Profile For Jimmie W.

I hope to have my CDL-A soon. I'm farm-raised, drive the church 15 passenger bus, but have NO tractor-trailer experience. What questions should I ask when I speak with trucking companies about working for them? Of course I want good steady income and would like to do as well as possible while learning this new path. Thanks for all of your suggestions!

Your best bet is to find a truck driving school in your area that offers additional training outside of the CDL course. They'll have insurance for letting student drivers drive their trucks and instructors on standby (to drive with a CLP you must have a CDL holder in the truck). The going rate for a truck and instructor in my neck of the woods (PNW) is about ~$800/day.

If you go that route and if you're successful you'll have another problem - you won't have a 160-hour training certificate. The certificate is a requirement for most entry level driving jobs. Most insurers require it. Fun fact: hiring decisions aren't made guy who owns the truck, they're made by the guy who insures the truck. You can still get a job without one, but you won't have many choices.

You're grandfathered from the new training rules until your CLP permit expires. If you're not successful in earning your CDL before then you'll be subject to the new rules and forced to attend a course from an FMCSA registered training provider to get your CDL.

A trainer/company in my area can test and pass drivers so that they don't have to test again at DMV. For $600 I can take the driving test until I pass it up to 6 times. For $2,000 I can get 10 hours of in-truck instruction & the testing. I know I need experience but hate to spend $2,000. Once I get my CDL I, too, will have no experience and may have a tough time getting a job......

I'm having trouble getting road time to prepare for my CDL road test. I studied for and passed the written test in NC in mid-December but have struck out finding a way to get experience for the road test. Does anyone have ideas or suggestions for the Timberlake, NC (just north of Durham) area? Thanks in advance!