Profile For Errol V.

It's a natural thing to want to "pay back" someone who crossed you, either on purpose or accidentally. But as you tool down the interstate, your main job is to get from A to B. Since that's what you're paid for, playing bump cars with a stranger will slow you down.

I point out to my CDL students that they don't need to be distracted by people playing games. Ignore the antics of others and

Drive Your Own Road

Get your job done and get paid.

I'm sorry for your situation, Jim. You called your training "CDL school". If that school was a community, technical college, you simply lost time and maybe a few bucks for tuition.

If you went to a private CDL school on the other hand, you are a victim of corporate greed. First, your criminal history is no reason to stop you from getting a CDL. The private company was happy to help you out, as long as you paid or financed several $thousand for tuition. "You pays your money, you gets to ride".

They might say they will help get you a job, and that works for most people. But you didn't hear till now about trying to get a trucking job with a serious record.

Despite the fact that you have seen the light and have washed away your past and want to now be a better person, your history will be staying with you.

Trucking Truth has an article that may help: Trucking Companies That Will Hire Felons

Darrell, Welcome to the bent fender club. (Just joking). Big truck companies almost expect rookie drivers to have a fender bender or two as they learn the ropes. If they happen like every month or so, there is a problem. It's your first, and tell the safety person what you just wrote:

I take full responsibility for my mistake, this is my first and even though I may make more at some point, I can guarantee you this won't happen again.

How do you figure this won't happen again? I bet the next time you have to make a blind side maneuver, you will get out and look! Let safety know you learned to not be so relaxed the you are working in a tight space.

In my first month driving for Swift, I backed my truck in a way that I ripped a hole in the sheet metal wall of the warehouse in South Pittsburgh TN. I sweated all way back to the terminal in Memphis. But after a chat in the safety office, I was back on the road.

Zen J, you said it all.

I was called in to the office about a sudden stop. We all watched the video. In the vid I stopped at the stop sign, looked both ways then a car ran other stop sign and I hit the brakes. Cleared me.

But I was also called in because I was caught eating Oreos while driving.

Jason, how many tests were there? The CDL permit test is divided into three parts: General Knowledge (50 questions), Air Brakes and Combination Vehicles (20 Qs each). If you had a separate test about Hazmat, with 20 questions, you would be going for the hazmat endorsement which is NOT Required for a CDL permit.

The General Knowledge test will have a few HM questions. Can you remember which questions you had trouble with (you had to guess)?

The "grace" allowed on these tests is 20% off of 100. The line has to be drawn somewhere. But you should get three tries at these tests. How many chances did you get?

Z. Joker points out the safety of following distance. Safe driving is a huge part of your job.

Psychologist Davy talks about the anger you develop in yourself from the frustration of going only a few MPH less than you want to..

Let me describe the situation with some numbers. Suppose you have 200 miles of interstate between you and your destination. At 65 MPH that takes 3 hours, 4 minutes.

Make believe you are "stuck" behind a 4-wheeler going 2 MPH slower - 63 MPH - the entire trip. That means it's 3 hours 10 minutes. seven entire minutes out of your life!

In this extreme example, you just spent over three hours being PO'd, building a stomach ulcer and driving in an unsafe matter to save seven whole minutes.

In reality you would get around that "slow a$$" car in a few minutes at most, meaning you are actually risking your career and your safe driving record to save just a few seconds out of your day. Is it really with it?

Alejandro has Halloween all over again:

. I just got spooked with all the bad reviews online

Old School says it best:

So much of what is posted about trucking companies is written by people who don't even know what they're doing yet.

Why are there so many "bad" reviews? Where are the"good" ones? I agree with O.S. - the babies want to cry about how they were screwed, when they barely know how the trucking lifestyle works. The people who learn the business are too busy making the bucks to go back and post how well they are doing.

Every so often someone posts on this forum "I've been doing flatbed for six months. Ask me anything!" The regulars here have to laugh them off the board.

For you, Alex, hang in there, and never think you're done learning how to "Trucker Bro"!

Hi, Pelican!

#1, CDL portability: no problem. Take your current paperwork to the new state DMV, they will get you a local state CDL. You will still have to pay those state license fees, but no new tests.

#2, DOT physical: Physicals are done under FMCSA regulation, not Federal law. The Pres doesn't get involved, your friend is misinformed. If you are going to a new company, you'll probably get a new physical anyway.

There may be an issue if addresses on your paperwork done agree.

Doubles/Triples endorsement is simply a test you take. You can get that elsewhere along with your permit. Triples happen only in some Western states.

LTL (the most common doubles setup) are often line haul assignments where you take the same route every shift. The big 53 foot trailers are the ones used for OTR and go all over. If you want to see the USA, look for OTR, which is the most common assignment for new drivers. Check out Truck Driver's Career Guide Chapter 6 for more information.

Most truck companies have a scoring system for accidents: so many within the last 12 months, maybe three (I just picked a number). Your accident - a - month for four months doesn't look good to me.