What Would You Do?
Topic 6717 | Page 1
I'm trying to understand the situation you're in. You're mentioning "starter" companies and company sponsored schooling, yet you already have a DOT medical card? Did you already get your CDL permit on your own? What do you mean by taking the "temporary test," if you already have a CDL permit? In order for anybody to offer some helpful advice, you've got to explain where you're at in the process a little better.
Here are some answers to some of your questions.
1. You might have other options besides OTR and company sponsored schooling. You mentioned your interest in local jobs that train. Depending on if you're in the right location, I can think of two LTL companies that will pay you for your training, while earning a CDL A. See if you have any terminals near your residence for Old Dominion Freight Line or ABF. These are two LTL companies that offer not only company paid training, but they pay very well. But again, unlike getting an OTR job where you don't have to live near a company terminal , for LTL companies you'll need to operate out of a terminal, so you'll need to live within a commutable distance. LTL companies pay some of the highest wages in the trucking industry.
2. You may or may not be aware that trucking companies will require a certain amount of school hours if you choose to go the route of a private CDL A school. Getting your permit and endorsements would be OK, but be mindful that trucking companies are going to want to see that you went to a trucking school (private, community college, etc...) that they approve of, if you are thinking of getting your license as well. I would suggest that you DO NOT try to get your license on your own, if you were contemplating that. Either go to an approved trucking school or a company sponsored program. Again, getting your permit and endorsements ahead of time would be OK, in fact, that would be an advantage if you choose to go to a fast paced program like Prime's. Getting your permit and endorsements would not be a waste of time, unless you choose to go to a place like Driver Solutions (company that trains for PAM), where they prefer you come in without getting your permit ahead of time. You might want to verify that last statement, because I believe they still hold to that policy.
3. Trucking companies will vary in regard to how far they look at your driving record. Some of this will depend if you've had a CDL before. For example, Prime only wants a few years of driving history if you're a student driver, but will require 10 years of driving history if you're a previous CDL holder. I believe this is a DOT regulation, in that driving companies need to check 10 years history if a CDL holder is applying for a driving position. Regardless if it's a DOT mandate, most companies will go back 10 years for a CDL holder's driving history. Somebody without a CDL might only be required to provide 3-5 years, depending on the company. My company wanted 10 years, even though I was a new CDL holder.
So, you don't need thirty years of driving history, as you put it. Count on 10 for an existing CDL holder, 3-5 for a student driver. You can pull your own driving record through your state's DMV. A small fee is usually required, and this can be done online for most states.
Hopefully this long winded response will help rather than confuse you. 
There is a lot of info on this site you can take advantage of. If you haven't done so already, educate yourself by reading these topics.
Best wishes to you.
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.
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.
LTL:
Less Than Truckload
Refers to carriers that make a lot of smaller pickups and deliveries for multiple customers as opposed to hauling one big load of freight for one customer. This type of hauling is normally done by companies with terminals scattered throughout the country where freight is sorted before being moved on to its destination.
LTL carriers include:
- FedEx Freight
- Con-way
- YRC Freight
- UPS
- Old Dominion
- Estes
- Yellow-Roadway
- ABF Freight
- R+L Carrier
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.
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.
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.
Pre-hires:
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.
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.
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.
My previous driving job was a medical transportation driver. Required back round check,finger print,drug screen,and dot physical. I'm an old timer(48) who wants to see some more of this great country. I have no wife or kids,nothing keeping me at home. I enjoy working,especially driving.
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.
Call your Prime recruiter every day if you have to. Of all the companies I applied Prime took the longest to get back to me. Get a driving record from your DMV so you won't have to rely on your memory.
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.
My previous driving job was a medical transportation driver. Required back round check,finger print,drug screen,and dot physical. I'm an old timer(48) who wants to see some more of this great country. I have no wife or kids,nothing keeping me at home. I enjoy working,especially driving.
Gotcha. So you don't have a CDL A or a permit at this point, correct? If that's the case, and it sounds like you do want to travel and go OTR , then I'd definitely recommend Prime. I was confused by your comment of wishing to find a local company to train you - though you didn't want to go OTR. Prime is one of the highest paying companies while you're training, and then are very competitive with the rest of the truckload companies once you go solo. As the other person mentioned, sometimes you have to keep on top of them. My recruiter was very good and I didn't have to hound him. I wound up going with another company, but if I was looking at company paid training and wanted to go OTR, I'd pick Prime.
I'd suggest you pull your driving record so you know what's on it. The entire thing. Then, put a list together of companies you'd like to drive for, and contact their recruiters. Be open and forthright with your driving history. Ask lots of questions. If you're looking for company sponsored training , I'd recommend Prime. Crete / Shaffer would be another company I'd recommend, but you'll need to get your CDL A ahead of time from a school they approve.
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.
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.
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.
I've been running around getting all the documentation together. I had to call my insurance company to find out about actual date of my no fault accident in 2010 (personal vehicle) Ohio only shows 3 years of driving records..I can go back to the local court where I received my last ticket,and get info on that particular matter,just seems to be an never ending search for records. I would feel so much better showing up at school with my temporary permit and endorsements ready to go. That way I could concentrate strictly on the driving portion. I will be calling Prime tomorrow and see if I can find anything out.
OWI:
Operating While Intoxicated
I've been running around getting all the documentation together. I had to call my insurance company to find out about actual date of my no fault accident in 2010 (personal vehicle) Ohio only shows 3 years of driving records..I can go back to the local court where I received my last ticket,and get info on that particular matter,just seems to be an never ending search for records. I would feel so much better showing up at school with my temporary permit and endorsements ready to go. That way I could concentrate strictly on the driving portion. I will be calling Prime tomorrow and see if I can find anything out.
its a shame you can't get a 5-7 yr record. The more info you have, the better off you are...
You can get your permit and endorsements prior to going to school. You'll be 1 set a head and have the ability to focus more on driving and wont be stuck like the other students that need to get their permit.
If you do go with prime, I believe (someone correct me if im wrong) you'll need your hazmat. They will give you time to get it if you dont but Its something you'll need. If you also decide to do tanker for them you'll need both haz and tank. As I said, its a good idea to get all endorsements.
If you need some study material, High Road Training Program is a great tool and will help you pass everything on the written exams.
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.
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
OWI:
Operating While Intoxicated
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I lost a decent paying job in 2012. Collected unemployment for a year,then took a local minimum wage job. I've exhausted my savings and I'm going to lose my home soon if I cant find decent employment. I've contacted all the company sponsored trucking schools and each one has their pros and cons. England wants blood pressure to be 140/90...my current dot card/physical was around 150/90 if I remember correctly. Pam would be slightly more expensive as they don't offer transport either from home to training or from hotel to campus. Prime seems to be the best organization I've found...except they haven't contacted me yet. I can at least find numerous people who are happy working at prime. I also applied for a pell grant and loan,but hamrick still would be $7000 financed at 4.5 percent. I'd also have to find a way to room/board/eat for 15 weeks. I've been studying for months and have taken numerous sample tests and always score better than 86%. Wish I could find a local company willing to train a cdl temporary permit holder. Should I take the temporary test and get all my endorsements before schooling? Or is is just a waste of time.I don't know what I should do. How far back does everyone look at your driving record? I have a no fault accident in 2010,and a speed violation in 2011. I know I have more but they were quite a while ago,how am I supposed to remember every ticket in 30 years of driving? Thanks in advance for all replies.
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.