Been Off The Road Almost 9yrs
Topic 2931 | Page 1
Hey John, thanks for the questions i have almost the same story . Drove for approx. 5 yrs. became ill had to resort back to my original trade . I have been reconsidering going back to driving . It looks like we are going to have to start all over from the begining . I also donot want to run reefer , would like to get into flatbed but havent found any that have co. paid CDL training, there are some that will hire recent CDL grads,Maverick is one ,so if you can go to CDL school thay might give you a pre-hire ?
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.
Reefer:
A refrigerated trailer.
Hey John, thanks for the questions i have almost the same story . Drove for approx. 5 yrs. became ill had to resort back to my original trade . I have been reconsidering going back to driving . It looks like we are going to have to start all over from the begining . I also donot want to run reefer , would like to get into flatbed but havent found any that have co. paid CDL training, there are some that will hire recent CDL grads,Maverick is one ,so if you can go to CDL school thay might give you a pre-hire ?
If I have to go back to school I might as well flip burgers at McDonalds I understand a refreasher course as I am a little rusty. But I cant see going out with a trainer running my butt off while he gets to pick the berth hours and makes the money while I get stuck with a few hundred bucks a week been there done that!!! Have you looked into lease or O/O options
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.
Reefer:
A refrigerated trailer.
Sorry maby i misunderstood i was under the impression he no longer had CDLS ,on the other hand the refresher courses i have seen say that you have to have less than 1 year exp. it is a 12 to 14 day course with co. trainer than they start you as a new driver at beginner rates.
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.
Ok guys, Roehl Transport seems to have what both of you are looking for. I am starting school Monday and will be doing flatbeds. The first three weeks of training is not paid but it is after that. Phase 1 is three weeks in school getting your CDL - A. They did just recently change it so they pay your lodging cost. It used to be, you had to pay it. Mainly you are learning the pre trip and driving. Phase 2, you are with a trainer for 2 weeks. However, the trainer does not drive. When you are in the seat, he / she is in the passenger seat. Phaze 3, you are assigned a "fleet coach" which is basically a mentor that you can call with questions but you are in your own truck at this point.
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.
Yes I still have my cdl sorry for the lack of content! I think working for almost a month without pay and have to bear the cost of loding etc is insane guess it has changed alot since i was otr last time I will call them monday and see what they have to tell me and post the results here
I am wondering can i bypass the mess and just go lease or O/O would that work
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.
Thanks for the info going to look into . Iam sure that since they change the rules and regulations ,that is why they do a retraining when you have been out of the business for such a long period of time, not sure,but have to do what it takes if thats what is required!Thanks again. : )
GUYS !!!!!! ya'll need to step back and breathe !!!!!!! OK...if you still have your CDL A...here's a few options: You can send out your app here::Truck Driving Jobs Then, when you talk to the recruiter ( and if you don't hear from them in a day ot two, CALL THEM) tell them that you have experience and a CDL, but you have been off the road for a few yours. Then ask WHAT THEY CAN OFFER YOU. If you don't like it, go to the next company. There will be a company out there that will take you on. BUT...you WILL have to prove what you can do...you will have to spend some time in a classroom..if for nothing more than to learn how the company wants things done, logbooks ( they have changed the laws) and /or E logs. You may have to go out with a trainer, so he can tell the company that you are up for your own truck. The time will vary with each company. BUt you aren't getting any answers to these questions by whinin' and growlin' on this forum... So get to puttin' in apps....... and THEN come back and tell us what went on, how you did, and how the process goes....you can help others along this path...just as we help those that have come into trucking behind us..... Good Luck.
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.
Logbook:
A written or electronic record of a driver's duty status which must be maintained at all times. The driver records the amount of time spent driving, on-duty not driving, in the sleeper berth, or off duty. The enforcement of the Hours Of Service Rules (HOS) are based upon the entries put in a driver's logbook.
HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.
I am not a recruiter for them, but I do know that Western Express in Nashville, TN has a program for folks in your situation. You have to go out with a trainer for a couple of weeks and then team drive with another driver in your same situation for four weeks, then you get assigned your own solo truck.
I am wondering can i bypass the mess and just go lease or O/O would that work
Hey John. Well I can see without second thought that starting your own business in a commodity-service industry where the profit margins average 3% and risking everything with basically nothing to gain just to avoid a month of refresher training is.....well......don't do that! That's how I feel about that.
Listen, you've been in trucking for years already. You know that everything you do in trucking seems to involve a lot of red tape, bureaucratic nonsense, and jumping through hoops. But hey, you're going to be driving an 80,000 pound building on wheels with someone else's name on it, and to make things worse that person will be responsible legally if you make any major mistakes. So they have to assure themselves that you're safe and ready to handle it. You know you are, but they're not going to assume that.
And besides, even if you buy or lease a rig....what insurance company is going to insure you? Who do you think actually requires the refresher training, the trucking companies or their insurance companies? That's right - the insurance companies. So you wouldn't be able to get around a refresher of some sort no matter what.
I would just bite the bullet, jump through their hoops for a few weeks, and then your career is re-established for the rest of your working life if you so choose. It will all quickly be a distant memory. A blip on the radar.
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.
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First of all I want to say how wonderful it is to find a site like this !
I been off the road 9 yrs now with 4 yrs exp.I took a job with the Railroad and got hurt so been disabled but finally got myself back to decent health. I was thinking on going back OTR but have no idea on how or where to start My driving record is superclean not even a parking ticket, no dac problems and no crimanal record
I was thinking as I have hauled produce to paper and cotton and hanging out at walmart or big lots is stressfull also hate lumpers. Maybe I would try flatbed
If anyone has any ideas to share on my delemia pls share. also would it be better to buy a bobtail or lease and of course with fuel prices a company trk would be best but remember the 20 yr dispatcher who tries to route you the long way or worse a restricted highway
Bobtail:
"Bobtailing" means you are driving a tractor without a trailer attached.
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.
Dispatcher:
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.DAC:
Drive-A-Check Report
A truck drivers DAC report will contain detailed information about their job history of the last 10 years as a CDL driver (as required by the DOT).
It may also contain your criminal history, drug test results, DOT infractions and accident history. The program is strictly voluntary from a company standpoint, but most of the medium-to-large carriers will participate.
Most trucking companies use DAC reports as part of their hiring and background check process. It is extremely important that drivers verify that the information contained in it is correct, and have it fixed if it's not.