Out Of Retirement.
Topic 23786 | Page 1
I'm a retired 66 years old sales director. Been retired for 5 years. I'm blessed with perfect health, have never drank, smoked or any drugs. I drove otc 5 years grandfathered in CDL 86? I'm deciding on weather or not to renew CDL, and hit the road again. My wife is gone, kids have own families. Even, grandsons getting married. I'm very active,most people I meet can't believe I'm a old man,lol. My plan is to except a opportunity, presented to me contingent upon, successful completion of retaking their driver training. I've, got no problem with that nor, the ability to perform. I'm just concerned, the offer to attend thier training, should I be?, Could it possibly be just a way to fill ranks of classes, knowing that I will not be offered employment, due to age, or should I not worry about it. Pass course, have CDL in pocket shop around and just reimburse cost of class to the academy. Opinions appreciated. Thanks Phil
No, the training is a refresher, and is for any driver not current. I am not sure the cutoff, but it is not that long. If you haven't driven for X years, you have to take the refresher, in other words.
And from what I have seen, your age does not matter, and may be a positive. I am 59, never drove before, and got a pre hire letter and start school monday. Filling out the class is no problem, Maverick had to add a second shift.
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.
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.
OWI:
Operating While Intoxicated
Phil, a lot has changed in the last TEN years, not to speak of since the last century. (Hint: Nobody there days knows what an ICC is. Now it's spelled FMCSA.)
You'll have to do the whole nine yards. The good part is you should still remember how to back up. Age is not an issue. Your DOT medical exam is.
This will help get you up to speed:
- Truck Driver's Career Guide
- Brett's Book: The Raw Truth About Trucking (free online version)
- High Road CDL Training Program
- CDL Practice Tests
Try the CDL Practice tests first, to see what you remember (or never heard of).
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.
CSA:
Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA)
The CSA is a Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) initiative to improve large truck and bus safety and ultimately reduce crashes, injuries, and fatalities that are related to commercial motor vehicle
FMCSA:
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
The FMCSA was established within the Department of Transportation on January 1, 2000. Their primary mission is to prevent commercial motor vehicle-related fatalities and injuries.
What Does The FMCSA Do?
- Commercial Drivers' Licenses
- Data and Analysis
- Regulatory Compliance and Enforcement
- Research and Technology
- Safety Assistance
- Support and Information Sharing
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.
Fm:
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.
Phillip I’ll be 60 next year, entering my sixth year. Catching up with Errol (KOL)
As long as you can pass the physical they’ll be happy to have you.
Good luck.
Oops...meant LOL.
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I'm a retired 66 years old sales director. Been retired for 5 years. I'm blessed with perfect health, have never drank, smoked or any drugs. I drove otc 5 years grandfathered in CDL 86? I'm deciding on weather or not to renew CDL, and hit the road again. My wife is gone, kids have own families. Even, grandsons getting married. I'm very active,most people I meet can't believe I'm a old man,lol. My plan is to except a opportunity, presented to me contingent upon, successful completion of retaking their driver training. I've, got no problem with that nor, the ability to perform. I'm just concerned, the offer to attend thier training, should I be?, Could it possibly be just a way to fill ranks of classes, knowing that I will not be offered employment, due to age, or should I not worry about it. Pass course, have CDL in pocket shop around and just reimburse cost of class to the academy. Opinions appreciated. Thanks Phil
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
OWI:
Operating While Intoxicated