Thinking Of Refresher Course
Topic 13680 | Page 1
Kathi O,
Consider posting this in the main forum, you most likely will get a lot of encouragement. 65 seems young.
Bryn
Kathie O,
Although I don't know if u need a refresher course or not, I want to say that I read in the main forum where someone posted the company he was at had 70 and even 80 year olds. Trucking doesn't seem to have the ageism discrimination that other industries do. I agree with Bryn that 65 is young.
Kathi did you have a CDL class A or B? If you had an A and have spent 5 years away you will probably have to take a refresher course and possibly spend a couple weeks with a trainer.
And don't worry about the shifting! There are plenty of companies that run automatics if you wanted to stay with that.
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.
Also if you had a class A and let it lapse, then you will have to take a complete course again as almost all major companies want to see a 160 hour course. I think they are making this a mandatory requirement this year...
Thanks everyone for the encouragement but I just found out a couple of speeding tickets showed up on my report from North Dakota. No points were given but I still got them sooooo so much for my perfect driving record.
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I am 65 years old and have driven a dump truck (automatic) hauled equipment such as pavers, rollers etc and also materials such as asphalt, rock etc. I have spent the last 5 years in the oilfield in North Dakota and am now back home and very restless. I am in very good health and would like to drive over the road but am a little scared that my age may hold me back and I also would need to perfect shifting with a manual as driving the automatic has crippled me in that area. Any suggestions would be welcomed. I would like to know if maybe I need to take a complete CDL course or just a refresher or something to get me up to speed. I did not drive in the oilfield. I have a perfect driving record.
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
Over The Road:
Over The Road
OTR driving normally means you'll be hauling freight to various customers throughout your company's hauling region. It often entails being gone from home for two to three weeks at a time.