Finally... Pre-hires
Topic 16581 | Page 1
Start looking on Craigslist for truck driving jobs. I know, you say you know, but your young age is going to be a huge impediment. It's not that these companies think you are not capable. They are going to have a terrible time being able to get you covered under their commercial insurance policy. And then you are limited to intrastate work, which usually will require experience. I love your tenacity, but reality is going to be a real persistent problem for you.
Your best bet may be finding some type of agricultural or farm work, and that is only going to be seasonal. To be honest, I think that is your most likely avenue for a driving job.
A close friend of mine teaches there & she recommended I get pre-hires as soon as possible even though I'm not going to school until January
I think you are now realizing why your friend recommended getting pre-hires now. She knew how much difficulty you would have, and if you get your CDL now but can't land a job for several years you will have to pay again for schooling, or go through one of the Paid CDL Training Programs.
Rookies can usually only get hired with verifiable experience or a current (meaning less than 60 - 90 days from graduation) training certificate. I wish you the best, but I think you're getting the cart before the horse.
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.
Intrastate:
The act of purchasers and sellers transacting business while keeping all transactions in a single state, without crossing state lines to do so.
Pre-hire:
What Exactly Is A Pre-Hire Letter?
Pre-hire letters are acceptance letters from trucking companies to students, or even potential students, to verify placement. The trucking companies are saying in writing that the student, or potential student, appears to meet the company's minimum hiring requirements and is welcome to attend their orientation at the company’s expense once he or she graduates from truck driving school and has their CDL in hand.
We have an excellent article that will help you Understand The Pre-Hire Process.
A Pre-Hire Letter Is Not A Guarantee Of Employment
The people that receive a pre-hire letter are people who meet the company's minimum hiring requirements, but it is not an employment contract. It is an invitation to orientation, and the orientation itself is a prerequisite to employment.
During the orientation you will get a physical, drug screen, and background check done. These and other qualifications must be met before someone in orientation is officially hired.
Pre-hires:
What Exactly Is A Pre-Hire Letter?
Pre-hire letters are acceptance letters from trucking companies to students, or even potential students, to verify placement. The trucking companies are saying in writing that the student, or potential student, appears to meet the company's minimum hiring requirements and is welcome to attend their orientation at the company’s expense once he or she graduates from truck driving school and has their CDL in hand.
We have an excellent article that will help you Understand The Pre-Hire Process.
A Pre-Hire Letter Is Not A Guarantee Of Employment
The people that receive a pre-hire letter are people who meet the company's minimum hiring requirements, but it is not an employment contract. It is an invitation to orientation, and the orientation itself is a prerequisite to employment.
During the orientation you will get a physical, drug screen, and background check done. These and other qualifications must be met before someone in orientation is officially hired.
I've been all over Craigslist too. Not recently, i was on about a month or so ago so some might have opened up. I actually did check in with a grain company about a year ago when I made the decision to get my CDL when I was under 21 and they said they had someone who was 19. So I've been meaning to give them a call. Not too sure where to look for more grain/ag companies other than sit by the highway and write down all the local yokels I see going by (which I have been doing more than I care to admit). But yes there are a lot of agricultural opportunities in my area.
And I'm planning on leaving for Texas in the next year unless I miraculously find a brilliant company, so I'll settle with pretty much anything that gets me some sort of driving record.
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.
You can post on Craigslist that you're looking for work, can't you?
There was a guy in my school that was 18 and he was pre-hired with a lineman company (ONCOR). That may be an option?
Pre-hire:
What Exactly Is A Pre-Hire Letter?
Pre-hire letters are acceptance letters from trucking companies to students, or even potential students, to verify placement. The trucking companies are saying in writing that the student, or potential student, appears to meet the company's minimum hiring requirements and is welcome to attend their orientation at the company’s expense once he or she graduates from truck driving school and has their CDL in hand.
We have an excellent article that will help you Understand The Pre-Hire Process.
A Pre-Hire Letter Is Not A Guarantee Of Employment
The people that receive a pre-hire letter are people who meet the company's minimum hiring requirements, but it is not an employment contract. It is an invitation to orientation, and the orientation itself is a prerequisite to employment.
During the orientation you will get a physical, drug screen, and background check done. These and other qualifications must be met before someone in orientation is officially hired.
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Ok so I'm 18 (yes, I know exactly what I'm getting into and dead set on obtaining my cdl as soon as possible) and am going to be registering for CDL school at my local community college soon. A close friend of mine teaches there & she recommended I get pre-hires as soon as possible even though I'm not going to school until January (and I'm super excited!!!). I totally agree, but it's incredibly hard to sort through all the major carriers on job listing sites. Most of the stuff I see is all OTR and obviously that's not an option right now. It's so discouraging, I don't even want to bother searching anymore because all that comes up is interstate jobs. I know there's plenty of companies that may take a chance with me, but how do I find them? Is there a keyword I'm missing or another trucking-specific job search website I can get onto that will weed out OTR and just give local jobs? Or should I jump onto quicktransportsolutions or the phone book and start making some calls?
Looking for anything - construction or tanker would be wonderful as I'll have my tanker/doubles&triples endorsements and the opportunity to train with tri-axles, tankers, and doubles.
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
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.
Interstate:
Commercial trade, business, movement of goods or money, or transportation from one state to another, regulated by the Federal Department Of Transportation (DOT).
Doubles:
Refers to pulling two trailers at the same time, otherwise known as "pups" or "pup trailers" because they're only about 28 feet long. However there are some states that allow doubles that are each 48 feet in length.
Pre-hire:
What Exactly Is A Pre-Hire Letter?
Pre-hire letters are acceptance letters from trucking companies to students, or even potential students, to verify placement. The trucking companies are saying in writing that the student, or potential student, appears to meet the company's minimum hiring requirements and is welcome to attend their orientation at the company’s expense once he or she graduates from truck driving school and has their CDL in hand.
We have an excellent article that will help you Understand The Pre-Hire Process.
A Pre-Hire Letter Is Not A Guarantee Of Employment
The people that receive a pre-hire letter are people who meet the company's minimum hiring requirements, but it is not an employment contract. It is an invitation to orientation, and the orientation itself is a prerequisite to employment.
During the orientation you will get a physical, drug screen, and background check done. These and other qualifications must be met before someone in orientation is officially hired.
Pre-hires:
What Exactly Is A Pre-Hire Letter?
Pre-hire letters are acceptance letters from trucking companies to students, or even potential students, to verify placement. The trucking companies are saying in writing that the student, or potential student, appears to meet the company's minimum hiring requirements and is welcome to attend their orientation at the company’s expense once he or she graduates from truck driving school and has their CDL in hand.
We have an excellent article that will help you Understand The Pre-Hire Process.
A Pre-Hire Letter Is Not A Guarantee Of Employment
The people that receive a pre-hire letter are people who meet the company's minimum hiring requirements, but it is not an employment contract. It is an invitation to orientation, and the orientation itself is a prerequisite to employment.
During the orientation you will get a physical, drug screen, and background check done. These and other qualifications must be met before someone in orientation is officially hired.