atleast 160 hours, you should be fine...But start sending out those applications as soon as you start school...you want all the time you can get to make the decision that will hold you down for your first year....choose wisely...
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.
Very useful replies, thanks. The school charges 1,800 and lasts 2-4 weeks. They won't kick you out just because you got your CDL early. You can stay as long as you want until you get your CDL with no additional cost. The staff do care about the students, and that's what I am looking for.
Other than that, I wear glasses. Do you need better vision for a CDL compared to a class C vision test?
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.
Your vision is checked with your glasses, if required for distance vision......If you can pass a regular vision test...you can pass the one for your cdl..
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.
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I want to avoid the hastle of going out of state to a sponsorship'd school. Instead I found a school locally that is very good. If I were to obtain the CDL thorugh this school, will companies still require me to do their own sponsored training or tell me that I can't get hired with the company because I have no previous driving experience?
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles: