Just Got Hired By Swift!
Topic 5360 | Page 3
That's awesome man! Congratulations!
I read Brett Aquila's article about getting endorsements, and he encouraged everyone to get all of them (including bus) because you never know when you might need them and they are so cheap to obtain. He gave some good examples of why. https://www.truckingtruth.com/trucking_blogs/Article-2329/which-cdl-endorsements-should-i-get
Glad to hear the online prep helped and I will be keeping that in mind as I move forward.
Good luck on the DOT exam!
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.
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.
Those are all good reasons but I figured I would just get enough to get started. I figure let's get the license first, then do the upgrades.
HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.
Hello Truckers! I will be starting school on Nov. 24th instead of next week as I have a wedding to go to on Nov. 17th and my recruiter was honest enough to tell me that she would be unable to get me a short amount of time off unpaid to attend the wedding. She gave it her all and tried to coordinate something, so in return I'll sacrifice Thanksgiving. I must say I'm having a very positive experience with Swift so far! If you are considering going their route, please call the recruiting number and ask Joan Ivie. She's really awesome!
Heck, I don't even mind sacrificing Christmas and New Years ;-) After all, trucking doesn't stop over a holiday and it's a lifestyle, not a job.
Swift just called me back today also and the recruiter was very nice. He told me I can start as soon as I get all those training videos and test done plus the permit and dot exam. I also picked swift because they look legit and only 2 hours from me in richmond VA. I also am giving this a positive attitude. They are offering me a job that I do not have funds for and that is worth something. I have hit too many road blocks in my life and I feel trucking is for me. I went to army bootcamp young and did 3 years with them. That didnt get me anywhere. I then did retail for a while and hated it. Since then I started in grounds maintenance and worked my way all the way up to management. That did not go anywhere. I am divorced with one kid in el paso and SWIFT has a terminal so maybe visit and my gf is pregnant. They are the ones suffering not me. I cannot wait to get away again and see the world. Just me alone with no worries and im really not too concerned about money. Ill probably end up paying that to child support anyways so why not be otr trucker anyways. I just wanted to add im stoked about going to school soon also.
Terminal:
A facility where trucking companies operate out of, or their "home base" if you will. A lot of major companies have multiple terminals around the country which usually consist of the main office building, a drop lot for trailers, and sometimes a repair shop and wash facilities.
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.
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.
HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.
I imagine good money wont come untill a few years later and I am a experienced driver. Im only 28. I have plenty of time.
Hey Cdg, you'll have to let me know how it goes. From all that I read about trucking school, is that the keys lie in, positive attitude, determination, and work ethic. I'm a bit bummed that I have to wait until Nov 24th. Here is to hoping for a mild winter!
I have all 3 of those traits to pass the school. I am doing lots of home studying all the way up until I leave. I'm trying to get out of here in a couple weeks at most. I will let you know how everything goes. Too bad you have to wait that late to get out. You're coming in just in time for all the good snow storms.
HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.New Reply:
New! Check out our help videos for a better understanding of our forum features
Preview:
This topic has the following tags:
Swift Transport CDL Endorsements CDL Test Preparation CDL Training Choosing A Truck Driving School Choosing A Trucking Company Company Sponsored CDL Training High Road Training Program Truck Driver Training Truck Driving Orientation
Why Join Trucking Truth?
- The High Road Training Program
- The High Road Article Series
- The Friendliest Trucker's Forum Ever!
- Email Updates When New Articles Are Posted
Apply For Paid CDL Training Through TruckingTruth
Did you know you can fill out one quick form here on TruckingTruth and apply to several companies at once for paid CDL training? Seriously! The application only takes one minute. You will speak with recruiters today. There is no obligation whatsoever. Learn more and apply here:
TT On Facebook
I powered through the difficulty with the fuel and weight formulas and it finally clicked. Feeling brave, I took the CDL A Written Exam today and passed it without ever having to look at the PA CDL Manual. I didn't go for the additional endorsements just yet other than making certain to have the air brake restriction removed. I'll have to go back to the DMV once (or if) I pass the road test and at that time, maybe I'll get some upgrades. It turns out that Brett's High Road Training Program was more difficult than the actual test and I feel left me much better prepared to go to school. Now, for the next hurdle - The DOT Medical on Thursday, Oct. 9th
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
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.
Dm:
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.DMV:
Department of Motor Vehicles, Bureau of Motor Vehicles
The state agency that handles everything related to your driver's licences, including testing, issuance, transfers, and revocation.