Need Some Advice On Where To Start

I just got my Class A license 2 days ago and now I'm obviously trying to find a trucking job. The problem for me is the school I was training in and the amount of hours in it. I was training in small-time (only 2 trainers) private school called Red Hook Commercial Driving, in Brooklyn NY. And only drove for about 10 hours before taking my road test. So there lies my problem, that's not a qualified school, and I have only 10 hours of driving. I've called only 6 companies so far about any recent-grad driving positions, but all of them require over 100 hours in a qualified school.

Werner - 160 hours of training at an accredited CDL school or 30 days of tractor-trailer experience (I have neither) Schneider - 160 hours or 6 months exp Swift - "not enough" hours and they're not hiring from my area Western Express - 160 hours CRST - 120 hours Melton - 160 hours

I was offered a job by a...well, I person that knows a person, but it's not really a trucking job - driving a pickup truck, hauling a small car-carrier trailer. Mostly local, but sometimes driving to Florida. He told me I'll get paid per car, but max out at about $900 a week. After a couple of months they might put me into a tractor trailer, depending on my driving. Maybe it's just me, but it sounds like a waste of time. But then again, I'm not sure what my options are with my lack of experience, hence why I'm asking for help. I only had my license (regular Class D) for just under a year, and only had one driving job - delivery driver in a commercial van.

I definitely appreciate any help and advice!

PS: during my training, I was driving the International DuraStar with a 5-speed auto, and a 43-foot trailer.

Hi Anton

I would look into company school! this site has some good information.

Check out driver solutions work with PAM transportation.

Knight is another....

Just do some research on here......

Good luck!

Hi Anton, welcome to to the forums!

As you are quickly finding out, the school you attended is probably going to do you little to no good. Hate to be the one to put it that way, but it's the truth. As you have found the majority of reputable trucking companies will require 160 hrs of training. This is probably strongly effected by insurance companies and the minimum training they want people to have before being covered.

Basically you need to look at it as a really good head start because you are going to need to go through either company or private school to get to where you want to be. Assuming you really want to drive an 18 wheeler.

The job you mentioned all depends on what you want. If the money is something you can accept and being home most of the time is important it may be something to consider. But it will do nothing for getting you into driving a big truck. In fact if after a while driving with them they said they were going to put you in a semi I would run like your life depends on it, because it does. Most everyone goes through 160 hrs of training then they go through minimum 3 weeks driving with a trainer. This really isn't long enough to prepare us new drivers but it gets us to the point we are ready to start learning on our own. 10 hrs is not even close to enough time to be out in a truck on your own.

Woody

Sorry I forgot to mention something. You said you were trained in an automatic. I do not know if its gone through yet but I believe if you test for your CDL in an automatic then there is a restriction on your license that you can only drive automatics. This again would narrow your available options.

Woody

Hey Anton, welcome to the forum!

Yeah, you are going to need to go through a Company-Sponsored Training program to be able to get a job. It's actually a pretty sweet deal for someone in your situation though. Follow that link and do a little research, you'll find several companies there who will train you and guarantee you a job in exchange for a one year commitment from you to work for them. Also there is a ton of valuable information available to you in our Truck Driver's Career Guide. Once you've looked through those things if you have some more questions jump back in here and we will do what we can to help you get started in your new career.

2 things I noticed. One was mentioned and the answer is either look at the job offer you have and hope you can transition Into a big truck or go to school to get the required training hours behind the wheel. Pretty much your only option at this point.

The second and maybe the larger problem is the length of time you have held a normal Class D license. Most companies require having a driving license at least a year before they will seriously consider you. So now you have a cdl and only have had you class D less than a year.

The second one will take care of its self in a while but the first one will not go away unless you get more driving time.

You may not have to go thru the entire company training school deal..you may be able to "train in" to get your required 160 hours, then they would send you out with a trainer....but that would have to be asked, and answered by the recruiter...so start making those calls, and sending in those apps.... You could possibly get a job with a small trucking outfit, but I doubt it, they have tighter insurance requirements than anyone.... Good Luck, and keep us posted...and as always...we are here to help you all we can.....

Well, one year will be up in just over 2 weeks - got my Class D March 16th. But the hours...well, I'll start calling the guy that owns the school, maybe he's got something. Feeling ripped off right about now. I paid cash - $80/hour. So it's not that bad. I'll try finding something small through the owner. If not, I guess sponsored training with a 1-year contract is my only other option.

Hey Anton. Yeah, I think Company Sponsored Training may indeed be the way to go. Those companies are going to get you out there on the road as quickly as possible.

Even with the minimum 160 hours of training most companies wouldn't have hired you because you've only had your regular license less than a year.

And don't look at the contract you'll sign after company-training as a bad thing. I mean, think about it....how many people lie awake at night wondering if they're going to go into work the next day and find out their job has been eliminated? Especially since the economic meltdown in 2008 and the lousy economy we've had since then. But these companies are trying to assure that you won't leave your job with them. I mean, if that's a problem it's what I refer to as a "Modern American Worker Problem" because only modern American workers would actually consider that a problem. The rest of the world would jump for joy if a company wanted to assure they would stick around.

And besides, in trucking it's going to take quite a long time to learn your trade and establish a good reputation with the company you work for. Even more importantly you have to establish trust and good will with the dispatcher you have. So before you're going to get the really good miles, good treatment, and special favors that make working at any particular company a great experience you're going to have to put in some time behind the wheel and pay your dues. So we always recommend sticking it out with the first company you work for at least one full year anyhow. That makes the contract trivial.

Maybe it wasn't a total loss afterall - I actually found a couple of companies/guys willing to train me even with that measly 10 hours of training. One I found in a local newspaper. The other one was through the owner of the school I trained in. I have to get my actual license card first though. Hooray, maybe...