Starting As A D&P Driver?
Topic 11187 | Page 2
I was wondering if there was any company out there who train their drivers to get their CDL , even if I have to leave home for a few weeks to go train at one of their facilities in another state, but after training is done, would be able to place me on a truck where I could be home every night?
Companies that have their own training, or finance the training for you, are referred to as Company-Sponsored Training Programs. Unfortunately very few will have jobs available that get you home every night, but there are several that will get you home every weekend.
As Old School mentioned we've had a couple of drivers get on with LTL companies right away but that's very rare. And P & D straight out of school is extremely difficult and not something I would recommend. Line haul would be a little better and I'll explain that in a moment. The problem with most of the P & D jobs that get you home every night is that they involve going to multiple stops every day, mostly in cities, and require backing into a lot of very difficult docks. New drivers have so much to learn in the beginning that it's incredibly difficult to learn to drive a truck, navigate heavy city traffic all day long, and get in and out of difficult customers efficiently. It's an overwhelmingly difficult task for any driver, but especially one straight out of school.
Now there are line haul jobs that these LTL companies have and those mostly involve pulling a set of doubles from terminal to terminal. You're basically on the Interstate all day (or night) and the only driving you're doing off the Interstate is a short job from the exit over to the terminal. The driving part is 1,000 times easier than P & D except for the fact that you're pulling doubles which are incredibly difficult and dangerous to handle in the wintertime. And again, these jobs are very rare for new drivers coming out of school.
I'm not sure if I should cry right now....you just busted my bubble! lol My friend didn't make it sound like it was "too" much of hard work...
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.
Terminal:
A facility where trucking companies operate out of, or their "home base" if you will. A lot of major companies have multiple terminals around the country which usually consist of the main office building, a drop lot for trailers, and sometimes a repair shop and wash facilities.
LTL:
Less Than Truckload
Refers to carriers that make a lot of smaller pickups and deliveries for multiple customers as opposed to hauling one big load of freight for one customer. This type of hauling is normally done by companies with terminals scattered throughout the country where freight is sorted before being moved on to its destination.
LTL carriers include:
- FedEx Freight
- Con-way
- YRC Freight
- UPS
- Old Dominion
- Estes
- Yellow-Roadway
- ABF Freight
- R+L Carrier
Interstate:
Commercial trade, business, movement of goods or money, or transportation from one state to another, regulated by the Federal Department Of Transportation (DOT).
P & D:
Pickup & Delivery
Local drivers that stay around their area, usually within 100 mile radius of a terminal, picking up and delivering loads.
LTL (Less Than Truckload) carriers for instance will have Linehaul drivers and P&D drivers. The P&D drivers will deliver loads locally from the terminal and pick up loads returning to the terminal. Linehaul drivers will then run truckloads from terminal to terminal.
Line Haul:
Linehaul drivers will normally run loads from terminal to terminal for LTL (Less than Truckload) companies.
LTL (Less Than Truckload) carriers will have Linehaul drivers and P&D drivers. The P&D drivers will deliver loads locally from the terminal and pick up loads returning them to the terminal. Linehaul drivers will then run truckloads from terminal to terminal.Doubles:
Refers to pulling two trailers at the same time, otherwise known as "pups" or "pup trailers" because they're only about 28 feet long. However there are some states that allow doubles that are each 48 feet in length.
Company-sponsored Training:
A Company-Sponsored Training Program is a school that is owned and operated by a trucking company.
The schooling often requires little or no money up front. Instead of paying up-front tuition you will sign an agreement to work for the company for a specified amount of time after graduation, usually around a year, at a slightly lower rate of pay in order to pay for the training.
If you choose to quit working for the company before your year is up, they will normally require you to pay back a prorated amount of money for the schooling. The amount you pay back will be comparable to what you would have paid if you went to an independently owned school.
Company-sponsored training can be an excellent way to get your career underway if you can't afford the tuition up front for private schooling.
HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.
Well even a few months of maybe regional driving where you get home on weekends would give you a lot of practice in a slightly better environment. You're still going to wind up in big cities, but not all day every day like you are in P & D. Most of the backing you'll do for a regional job will be in truck stops and a little bit easier docks overall. Once you're more confident and comfortable with backing, shifting, hills, and tight traffic you can change over to a P & D job.
I mean, you may be able to go P & D right out of school if the jobs are available in your area, but it's just really a tough way for a new driver to get started. I'm not saying you absolutely should not do it, but I want you to know it's probably going to be one of the most challenging things you'll ever do.
Regional:
Regional Route
Usually refers to a driver hauling freight within one particular region of the country. You might be in the "Southeast Regional Division" or "Midwest Regional". Regional route drivers often get home on the weekends which is one of the main appeals for this type of route.
P & D:
Pickup & Delivery
Local drivers that stay around their area, usually within 100 mile radius of a terminal, picking up and delivering loads.
LTL (Less Than Truckload) carriers for instance will have Linehaul drivers and P&D drivers. The P&D drivers will deliver loads locally from the terminal and pick up loads returning to the terminal. Linehaul drivers will then run truckloads from terminal to terminal.
Well even a few months of maybe regional driving where you get home on weekends would give you a lot of practice in a slightly better environment. You're still going to wind up in big cities, but not all day every day like you are in P & D. Most of the backing you'll do for a regional job will be in truck stops and a little bit easier docks overall. Once you're more confident and comfortable with backing, shifting, hills, and tight traffic you can change over to a P & D job.
I mean, you may be able to go P & D right out of school if the jobs are available in your area, but it's just really a tough way for a new driver to get started. I'm not saying you absolutely should not do it, but I want you to know it's probably going to be one of the most challenging things you'll ever do.
Thank you Brett :)
Regional:
Regional Route
Usually refers to a driver hauling freight within one particular region of the country. You might be in the "Southeast Regional Division" or "Midwest Regional". Regional route drivers often get home on the weekends which is one of the main appeals for this type of route.
P & D:
Pickup & Delivery
Local drivers that stay around their area, usually within 100 mile radius of a terminal, picking up and delivering loads.
LTL (Less Than Truckload) carriers for instance will have Linehaul drivers and P&D drivers. The P&D drivers will deliver loads locally from the terminal and pick up loads returning to the terminal. Linehaul drivers will then run truckloads from terminal to terminal.
Hi, check to see if any technical college in your area offers the Commercial Truck Driving Course. If there is one you can Usally apply for grants in their financial aid office that will cover the payment for some or all of the costs. Best of all you do not pay the grants back. Good luck and check out going that way.
Hi, check to see if any technical college in your area offers the Commercial Truck Driving Course. If there is one you can Usally apply for grants in their financial aid office that will cover the payment for some or all of the costs. Best of all you do not pay the grants back. Good luck and check out going that way.
I need to check out STCC, I believe I have seen the course offered there.
I just started at a window manufacturing company, I am fresh out of school. It's a local P & D ordeal, I come into the terminal around 6, couple to the assigned trailer that's loaded with glass to be delivered, then I leave to do the deliveries around my area. I unload the windows and glass at either new buildings or places like pro build. Not a bad job, pays well, lots of overtime, benefits, etc. Unloading the heavy windows gets tuff. What everyone is saying about driving and backing though is spot on. Lots of blind side and really tight spaces. Traffic sucks lol. Power lines and cable/phone lines everywhere. ItS difficult but so far I'm fine but hey its only been a week.
Terminal:
A facility where trucking companies operate out of, or their "home base" if you will. A lot of major companies have multiple terminals around the country which usually consist of the main office building, a drop lot for trailers, and sometimes a repair shop and wash facilities.
P & D:
Pickup & Delivery
Local drivers that stay around their area, usually within 100 mile radius of a terminal, picking up and delivering loads.
LTL (Less Than Truckload) carriers for instance will have Linehaul drivers and P&D drivers. The P&D drivers will deliver loads locally from the terminal and pick up loads returning to the terminal. Linehaul drivers will then run truckloads from terminal to terminal.
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Companies that have their own training, or finance the training for you, are referred to as Company-Sponsored Training Programs. Unfortunately very few will have jobs available that get you home every night, but there are several that will get you home every weekend.
As Old School mentioned we've had a couple of drivers get on with LTL companies right away but that's very rare. And P & D straight out of school is extremely difficult and not something I would recommend. Line haul would be a little better and I'll explain that in a moment. The problem with most of the P & D jobs that get you home every night is that they involve going to multiple stops every day, mostly in cities, and require backing into a lot of very difficult docks. New drivers have so much to learn in the beginning that it's incredibly difficult to learn to drive a truck, navigate heavy city traffic all day long, and get in and out of difficult customers efficiently. It's an overwhelmingly difficult task for any driver, but especially one straight out of school.
Now there are line haul jobs that these LTL companies have and those mostly involve pulling a set of doubles from terminal to terminal. You're basically on the Interstate all day (or night) and the only driving you're doing off the Interstate is a short job from the exit over to the terminal. The driving part is 1,000 times easier than P & D except for the fact that you're pulling doubles which are incredibly difficult and dangerous to handle in the wintertime. And again, these jobs are very rare for new drivers coming out of school.
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
Terminal:
A facility where trucking companies operate out of, or their "home base" if you will. A lot of major companies have multiple terminals around the country which usually consist of the main office building, a drop lot for trailers, and sometimes a repair shop and wash facilities.
LTL:
Less Than Truckload
Refers to carriers that make a lot of smaller pickups and deliveries for multiple customers as opposed to hauling one big load of freight for one customer. This type of hauling is normally done by companies with terminals scattered throughout the country where freight is sorted before being moved on to its destination.
LTL carriers include:
Interstate:
Commercial trade, business, movement of goods or money, or transportation from one state to another, regulated by the Federal Department Of Transportation (DOT).
P & D:
Pickup & Delivery
Local drivers that stay around their area, usually within 100 mile radius of a terminal, picking up and delivering loads.
LTL (Less Than Truckload) carriers for instance will have Linehaul drivers and P&D drivers. The P&D drivers will deliver loads locally from the terminal and pick up loads returning to the terminal. Linehaul drivers will then run truckloads from terminal to terminal.
Line Haul:
Linehaul drivers will normally run loads from terminal to terminal for LTL (Less than Truckload) companies.
LTL (Less Than Truckload) carriers will have Linehaul drivers and P&D drivers. The P&D drivers will deliver loads locally from the terminal and pick up loads returning them to the terminal. Linehaul drivers will then run truckloads from terminal to terminal.Doubles:
Refers to pulling two trailers at the same time, otherwise known as "pups" or "pup trailers" because they're only about 28 feet long. However there are some states that allow doubles that are each 48 feet in length.
Company-sponsored Training:
A Company-Sponsored Training Program is a school that is owned and operated by a trucking company.
The schooling often requires little or no money up front. Instead of paying up-front tuition you will sign an agreement to work for the company for a specified amount of time after graduation, usually around a year, at a slightly lower rate of pay in order to pay for the training.
If you choose to quit working for the company before your year is up, they will normally require you to pay back a prorated amount of money for the schooling. The amount you pay back will be comparable to what you would have paid if you went to an independently owned school.
Company-sponsored training can be an excellent way to get your career underway if you can't afford the tuition up front for private schooling.
HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.