No Driving School, But Successfully Tested & Obtained Florida CDL Class A License - What Are My Options For Jobs/companies?

By gettin your CDL through a relative he didn't do you a "disservice" as old school mentioned...I got mine without a school, got hired on within a week, no problems getting insurance...and working now, making close to 1200 a week ...that's without school...so everything is possible, CDL drivers are in high demand, as long as u can prove to them that you can safely handle a rig, you should be good to go...good luck!!!

Davor, there are all kinds of ways to get in this business. Many of them have unusually high rates of failure. You are fortunate, and we are thrilled at your success. Unfortunately many who took your route ended up with a minor fender bender on their record and are now finding it very difficult to get hired anywhere.

Anybody who wants to work for the major carriers with tons of benefits and beautifully maintained equipment, will find the most prudent path to be the one we recommend.

It isn't some rogue opinion we developed on our own, it is the standard that the mainstream players in this business all go by.

I understand that you're trying to give good advice , and t is really good advice but at the same time to say it's a "disservice " to get your CDL that way is bull**** in my opinion ...having a CDL is not a disservice, no matter how u get it ...because at the end we all have to pass the same test... If u can pass it, that means you do have some skills and knowledge about what you're testing for...I learned more from my relative than I would have from a school, and I can promise you that because I got more training from my uncle than I would have from a school that had me behind a desk reading a book and watching videos... Everybody is here trying to make a living with a CDL, so no matter how one gets this prize, we all passed the same test...we are all trying to make a living...if he was wasn't able to handle a rig he wouldn't be able to get the CDL

Davor, there are all kinds of ways to get in this business. Many of them have unusually high rates of failure. You are fortunate, and we are thrilled at your success. Unfortunately many who took your route ended up with a minor fender bender on their record and are now finding it very difficult to get hired anywhere.

Anybody who wants to work for the major carriers with tons of benefits and beautifully maintained equipment, will find the most prudent path to be the one we recommend.

It isn't some rogue opinion we developed on our own, it is the standard that the mainstream players in this business all go by.

And as far as a insurance ? If you have a good driving record, you WILL get a insured , pass your background check you will get hired, pass your drug screen you will get hired... So what you guys on this site say is pure bull**** in my opinion...I e been on this site for 10 months and I've been reading every single post and you all had me believing that I wasn't gonna be able to get a job because I didn't go to school, and now since I have a 1200+ a week job without school driving a 18 wheeler...you guys are talking nothing but nonsense ...

Oh yeah. All the mega carriers want to hire me ...PRiME, KNiGHT ...with no school ... Just cuz I have a CDL. So your words of wisdom aren't words of wisdom in reality old school

So go spend 3500 to read a book if u have no other choice , that will make you more qualified

Hmm, I am in a company sponsored school right now. My roommate has a CDL , and goes to class with me everyday. You seem to be the exception, not the rule. Glad things are working out for you.

you guys are talking nothing but nonsense ...

Davor, I bow to your superior knowledge... Please help us out here, there are a lot of folks who read every post, like you claim, and yet they want to get in to the business through a side door also. You seem to have that all figured out, so here's your chance to show them how it works! Please help us straighten out our information by answering these few simple questions for us - your responses will help a lot of those other people who think we are talking nothing but nonsense.

1) Since you claim all of the mega carriers wanted to hire you... Which one actually did hire you?

2) Maybe that question wasn't fair since I already know the answer to it... So what is the name of the company you are working for?

3) We love to see those nice shiny new rigs issued to rank rookies... Can you shoot us some pics of yours?

4) Who is the medical insurance provider through your companies benefits program and how much is it costing you?

5) How much does your company contribute to your 401K account annually?

6) I'm sure you got a small life insurance policy with your employment like most of us did, how much does it pay?

7) Are you running on electronic logs or paper?

8) Do you have to run illegally to make that 1200 dollar a week figure?

9) What is the paid vacation policy at your company?

10) Do you receive a W-2 at the end of the year, or is it a 1099 form that you get to report your income with for your taxes?

Thanks Davor, your quick response to these questions should be helpful to so many people who are wanting to get started in this business. Who knows, maybe your company can hire a bunch of these people who like taking short cuts, I'm sure they are needing a lot of drivers.

Ok this is interesting. So Davor is trying to make it sound simple - just get your CDL any way you like and don't worry about what these idiots say at TruckingTruth cuz they're full of cr*p. Ok, let's review Davor's journey to see how he "got ahead the easy way" by skipping school:

About 9 1/2 months ago you said:

I've been on the road with my uncle [who is an owner operator] for about 5 months driving flatbeds and I must say that I enjoy it, learned a lot about the trucking business and about hauling with flatbeds..

Ok so 9 months ago you already had 5 months of training on the road with your permit. You didn't have your CDL yet.

Then 5 1/2 months ago you said:

I'm preparing to go to the DMV on Tuesday and take my drive/skills test...I've been driving with my uncle who is an owner/operator and learned a lot from him...since I didn't go to truck school to get my training I really don't know what to expect

So at that point you had been on the road as a trainee with your uncle for 8 1/2 months and you were getting ready to take your CDL exam. But then 1 1/2 months ago you came back and said:

Last time I was here I was supposed to go take my road test which I chose not to do because I didn't feel prepared...well , last month I was ready and went to go take it and passed everything on the first try so I was very happy about that...i was very fortunate enough to have my uncle who was willing to let me ride with him for a whole year with a CLP before I went to go take the road test with his truck...

So it ultimately took you a full year of driving as a trainee with your uncle before you felt comfortable enough to get your CDL. Are you aware of the fact that most CDL schools will have your training completed and have your CDL in your wallet within a month? Then, with one more month of training you'll be running solo at most of the major companies, only two months after you started CDL training. It took you a full year to get to the point that most people get to in two months.

So far I'm not seeing how you've gotten ahead of the game in any way.

Not only that, but the only way you were able to pull it off is because your uncle was willing to hire you on as cheap labor for a full year. How many people do you think have a relative that will hire them and train them for a full year?

See, if you're going to tell people you've found some alternative path to success you have to give them the entire plan and spell out the details. You're here implying it's easy to just skip school and go land a job but that's not what you did at all. You were brought in by a family member and trained for an entire year before you even took your CDL exam.

Does that really sound like the better plan, especially when you consider there are company-sponsored programs that will train you and then hire you with no money out of pocket? It doesn't sound any better to me.

So if at this point you were to apply to major companies your uncle would verify that you have a year of OTR driving which should eliminate the need for trucking school. Then again they'll look at your license and see that you just got it two months ago and might not consider your experience to be legit. That will vary from company to company.

You also said you're making $1,200/week. Well it's your second year of driving so that seems about average for a 3,000 mile week. Then again there are companies paying rookies even better than 40 cpm so there are people making that in their first year. And of course you famously leave out a lot of details in your stories so who knows how you're actually doing it - Are you Leasing? Do you own the truck? Are you working as a subcontractor with a 1099? We'd like to know more about this job and the miles you're turning to make that. And what is your mileage pay?

I'm hoping there's more to this than we understand at this point because it seems to me you came here acting like you have a better plan when clearly you didn't. You started throwing insults at drivers that could run circles around you in their sleep and strutting around here like a rooster as if you've accomplished something special when in fact you're almost a year behind everyone else's milestones.

Just because something has been done or can be done doesn't mean it should be done. Just because you did something doesn't mean it was a good idea, nor does it mean it's a good idea for anyone else. We're here giving people the safest, surest route to getting their career off to a great start. Can you say you're here doing the same? Are you looking out for new drivers and trying to give them solid advice they can count on to get a great start in trucking? Obviously not. You're here trying to make us look foolish, as if you've discovered a better way, when in reality I've yet to find one single way you've gotten ahead of people who take the traditional route that we suggest.

So please, guide us in our ignorance if you would. How are you better off than those who have gone through a company-sponsored program and taken the traditional route? All I see is a long list of ways in which you're behind everyone else.

Davor M.

I'm sure you realize that there are hardly any new drivers that have an uncle who owns a trucking company that they can drive OTR with for a year. Your words in old posts.

But you seem a little p*ssed or angry that no one is giving you credit for what you've been able to accomplish.

I'm glad you made it Davor M., and nobody is saying someone like you with a year of OTR experience (but no school) shouldn't be considered equal to everyone else.

You have had a hard path to get to where you are today, harder than most and deserving of being respected. But you gotta show respect to get respect.

And you were much more respectful when you were first in the forum than you are now. What's changed?

This is TRUCKING TRUTH after all.