Trucking As A Second Career
Topic 16919 | Page 1
Hi
While I am brand new to this career field (still in company training & just got my CDL) I am in the same boat you are.
After 28 years as a Paramedic and suffering from pretty bad burnout, I decided it was time for a change.
I will owe Wil-Trans 1 year of service after my training has ended. So I will decide at the end of that year if I want to stay. If it's not for me? Well then I got a year break from EMS, got to see a lot of new places & learned a new skill. I can always go back to EMS or try something new
Sorry I can't give specifics on the industry but I thought you might like to know another has been where you're at
Good luck!!
Dave
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.
Wil-Trans:
Darrel Wilson bought his first tractor in 1980 at age 20, but, being too young to meet OTR age requirements, he leased the truck out and hired a driver.
Through growth and acquisition, Wil-Trans now employs over 200 drivers, and has a long-standing partnership with Prime, Inc. to haul their refrigerated freight. The family of businesses also includes Jim Palmer Trucking and O & S Trucking.
Thanks Dave. Good luck to you. Stay Safe!
Much like Dave, 24 years as an RN and burned out. I've been reading this forum for 2-3 months along with watching vids on Youtube and feel like I have a pretty good handle on the pros and cons. I'm doing one last contract as a travel nurse and I'll be doing a company school, probably Swift. I can't wait.
Hello all. I am considering truck driving as a second career. Looking for pros and cons of the job. I already have a Class A CDL. I have has the CDL for about 10 years. Obtained as something to fall back onto, incase i needed extra work. Now that I am retired from my first career (Police Officer) I am very seriously considering truck driving as my second career. Thank you to all responders in advance. Stay safe!!
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.
You all are in ex excellent company. You will find many retired LEOs, military, school teachers, healthcare professionals (Im a retired RRT), and yes, even some lawyers who are out here driving trucks along with plenty of "youngsters" who are on this adventure as a first career.
The advice I have for Retired Jersey Cop is this: Even though you have your CDL , because of no verifiable OTR experience, plan on attending an accredited cdl school with a minimum of 160 hours (without the final lesting) or a refresher course before you go through a company training program. The 160 hour training certificate will likely be required so that reputable companies can hire you (get you insured).
Best of luck to you all. There is a ton of information here on TT to steer you in the right direction.
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.
EPU:
Electric Auxiliary Power Units
Electric APUs have started gaining acceptance. These electric APUs use battery packs instead of the diesel engine on traditional APUs as a source of power. The APU's battery pack is charged when the truck is in motion. When the truck is idle, the stored energy in the battery pack is then used to power an air conditioner, heater, and other devices
Welcome to the forum Retired Jersey Cop.
You are definitely in good company here, numerous drivers on their second career. I retired from a 30 year technology career, attended a Swift sponsored school and have continued to drive for Swift over 4 years later.
I agree with Sue, you will be required to go back to school as a refresher and then road train for several weeks before a solo or team upgrade.
Not sure if you have read Becoming A Truck Driver: The Raw Truth About Truck Driving or reviewed this link: Truck Driver's Career Guide.
Both of these will help you enter the industry with realistic expectations and a good base of information.
In addition these links may also be helpful as you research the right path to take:
- Trucker's Career Guide: Choosing A Truck Driving School
- Article Category: Choosing A Truck Driving School
- Forum Topics Tagged "Choosing A Truck Driving School"
- Trucker's Career Guide: Choosing Your First Truck Driving Job
- Article Category: Finding The Right Truck Driving Job
- Forum Topics Tagged "Choosing A Trucking Company"
Best of luck and happy reading!
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.
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.
You're in good company there Retired Jersey Cop.
While having a CDL will give you a leg up as far as not having to take written/road tests (though a company will still ROAD TEST YOU, just doesn't count towards your CDL since you already hold one) - you are STILL going to have to TRAIN AS IF YOU DIDN'T HAVE ONE - because you have ZERO EXPERIENCE using it.
Have you kept your DOT Med Card current and on file with your licensing state? You will have needed to do that all these years, and your CDL automatically gets downgraded (though being a LEO, you probably knew this already).
Take the time to read the linked articles that G-Town posted.
Best of luck - THANKS FOR YOUR SERVICE - keep us posted on your progress...
Rick
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.
DOT:
Department Of Transportation
A department of the federal executive branch responsible for the national highways and for railroad and airline safety. It also manages Amtrak, the national railroad system, and the Coast Guard.
State and Federal DOT Officers are responsible for commercial vehicle enforcement. "The truck police" you could call them.
Thank you all for replying. Yes, I did keep my medical cert. on file with NJ DMV , so I should be good to go. Stay safe out there, all. Thank you again
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.DMV:
Department of Motor Vehicles, Bureau of Motor Vehicles
The state agency that handles everything related to your driver's licences, including testing, issuance, transfers, and revocation.
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Hello all. I am considering truck driving as a second career. Looking for pros and cons of the job. I already have a Class A CDL. I have has the CDL for about 10 years. Obtained as something to fall back onto, incase i needed extra work. Now that I am retired from my first career (Police Officer) I am very seriously considering truck driving as my second career. Thank you to all responders in advance. Stay safe!!
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles: