From Office Lady To Road Warrior - (MTTI - Miami, FL)

Topic 6870 | Page 1

Page 1 of 1
Bagheera's Comment
member avatar

Hi, I would like to share my story. It all started on February last year with a 15-passenger van my brother bought at a county auction. He planned to use it as a food delivery van (or any cargo), but I suggested him to better use it to take tourists from the airport to hotels/ports and vice-versa. At that time I was still unemployed and still looking for administrative jobs (I have been working in administrative positions for almost 15 years, and also some web administration, graphic design and video editing, but things today are harsh in these fields). So he asked me to gather information about how to start a passenger transportation business and so I called the Consumer Affairs Department of Miami-Dade. A guy there told me that I needed a CDL class C to drive that vehicle and I had to look for someone willing to lease their PMC permit so I could operate, plus getting a hack license. Well, so there my accidental CDL story began. Time later I realized and was convinced by a lot of people, including the guys at DMV , that I didn't need a CDL to operate a passenger van (yup, that guy was a complete jerk for giving me the wrong info, and I was plain 'naive' for knowing nothing about transportation industry, generally speaking), but anyway I did need both the PMC and hack license. I already got the hack license, the DOT medical card, but leasing a PMC was expensive mostly due to the liability insurance the lady who agreed to lease the permit. At this moment you may scratch your heads and ask yourselves: And what the 'truck' (thanks Mr. Aquila for that one; I read your book and was awesome!) does it have to do with trucking? Well, here comes that part: I started reading the CDL manual and also was looking for reliable practice tests online. Then I found TruckingTruth.com, with awesome info about CDL generally speaking; at that moment I still didn't consider driving a truck but a passenger van, then a shuttle, then a coach or possibly a transit bus. Things started changing when looking for a school for the driving test (I passed the CDL exam at DMV and also the P endorsement, but didn't take the air brakes test since at that moment I wasn't going to drive a vehicle with that feature); after getting info for the road test, I found Metropolitan Trucking and Technical Institute. Like their competitors, they offered me an unlimited preparation page but I had to repeatedly decline since I couldn't afford it (I was unemployed and unlucky trying to find a decent job). Then one of their managers, a lady, offered me the WIA program because I met the requirements. But the only 'problem' was that this federal help was only for Class A vehicles (yeah, you guessed!). Anyway I told her: I'll take it! and I applied for it and later on I was sent to a CareerSource center (formerly South Florida Workforce). After two months of orientation, job searches, and taking mandatory (and boring) workshops by CareerSource, I finally was enrolled at MTTI in November, without me paying a dime. I may admit that on day one I was scared to death about the sole idea of driving a huge vehicle (even worse because I could never learn to drive a manual vehicle in my home country). You see, I always had fear and respect to trucks wherever I drove; I never challenged them neither cut them off like lots of people do in my area. Anyways, as soon as I sat on the truck and having one of the instructors teach me how to shift from R to N to 1 and coordinate my feet and pedals, all fear turned into excitement. But one thing I'll never lose is RESPECT TO TRUCKS. They're gentle giants but may pose dangerous and lethal if you underestimate them! Days passed and everybody there was telling me how good driver I was, even better than men (that was overkill lol). I was one of the few women enrolled in this school, not because of prejudices but maybe because of some persisting stereotypes about how truck drivers are seen by people. I was feeling more confident whenever I was behind the wheel, practicing the straight, offset, and later, the parallel parkings. Also my plans started experiencing changes. I wasn't only considering to apply for the county for a bus driver position or any private bus company but I was being open to the idea of driving trucks, especially with that exciting idea of going places with more freedom. I already applied to many companies through your website, I've received calls and emails but still working to get more pre-hires (already got one from Werner before in order to meet Careersource's elegibility requirements for WIA). Personally, I have been an unorthodox woman when it comes to gender-specific tasks. When I was a kid, I was some sort of an adventurous and intrepid tomboy, I played soccer when it was taboo for girls in my country (and still is), also played with toy cars and tops instead of dolls, and years later I had dreams of becoming an air pilot or race driver. Driving a big rig will fulfill a dream as a woman and human being, and also a personal challenge for me. So folks, I'm so far into 130 hours out of 184, I just passed the pre-trip last Friday at my first attempt, and I'm still preparing for both the parking and road tests. I can't wait to finally get my CDL A and graduate so I could be hired, start my company training and going places, and having fun on the road while paying off my debts and helping my family. And I'm sure I'll never ever go back to work in an office! :)

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.

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.

OWI:

Operating While Intoxicated

Mikki 's Comment
member avatar

Great read. Wish you all the best! Keep us updatedsmile.gif

Page 1 of 1

New Reply:

New! Check out our help videos for a better understanding of our forum features

Bold
Italic
Underline
Quote
Photo
Link
Smiley
Links On TruckingTruth


example: TruckingTruth Homepage



example: https://www.truckingtruth.com
Submit
Cancel
Upload New Photo
Please enter a caption of one sentence or less:

Click on any of the buttons below to insert a link to that section of TruckingTruth:

Getting Started In Trucking High Road Training Program Company-Sponsored Training Programs Apply For Company-Sponsored Training Truck Driver's Career Guide Choosing A School Choosing A Company Truck Driving Schools Truck Driving Jobs Apply For Truck Driving Jobs DOT Physical Drug Testing Items To Pack Pre-Hire Letters CDL Practice Tests Trucking Company Reviews Brett's Book Leasing A Truck Pre-Trip Inspection Learn The Logbook Rules Sleep Apnea
Done
Done

0 characters so far - 5,500 maximum allowed.
Submit Preview

Preview:

Submit
Cancel

Why Join Trucking Truth?

We have an awesome set of tools that will help you understand the trucking industry and prepare for a great start to your trucking career. Not only that, but everything we offer here at TruckingTruth is 100% free - no strings attached! Sign up now and get instant access to our member's section:
High Road Training Program Logo
  • 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:

Apply For Paid CDL Training