Off On My "New" Adventure, .... Again!
Topic 198 | Page 1
Hi everyone. Well I have week 1 completed at Southwest Truck Driving School in Phoenix, AZ and I gotta say "that's a mess of information they were able to cram into 1 week"! This is my 2nd. go round as a CDL driver. I dove from 1974 to 1993 before a plant closure forced me out and into a career change. Now after 19 years I'm going back to what I loved doing before. I was able (with the help of this website's training tools) to pass my tests for my CDL permit and the X,T,P,S endorsements. Sure was a big help! Thanks Brett... I'm hoping to find something local after school but may have to do the OTR training before that happens. We'll see! Stay safe out ther, stay focused, it's a blast after you conquer the fear.
Did I say that out loud?
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.
Hey, welcome aboard and we're glad to have ya!
There are a few companies that hire students straight out of school for regional or dedicated runs that can get you home on weekends, but very few places normally hire for local positions.
In your case, because you have so much prior experience you might get someone to make an exception. If not, then six months or so of OTR will probably be enough to qualify you for local work.
Looking forward to following along with ya!!!
Dedicated Run:
A driver or carrier who transports cargo between regular, prescribed routes. Normally it means a driver will be dedicated to working for one particular customer like Walmart or Home Depot and they will only haul freight for that customer. You'll often hear drivers say something like, "I'm on the Walmart dedicated account."
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.
OWI:
Operating While Intoxicated
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Hi everyone. Well I have week 1 completed at Southwest Truck Driving School in Phoenix, AZ and I gotta say "that's a mess of information they were able to cram into 1 week"! This is my 2nd. go round as a CDL driver. I dove from 1974 to 1993 before a plant closure forced me out and into a career change. Now after 19 years I'm going back to what I loved doing before. I was able (with the help of this website's training tools) to pass my tests for my CDL permit and the X,T,P,S endorsements. Sure was a big help! Thanks Brett... I'm hoping to find something local after school but may have to do the OTR training before that happens. We'll see! Stay safe out ther, stay focused, it's a blast after you conquer the fear.
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.