Class A In Hand & A BIG THANK YOU!
Topic 6510 | Page 1
Way to go Steve!!! Maybe we should start the old folks rookie club so all of us starting out over the age of 50 can have our own cool club. 
Just kidding of course! I will mostly be in the Midwest but if you see a short blonde driving a Roehl International it is probably me so say hello!
If you folks started an "Old People Club" it would probably crash our servers due to overpopulation. 
Steve, everything you've said is just spot on. I'm proud and happy for you! Keep us updated please and keep that attitude - it'll get you far.
If you folks started an "Old People Club" it would probably crash our servers due to overpopulation.
Steve...way to go. I'm 53, start school on the 22nd and I'm an official member of the "Old People's Club". And I want to thank Daniel for coming up with the official name...lol
If you folks started an "Old People Club" it would probably crash our servers due to overpopulation.
Steve...way to go. I'm 53, start school on the 22nd and I'm an official member of the "Old People's Club". And I want to thank Daniel for coming up with the official name...lol
Oh, its okay. While Brett is out feeding his chickens and cows and plowing snow from his doorstep I will hack into his system and delete it without a trace.
OWI:
Operating While Intoxicated
LOLOLOL......are you worried about an old man's club?? From what I'm seeing on here the number of old timer's is growing daily! BUT..I may be old...but I'll still be asking you youngins for advice very shortly......
OWI:
Operating While Intoxicated
Maybe we should start the old folks rookie club so all of us starting out over the age of 50 can have our own cool club.
Count me in, Jolie!
If you folks started an "Old People Club" it would probably crash our servers due to overpopulation.
Daniel can start the "Whippersnappers Club", and he could be the president!
Maybe we should start the old folks rookie club so all of us starting out over the age of 50 can have our own cool club.
Count me in, Jolie!
Daniel can start the "Whippersnappers Club", and he could be the president!
I agree and I love it!!!!
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I found this site by accident (or Divine Intervention) a little over a month ago. I studied all the info and decided on my 53rd Birthday to go get my DOT physical and permit (yes on my own dime). I used the High Road Training Program to pass Gen. Knowledge, Combination, Double-Trip, Tanker and Hazmat. I started school (independent) by using a loan from a credit union. Lower interest and a $1,000 discount on the cost of the school. I wanted an independent school because I didn't want large classes and didn't want to be tied to the company doing the training.
I thought all of Brett's "attitude is everything" comments were so cliché until I got to school and realized some instructors (at least at my school) were also the state-certified examiners. Fortunately I brought my good attitude. But I watched a guy who kept asking what would happen if he failed. He had paid cash and was asking the question from week one. Guess how his training went. On test day, he believed the examiner wanted him to fail. Folks; if an instructor has put up with your crap for three weeks, they DO NOT want to put up with you any longer than necessary. However, if that trainer is also a state-certified examiner, they are required to test you to state standards and not pass you just because they don't want you around. The guy passed.
Double-clutching was a new experience for me and it takes getting used to. I had days when I couldn't find a gear and other days where it went in so quietly I thought I had done something wrong. Experienced drivers know what I'm talking about. :)
Don't complain about the equipment. If you're in company-sponsored training , I don't know, but for the independent schools, they are a business. I have no idea what it takes to run a truck driving school. I do know that good recruiters (salespeople) don't come cheap and those experienced drivers want to be paid well for their time/knowledge. By the time you get to the equipment, if it isn't the latest, greatest, get over it. That's just to train and test.
Recruiters came in from many different companies. Refer, dry van , flat bed. They all promised great pay, benefits AND they ALL seem to have shiny brand-spankin' new equipment for you. Drivers showed up to talk up their companies and some bragged on what a great deal their lease is. One guy said he was ready to give up on the company 'cause he was getting $200/wk checks. Then he got a $900 check. He was only 6 weeks on his own and said he'd gotten lax on paying attention sometimes during the 6 weeks w/the trainer. He's happy now and says you WILL get to where the recruiter promises, but not right out of school.
Two drivers from Schneider came by the first week and both said Schneider delivered everything they promised. Full disclosure; I have chosen, and been accepted for orientation with, Schneider National. Whatever company you choose, I believe it is important to make sure they are consistent in everything they tell you. I.e. be sure the recruiting person on the phone is telling you what their website promises AND what the local recruiter said on his/her visit. In one case, the local recruiter said new drivers make 46 cpm & avg about $47k first year. The person on the phone said they pay minimum loads, drop pay ($40 per stop) and cpm. Therefore it is hard to compare the pay structure to OTR , but $47k first year is what you can expect. This can be a challenge to understand for some.
KNOW YOUR OBJECTIVES. I'm 53, you may be 35 (which I am in my mind and heart, but not body). Some flatbed companies have terrific opportunities. Some companies offer a little less cents per mile (cpm), but have a much better sign on bonus or tuition reimbursement program. Some companies promise mega miles per week, but you are limited by regulations on how much time you can drive. Therefore, you likely aren't gonna get 5,000 miles/week unless you're teaming. Which means you're splitting the cpm 'cause some companies pay 50 cpm for the truck and you split it. In that case you might get 5,500 miles that week, split between you, meaning you get 2,750 miles at .50 which is $687.50 and maybe you actually drove 3,000 of those miles. Oops! Not saying that'll happen, but make sure you really wanna team before you do.
Whatever you do, please, please, please make sure you give it your all. And use the Trucking Truth as a resource. School people will tell you not to believe what you read on the internet, but much of what I learned here at TT helped give me the right attitude and preparation for school.
Thanks again to Brett and all the experienced drivers. Your support and advice is worth more than any money can buy. I truly hope to meet you guys in a Truck Stop some day and I can buy you lunch. I cannot thank you enough for all you do and have done. God bless you!
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
HAZMAT:
Hazardous Materials
Explosive, flammable, poisonous or otherwise potentially dangerous cargo. Large amounts of especially hazardous cargo are required to be placarded under HAZMAT regulations
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.
Dry Van:
A trailer or truck that that requires no special attention, such as refrigeration, that hauls regular palletted, boxed, or floor-loaded freight. The most common type of trailer in trucking.CPM:
Cents Per Mile
Drivers are often paid by the mile and it's given in cents per mile, or cpm.
Company-sponsored Training:
A Company-Sponsored Training Program is a school that is owned and operated by a trucking company.
The schooling often requires little or no money up front. Instead of paying up-front tuition you will sign an agreement to work for the company for a specified amount of time after graduation, usually around a year, at a slightly lower rate of pay in order to pay for the training.
If you choose to quit working for the company before your year is up, they will normally require you to pay back a prorated amount of money for the schooling. The amount you pay back will be comparable to what you would have paid if you went to an independently owned school.
Company-sponsored training can be an excellent way to get your career underway if you can't afford the tuition up front for private schooling.
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.