Required Training Hours

I was wondering if anyone knew how these required training hours work.I recently went to school and got my cdl with the intentions on working for a friend thats a owner op,the problem is I cant get on his insurance without I believe its 279 hours over the road with a certified trainer. What is this training and why cant he train me.We were told the training has to be done by a certified trainer but certified by who.Would appreciate any feed back on this.

I think trainers have to go through their own training process and then become certified. At your big companies this is done by the company. Not sure how someone would go about getting the certification if they are independent. Its understandable that someone has training on how to be a trainer and what specifics need to be taught. You may check with the highway patrol or DOT and see howit works for an o/o.

Unfortunately "certified" trainers are mostly at companies since they have a separate training program for trainers. Usually 4 to 6 hour class. I have not heard of any Owner Operators that are considered "certified trainers". Most companies require 160 to 300 hours for rookie drivers. Really all depends on the insurance company that is covering the trucks says.

Sounds like you went through a cheap "pay as you go" type of school. Most accredited school have a set curriculum they go by and that is usually gaged by what companies they work with.

Before starting school you should always ask the company/Owner Op what their insurance company will accept and THEN look for a school that they will accept.

So you might have to go to work for a normal company driving before your friend's insurance will accept you as having enough experience.

According to your signup date here you signed up over 11 months ago and only posted THIS one post. I wish you had spoken up 11 months ago and we would have steered you in the right direction.

Aquil, I really feel for you in the situation that you're in, but like Guyjax, I wish we had known before hand because we could have helped point you in the right direction. Now days just about the only way to get into this is to do it by the rules that the people who are willing to take the liability for you being out there on the road are laying down. The insurance companies are taking on all the risk and therefore they feel like they have got the say in how new drivers can hit the roads.

Guyjax is right about the companies themselves are certifying their trainers and you can bet they are doing that based on the recommendations from the insurance companies as to how that is done. I seriously doubt you can find an O/O who is certified as a trainer. I had an O/O who offered me a really nice sounding job while I was in school. We hit it off together and we probably would have really enjoyed working with each other, but when push came to shove he just couldn't hire me because he couldn't afford the type of policy that would cover me.

Your best bet is to go to a company that hires school graduates, stick it out for that first year and learn all you can about the lifestyle, and handling that rig in all types of situations. If you still want to pursue the job with your friend after that then go for it, your first years experience changes everything for you when you go to apply for trucking jobs - that is when the doors will start opening up for you.

Best of luck to ya! And, please, keep us posted or come in here with questions so we can help you out.

Yeah its the insurance company,which is a little confusing because thats why I went to school to satisfy them. I went to a decent school with 240 hours of training and a good reputation. I think somewhere in there my friend didnt really understand what they wanted.From what he is telling me they want 279 btw hours or windshield hours with a certified trainer.Its starting to look like I will have to go with one of the big boys for a little while thanks for the feedback I will keep you guys posted