Just Got A DL - Will Company Sponsored Training Programs Have Me?
Topic 18434 | Page 1
Hi Julian, At least two companies (Prime, Wil-Trans/Jim Palmer) do require min. one year driving experience and up to three year's experience prior to hire date; there are many others who do not. For those companies, time holding a DL does not matter. Best way to identify these companies is to call them, one-by-one, contact their recruiters and ask them that question. They will not waste their time trying to recruit someone who ultimately cannot drive for their company. Best of luck to you!
While you're working your way towards a school, be sure to make yourself familiar with The High Road Online Training Program... it is the very best resource available to help you pass the written tests. I also recommend reading Brett's book online, Becoming a Truck Driver - The Raw Truth About Truck Driving, it will give you invaluable tips re: all phases of the truck driving lifestyle, and lastly this blog by a Trucking Truth member, Life As A Road Warrior... it will show you how to be successful in this industry by teaching you lessons you just can't learn anywhere else.
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.
HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.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.
Thank you for your reply, Pete, and thank you for the links. I will be calling up some companies as soon as I get a CDL permit from my state (hopefully this week) that way they know I'm serious about becoming a truck driver. Thanks again.
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.
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Hi everybody,
My name is Julian, I'm 32 years old, and I got my driver's license in early January. I would like to join a company sponsored training program as soon as I save some money (which at my menial minimum wage job will take another couple of months). So if I apply in late April/ early May I will have barely held a DL for 4 months.
I used Trucking Truth's guide to company sponsored training programs, and the company websites themselves so I know many companies will require you to have held a DL for a year or more to even consider training you, but some (Prime, Knight, XPO...) don't seem to specify. I assume that means time doesn't matter. Can anyone confirm or deny this?
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.