20 And Hungry (DEC 2015)
Topic 11877 | Page 1
I am 20 years old. Currently I have my Class B with P2 Endorsements. I live in a high cost of living area of Colorado, working a seasonal job driving the local transit. My family owns a home up here, so I am currently staying with my grandparents which decreases my expenses and exponentially increases the money that I keep. At 19/hr with nearly zero expenses, I am doing well for my pocket money. Potentially I could get offered a full time position in April of 2016. However, I really love driving but really dislike people. Not to mention I turn 21 soon after, and no lady or male friend will be so keen as to chill at Grandparents place... So, I was looking into getting my Class A with X endorsements, so I am more marketable, and, have a chance of getting a great trucking job that gets me a good payday and moving around so I can afford to pioneer on my own. What I would like to discuss is where, how, and what I should do to accomplish this. Not only that, but also just general information and experience, tips and knowledge about the industry I am looking into joining.
First thing I'll say is, you'll need to be 21 before any trucking company will hire you. Insurance reasons. Now that's not to say you can't try, if your a few months away they may take you on. I may be wrong on that and someone else can correct me if so. Also you may want to check out your DMV and see what they require. Some say 21 too I do believe.
Next thing is you'll need to up that B to an A and do all the endorsements you want. You can do that in a few different ways. You should take a look at Truck Driver's Career Guide to start your journey with ,Truck Driving Schools for local schools in your area. These you would pay out of pocket for. You could also do Company-Sponsored Training which are schools that you don't pay upfront. They actually hire you after you complete their course then deduct xx amount a week from your pay for a year. Others won't charge you if you stay with them for xx amount of time either.
I'd highly suggest How To Choose A School and How To Choose A Company. I also recommend you start High Road Training Program to help you study for the class A tests. Well worth it and Free! Any questions, just ask
David
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.
Dm:
Dispatcher, Fleet Manager, Driver Manager
The primary person a driver communicates with at his/her company. A dispatcher can play many roles, depending on the company's structure. Dispatchers may assign freight, file requests for home time, relay messages between the driver and management, inform customer service of any delays, change appointment times, and report information to the load planners.DMV:
Department of Motor Vehicles, Bureau of Motor Vehicles
The state agency that handles everything related to your driver's licences, including testing, issuance, transfers, and revocation.
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.
OOS:
When a violation by either a driver or company is confirmed, an out-of-service order removes either the driver or the vehicle from the roadway until the violation is corrected.
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I am 20 years old. Currently I have my Class B with P2 Endorsements. I live in a high cost of living area of Colorado, working a seasonal job driving the local transit. My family owns a home up here, so I am currently staying with my grandparents which decreases my expenses and exponentially increases the money that I keep. At 19/hr with nearly zero expenses, I am doing well for my pocket money. Potentially I could get offered a full time position in April of 2016. However, I really love driving but really dislike people. Not to mention I turn 21 soon after, and no lady or male friend will be so keen as to chill at Grandparents place... So, I was looking into getting my Class A with X endorsements, so I am more marketable, and, have a chance of getting a great trucking job that gets me a good payday and moving around so I can afford to pioneer on my own. What I would like to discuss is where, how, and what I should do to accomplish this. Not only that, but also just general information and experience, tips and knowledge about the industry I am looking into joining.