English Trucker Looking To Live And Truck In Florida USA .

I am right now working as a security officer in the shipping/receiving area of a company. I check inbound and outbound trucks. This might be right for you. I don't know if there are rules regarding security guarding, but this job helps to experience trucking from another perspective. I am from Germany living in the states.

English trucker looking to live and truck in Florida USA .(Emphasis added)

(Emphasis added) So the question becomes why would anyone intentionally live in FLORIDA??

Jopa

English trucker looking to live and truck in Florida USA .(Emphasis added)

(Emphasis added) So the question becomes why would anyone intentionally live in FLORIDA??

Jopa

Hi Jopa, If I knew enough about USA and where the best places are to live I'd agree or disagree all I can say is that in Florida is a most beautiful lady and when you find one it don't matter where I guess!! :) Time will tell, hope your training is going well. Regards Iain

Iain S.

Like the song says, "California is the place you ought to be . . . " Of course that theme song to the Beverly Hillbillies was recorded in the mid 60's when the Beatles were hot and California wasn't the broke land of the progressives . . . even so, Florida's got bugs that will eat you alive and the most God-awful insects that live in the trees and actually make noise at night in the 100 decibel range . . . and the highest spot in the whole state is 20 feet in elevation which is why even the tiniest hurricanes don't even slow down as they cross over to the gulf . . . and you know what's wrong with Texas? It's full of Texans . . . but Florida is full of New Yorkers . . . (Opinions expressed here, while being dead right on, are the opinions of the author and do not reflect the opinions of the owner of this website, unless, of course, they do . . . )

Welcome to the god 'ole USA when you finally get here . . . at least come west to see where God goes on Vacation, Truckee, CA - Lake Tahoe is just south of us . . .

Jopa

Hi Lain and welcome. I came over from the UK last June and pretty much instantly decided on a trucking career. I had to get my car license first though. Even though I had been driving for 20 yrs in the UK I still had to sit written test and skills test. Same for Commercial Driving Licence. Now, you can get your CDL A at anytime actually, you do not need to wait for 12 months to get that, (trucking schools are happy to take your money if you are willing to pay it in full), however, you will then find it impossible to get employment until after you have held your driving license for 12 months, something to do with insurance conditions for the trucking companies. I have recently completed all my permits for my CDL A and am now waiting until Aug 30 for my 12 months waiting time to gain employment in the industry. Over here there are 100's of trucking schools starting new recruits every week. Some of the trucking companies over here will even pay for your tuition if you commit to their company for 12 months. You can pay for it yourself for around $3500 and have no contractual obligation but I would only recommend this route with an offer of employment letter first. As for a company sponsoring you to come over here and drive for them, I have never heard of that. It would cost them around $10000 just to do that and they have a huge pool of potential recruits over here on a constant rolling basis. I was lucky enough to meet my wife online but even then it took 12 months to go through all the red tape. Anyway hope this helps.

Welcome aboard Iain!

Everything you were told already is correct. If you want to drive trucks here in the States you'll want to get that U.S. driver's license as quickly as possible so that one year waiting period can begin.

As far as learning about our trucking industry, start with our Truck Driver's Career Guide and my book Becoming A Truck Driver: The Raw Truth About Trucking (free online version!). You'll learn a ton about how the industry works over here, what your options are for schooling, what types of jobs are available, and what life on the road is all about. There will be some similarities to driving over there, but plenty of significant differences as well.

Hi Brett, Would they consider my previous U.S. driving record? I moved to Puerto Rico back in 07 but my Florida’s license didn’t expire until last year. Do I need to get a new U.S. Driver's license and wait for a year regardless?