Questions About This Industry
Topic 13687 | Page 1
I think you have to be 21 to get a CDL. A lot of young adults are more interested in other things.
I don't know why there are not a lot of woman in the trucking field fore sure. but what I do know is that is starting to change. In fact a YouTube trucker vlogger that inspired me to get into the field is a female driver.
I find those who have a wife and kids have it hard in this field. Your out for weeks at a time away from your family. Others just hate away for so long. Yes it is very lonely at times. A lot of these people don't really research the field before they jump in.
There are different ways to pay for training. A lot of people use company-sponsored training. The drawback with that is you have to sign a contract with that company. Private schools are expensive but have loan programs. After your hired most companies will reimburse you the cost of training.
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.
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.
Randylt has questions:...
why we dont see more young people driving trucks? discrimination?
why we dont see more women in this field?
why the turn over rate is so high?there must be something else beside the "muh loneliness and my ****ty pay".
tuition is also expensive, how most people pay for it?
how often a trucker have problems finding the destination and how often they have to park in a tight spot?
Welcome to the forum Randy. For starters I suggest reviewing the following links (below). Many of your questions will be answered and others you haven't thought of yet.
- Truck Driver's Career Guide
- Brett's Book: The Raw Truth About Trucking (free online version)
- High Road Training Program
Company-Sponsored Training Programs
- Article Category: Choosing A Truck Driving School
- Trucker's Career Guide: Choosing A Truck Driving School
- Forum Topics Tagged "Choosing A Truck Driving School"
Hope this helps. Let us know what additional question you have.
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.
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.
OWI:
Operating While Intoxicated
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.
As a woman driver in training I can say that women don't look at this as a career because it is seen as a "man's job." As in any male dominated industry you tend to have a lot of sexism. It's something you have to go into with a clear understanding that you are going to get looks and negative comments about being a woman and you have to have a thick skin and not be offended easily. It's not something that a lot of women can handle.
ChickieMonster lays it out:
You have to go into with a clear understanding that you are going to get looks and negative comments about being a woman and you have to have a thick skin and not be offended easily. It's not something that a lot of women can handle.
Historically truck driving has been right with Men's Locker Room for places women might go. (As in not!) In the last several years more and more ladies have been getting behind the wheel. But it's still a job for the thick skinned type.
The turnover thing is interesting. Read Brett's book to see what the trucker's life is like. It's not as simple as driving around the country as many newbies find out. Companies are taking all comers, though, without spending much time on the changes driving will bring to your life. So after a few days, or weeks or months, many can't take it anymore.
I just sat in on a meeting where it was explained that women only make up about 5% of the trucking population.
I can't answer the question as to why more aren't coming aboard, but I had to explain to my family at least a dozen times why I wanted this and most of my FAMILY tried to talk me out of it.
New Reply:
New! Check out our help videos for a better understanding of our forum features
Preview:
Why Join Trucking Truth?
- The High Road Training Program
- The High Road Article Series
- The Friendliest Trucker's Forum Ever!
- Email Updates When New Articles Are Posted
Apply For Paid CDL Training Through TruckingTruth
Did you know you can fill out one quick form here on TruckingTruth and apply to several companies at once for paid CDL training? Seriously! The application only takes one minute. You will speak with recruiters today. There is no obligation whatsoever. Learn more and apply here:
TT On Facebook
why we dont see more young people driving trucks? discrimination?
why we dont see more women in this field?
why the turn over rate is so high?there must be something else beside the "muh loneliness and my ****ty pay".
tuition is also expensive, how most people pay for it?
how often a trucker have problems finding the destination and how often they have to park in a tight spot?