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Topic 14399 | Page 1
Without OTR experience, few companies will talk to you. Getting your complete CDL-A license means you can barely drive a truck down the driveway.
That's why any company that hires "recent grads" puts them into a truck with a trainer for two to four months.
Local driving is even harder since you'll be mostly in traffic and have lots more places to back your trailer up to.
Even large companies may have local gigs, but you'll need many OTR miles and OTR experience before you get those jobs.
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.
OTR:
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.
HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.
Without OTR experience, few companies will talk to you. Getting your complete CDL-A license means you can barely drive a truck down the driveway.
That's why any company that hires "recent grads" puts them into a truck with a trainer for two to four months.
Local driving is even harder since you'll be mostly in traffic and have lots more places to back your trailer up to.
Even large companies may have local gigs, but you'll need many OTR miles and OTR experience before you get those jobs.
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.
OTR:
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.
HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.
Otr? dang, you know a school called great lakes trucking school, say after completing the course to get an cdl license. they showed places looking recent grads to get the position. having a trainer after gradutain, I was reading where you have to live with the trainer in the truck, if I was to go for over the road. no way around that huh?
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.
OTR:
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.
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.
Fred wrote:
Otr? dang, you know a school called great lakes trucking school, say after completing the course to get an cdl license. they showed places looking recent grads to get the position. having a trainer after gradutain, I was reading where you have to live with the trainer in the truck, if I was to go for over the road. no way around that huh?
No, there is no way around that. Isn't that what Errol said? The CDL schools whether, private, company sponsored or community college teach you just enough to pass your State's CDL tests. That's it...road training is where the real education begins, like supervised OJT.
Fred you might want to review the below links:
- Truck Driver's Career Guide
- Brett's Book: The Raw Truth About Trucking (free online version)
- High Road Training Program
and
Company-Sponsored Training Programs Truck Driving School Listings
- Article Category: Choosing A Truck Driving School
- Trucker's Career Guide: Choosing A Truck Driving School
- Forum Topics Tagged "Choosing A Truck Driving School"
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.
OTR:
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.
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.
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.
Fred got nervous:
I was reading where you have to live with the trainer in the truck, if I was to go for over the road. no way around that huh?
Not really. Driving and operating a semi is complicated and dangerous. As I said, truck driving school just ain't enuff. You need to get your head around shifting, turning and backing. Only On the Job Training will get you through it.
Many people drive as teams - two drivers, one truck, for months at a time. The training you'll get is only a month or two. It's not as icky as it sounds.
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.
Man, I guess truck driving is harder than I thought. okay, maybe I can get regional routes instead of going to the 48 states? yes, I did get nervous, more like scared. looking at places like pam, they make it sound so easy to get an cdl and then land the job right away. they didn't tell me the behind the stuff. wow, I'm sick of my job now, grrrrr
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.
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.
Man, I guess truck driving is harder than I thought. okay, maybe I can get regional routes instead of going to the 48 states? yes, I did get nervous, more like scared. looking at places like pam, they make it sound so easy to get an cdl and then land the job right away. they didn't tell me the behind the stuff. wow, I'm sick of my job now, grrrrr
Let's talk promotion. Sure it's easy to get a CDL. All you need to do is learn and memorize a bunch of stuff, and learn to drive a big truck! The promoter didn't mention the 160+ hours, learning complicated rules or handling the finer points of air brakes. Seriously, would reading a long list of requirements, like drug tests, how hard it is to figure out shifting, realizing you imigh have to drive late at night, would that motivate you to jump on the band wagon?
It is true, the demand for truck drivers is so high that if you pass all the requirements you'll have a job. But those requirements!
I started out at Swift last year. Swift is a national, 48 state operation. My base terminal is Memphis, TN. In four months of OTR driving, I never got west of Missouri & Texas. Drove to New York state once and Pennsylvania a few times. The point is I never really strayed far from home. That's almost regional driving. Now I do a true regional account, mostly Southeast US.
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.
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.
OTR:
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.
HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.
Wow, even though they have you doing a 48 state thingy. you didn't have to go to far from home. did you have to stay on the road for weeks at a time? so, you got your cdl through Swift company? I would hate to leave my family, if one have to stay out on the road for 3 or 4 weeks at a time.
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.
The real minimum I had from my driver manager was two weeks out & two days at home. It's roughly one week driving = 1 day home.
I used the famous High Road Training Program and got my CDL permit + physical before I started Swift's school (Memphis).
As long as you're doing a good job, you should have no problem getting home every two weeks. Talk it over with your DM when the time comes.
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.Driver Manager:
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.New Reply:
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how do you avoid going to a company sponsored school, without going over the road after completing and getting your cdl license? trying to get my cdl and local routes after completing? any schools in ohio?
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.