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Hey all,

I currently work for a Amazon DSP. It's not technicaly Amazon, but it might as well be. I work on the XL side, driving a box truck. I forget the exact length, but I want to say from nose to end is 40 feet (or so I'm told, I'm not super sure).

We hustle and work really hard, for little pay. I'll be honest with y'all, I make 17.50 an hour. Drivers here for 2 years make 19 an hour. We load our own packages out, pre and post trip inspection, secure our own cargo, etc. We have to be DOT fit to drive the trucks, but we don't have to have a CDL.

I'm seriously thinking about getting my CDL from a local school. My question is, how much different is driving a tractor and trailer then driving a large box truck?

Thanks!

I'm looking forward to it. I wasn't a big fan of being away for long periods of time, and this makes it a lot easier. I've looked around, there is a ton of work locally that allows you to home at night, a fair amount of them will work with you with the experience. Outside of this, I had one other company that was willing to do the same thing, but they're a logging company. Kind of scared me a bit to start off driving like that on those spooky log roads O_O. They offered to help train me and help me get my CDL, and to use there truck to test in. Those roads just scare me too much to start learning that way.

Hey guys,

It's been a little while sense I last posted here. I thought it would be longer, because I couldn't find any other way to get my CDL then paying out of pocket for it (4k to 6k here in Oregon generally). I tried going to CR England, I had everything setup and was read to go. I went to a friend of mine who has a setup and he told me to do the agility test on his to see if I could do it, this way I could save some time if I knew I couldn't do it. Now, I want to stress that I'm nearly 7 foot tall, and I'm overweight. I'm not overweight to the point that I can't move, bend over or crawl around if need be. The trailers are 42 to 43 inches tall, and you can't touch anything when you go under it. You can't touch the back of your head, your back, nothing like that. I measured my buddies setup and it was the same height. I tried a dozen different times and ways, trying my hardest to get as low as I could, but it wasn't happening. I tried squatting down and waddling under it, that wasn't happening at all. I can squat down, but once I'm down there is no waddling. I'm kind of locked in place :P.

I ended up not going to CR England, because of this. I was given the number for the doctor they use, and I spoke to him a good 2 to 3 times. He said that there is no failing the agility test. You fail it and you're out, it's something they stick by. I tried talking to my recruiter to see if she could maybe work something for me, because being as tall as I am did put me at a big disadvantage. No go, she said you pass it or you don't. I ended up not going because of this, because I knew for a fact I wasn't passing it. I couldn't find another company that would train me and pay for it, so I tried the community college route. Only thing in Oregon that I found is through a community college that works with financial aid is a Diesel Mechanics program, and it was towards the end of that. Then I took a job working as a Staw Bailer for 2 to 3 weeks. The guy I was working for was talking with me, and asked me why I don't just check craigslist for people needing farm drivers that are willing to F Endorse.

So I did, and I looked into it a bit. I found a farm that is looking for a driver, and they're willing to work with someone with little to no experience. So they gave me the paperwork to get my F Endorsement, and I get that tomorrow. I start riding along and learning Monday or Tuesday. I don't get paid for this part of it, but I'm fine with that. He told me he could set me up with everything I need to pass my CDL test at the DMV, let me use one of there trucks, and give me some experience to make sure I pass. I'm kind of happy I waited, instead of going to the school. This way, I'll have nothing against my credit if I don't stay or complete it. The job is literally 20 minutes down the road, and I'm home every night. Thought I would give you guys an update on my situation.

The problem is with my criminal record. I've called quite a few other companies, they're not willing to take me. Only misdemeanor, but still. It's a no go with anyone else I've contacted that has a training program. I can get under the trailer, though I might be on my hands and knees doing it, just crawling. I don't have a problem getting dirty or anything. My jeep has had nothing but problems, and I crawl under that thing a ton. I guess it all depends on how tall the trailer is that they have setup, that will depend on if I can do it or not. With how tall I am, it could make it difficult. I tried finding some videos, I couldn't find anything. If anyone has an idea of the height of the trailer they would use, I could judge it better off of that.

So I guess this would be for someone who went through the schooling that CRE offers, or knows about it. I was informed by the recruiter that you have to walk under the trailer, touch fence, walk back. How tall is this exactly (the trailer)? When you did this, were you squatting and waddling under, or was it up higher? Just trying to get an idea of what I'm looking at. My father in law is a trucker, and when I was with him and his truck, he had a trailer attached and was out for a delivery. Though when I crouched down to it, ass to grown, my head still didn't clean. I'm very tall (6 foot 7). I know I could get under it if need be, crawling under it. I just don't know what they allow. Anyone who has some information on this would be awesome.

Thanks

Thanks for all of the replies guys. I got screwed over my unemployment, so I'm living off of about 500 a month right now from state assistance. It's awful. It's barely doable at all. So funds are extremely tight. I can make a little money stretch for food until I'm hired on, I know I can do that. We've had to eat really smart before with what you spend. The thing that bothers me more is not having a way back. I don't have any family or anything that can help me out in Utah. So if I get there and fail the agility, or I'm forced into a sleep study, I'll be stranded for a month, possibly more depending on the ticket cost.

I understand the reasons for the studies, though I've never had a sleeping problem with insomnia, and being a very light sleeper. I think of that more as being a father though, and my son having health problems when he was an infant. I had to be a light sleeper and it kind of stuck. I've always had insomnia, but melitonin helped with that. The doctor I saw here said because of my age mainly, that he didn't see a problem with giving me the two year card. He did say that if It's like this in two years from now, the weight doesn't change, then he said I'll have to have a sleep study. I've been losing weight, I lost just under 35 pounds over the last 4 or so months.

The agility test has me a tiny bit worried. Like I said, I'm a big dude. I'm 6 foot 7 and big. I read that you have to get in and out of the trailer, the cap, both with three points of contact I think. Which I wont have a problem with. Though having to walk under the trailer, touch the fence, and back, that seems like it might be difficult. If I had to get under the trailer I could do that. I just wouldn't be under it squatted down. I went next to my father in laws truck when he had a trailer on it. I squatted next to it, and it still hit my head. And this is squatting down ass to grown, where you would waddle under. So I'm not sure how they go about it, as I couldn't find anything on Youtube about this or anything. I tried calling the doctor today, they gave me the number for the doctor and recommended that I ask him all of these questions. I plan on doing so. I couldn't get in touch today.

I spoke to the recruiter, everything is fine. They pushed it out for the 6th. I'm hoping everything goes good with the doctor and what he says. I know my weight is a problem, and it's something I'm working on a lot. Just hope it doesn't stop me from getting this started. Thanks you guys!

Title says it all. Went to leave my small little town and head over to Salem at about 6, had some stuff to take care of before leaving. Had to be there at 8 to get the ticket, 8:30 to leave and catch the bus (when it departed). Only a 20 hour trip, not bad. So, my car wouldn't start! Some of the time that happens, and it usually takes 10 minutes of starting and messing with the battery terminals to get the car to start. Nope. Over an hour. So at 7 I start calling the few friends I have in this area (I spend most of my time with my family, not too many friends locally). The car ended up starting, when I was suppose to be there (nearly). I couldn't afford a cab, the ride is about 50 minutes from my house. The only money I have enough for the food when I'm there, and not very much ether. Wife was going to send more when money came in and I was at school. So I feel screwed now, that I have little chance of the school taking me. What's the chance the ticket can be changed? I really, desperately want to start this new career. I tried everything that I could to get to the bus station today. If it makes any difference, the school is CR England.

Jered, what seems to sort of be the benchmark at most of these companies is if you have the combination of being overweight, and a neck circumference of over 17 inches. I do not know any specifics about how CRE handles this, but those are the figures we keep seeing come up at other trucking company physicals. More than likely you will have a new physical done at CRE, but lately I've been hearing of some companies not doing a new physical if you just recently had one done. I would expect to have to go through a new physical though.

Ya, mine is 18. I just had a DOT physical done last week or so, though I do remember my recruiter telling me that on some occasions they will have physicals done there too. Huh. Thanks for the information.

Jered, you won't be the first "big man" whose driven a truck. Part of this job entails getting up under the trailer at times, in fact each time you hook to a trailer it is a good practice to get under it and visually make sure the jaws have closed around the king-pin. As tall as you are, you may just have to crawl under there, but I think they will give you a pass.

Are you using a CPAP machine? With your size, I would be more concerned with the possibility of having to undergo the sleep study thing than I would getting under the trailer.

Does CRE some of the time request for the sleep study? The doctor who I got the physical through checked my throat and said I was fine there, he didn't see any problems with needing a sleep study. From how he explained it to me it was tissue in your throat that loosened up eventually from weight and loss of elasticity in the tissue. He said he I don't like weight in two years he's going to make me take a sleep study though.

So I'm set to be off to school soon, in a few hours. I'm a bit worried when reading over the agility test. It says you have to walk under the trailer, touch a fence, then walk back. I'm overweight, and I'm very tall (6 foot 7). How difficult is this? Have you guys done anything like this? I brought up this to my recruiter through email but she never responded to me about it. I don't want to go there and get stranded, because I don't pass. And end up paying back the money for everything (if that's how it works). Seeing some of these trailers as being pretty low, I think I would have to almost be in an ass to grass squat.