FNG In MD Looking For Driving Info

Got the time off approved for Wed the 31st to go take the tanker exam. Hopefully I pass and.come home with my CLP with the tanker endorsement. In the mean time I will keep trying to find company paid training. I also emailed the state to see if I qualify for a grant to help pay for school.

I'm aware you all recommend company paid training but I'm getting no where bevause of my lack of work history from being disabled.

Got the time off approved for Wed the 31st to go take the tanker exam. Hopefully I pass and.come home with my CLP with the tanker endorsement. In the mean time I will keep trying to find company paid training. I also emailed the state to see if I qualify for a grant to help pay for school.

I'm aware you all recommend company paid training but I'm getting no where bevause of my lack of work history from being disabled.

Hay, Gabriel.

Do you not have 'paystubs' of some sort, being on SSDI ? I would think that would help. Did you do our 'one & done' application, here on TT and yield nothing?

Apply For Paid CDL Training

Also, I see Big Scott suggessted CFI ... that's a worthwhile try, as well, for sure!

Re: the WIOA grant.. there's plenty of information on here; and if you Google it for your state, the application should be right within arms reach. It is in Ohio, anyway! Two more companies I know of that train in Ohio are Dutch Maid Logistics (Optical went with them, if you want to look him up...after expiring all else) and Mast Trucking. Mast, however, is 'new' to the training (and it's PAID TRAINING!) so I'm not sure how 'picky' they may be... but there's a handful of a few more for ya, anywho!

Best to you, sir!

~ Anne ~

CFI will reimburse you for your permit, hazmat background check, hazmat and tanker endorsements. All transportation, food, and housing is paid for by them. They also reimburse for your DOT physical. You will need receipts for reimbursement. You would have to drive for them for one year to pay that off, there are no payroll deductions for training. You only owe if you don't complete your year. That year goes by quickly.

Also, you can get going quicker with paid training than with a grant. Governments don't move quickly.

Good luck.

Thanks for chiming in.

Yes I can print out a statement from my first ssdi check in 2017 to current and can provide anyone the workers comp information from 2014 to 2017.

Wilson and Prime both said no go. Same with Roehl.

And yes the app here on TT is whatni did within 5 minutes of joining the forum. I am in Marlyand. Currently try due to covid the WIOA offices are closed. I have already sent them an email and received a reply that they are working on getting me in touch with the proper individual to discuss my options and see if I qualify. That suggestion was given to me by the gentleman who runs the cdl program at the local community College.

I reached out to CFI today waiting to hear back from them regarding the lack of work history. Fingers crossed.

I will look up the two companies you have mentioned. I don't mind traveling anywhere to get trained. I mean I'm trying to get an OTR job so it would be silly for me to be of the mindset that I don't want to go to such and such a place for training.

I checked a few other companies today including Walmart but seems the good jobs all require quite some OTR experience with a safe record as well. Not my case at the moment.

I am waiting for a recruiter from Melton to call me tomorrow. Im not crazy about going the flat bed route but exploring all options at this point.

Thank you very much for the input and suggestions it is much appreciated. 😊

Got the time off approved for Wed the 31st to go take the tanker exam. Hopefully I pass and.come home with my CLP with the tanker endorsement. In the mean time I will keep trying to find company paid training. I also emailed the state to see if I qualify for a grant to help pay for school.

I'm aware you all recommend company paid training but I'm getting no where bevause of my lack of work history from being disabled.

Hay, Gabriel.

Do you not have 'paystubs' of some sort, being on SSDI ? I would think that would help. Did you do our 'one & done' application, here on TT and yield nothing?

Apply For Paid CDL Training

Also, I see Big Scott suggessted CFI ... that's a worthwhile try, as well, for sure!

Re: the WIOA grant.. there's plenty of information on here; and if you Google it for your state, the application should be right within arms reach. It is in Ohio, anyway! Two more companies I know of that train in Ohio are Dutch Maid Logistics (Optical went with them, if you want to look him up...after expiring all else) and Mast Trucking. Mast, however, is 'new' to the training (and it's PAID TRAINING!) so I'm not sure how 'picky' they may be... but there's a handful of a few more for ya, anywho!

Best to you, sir!

~ Anne ~

I hear you brother and I'm trying just running into roadblocks because of the lack of "employment" history trust me it's not from a lack of effort.

A recruiter from CFI is suppose to call me back tomorrow so I appreciate the lead very much and will keep the thread updated .

Thanks for taking the time from your busy schedule to help.

CFI will reimburse you for your permit, hazmat background check, hazmat and tanker endorsements. All transportation, food, and housing is paid for by them. They also reimburse for your DOT physical. You will need receipts for reimbursement. You would have to drive for them for one year to pay that off, there are no payroll deductions for training. You only owe if you don't complete your year. That year goes by quickly.

Also, you can get going quicker with paid training than with a grant. Governments don't move quickly.

Good luck.

Any updates, any luck; Gabriel?

It's been awhile!

~ Anne ~

Hello,

It has indeed been a while. I suffered a severe concussion towards the end of last year which left me home again, I'm ok from that no permanent damage etc.

I continued working on myself this year pushing on from my momentum from last year. My CPL did expire last year but I have not given up on a career driving with a CDL. The state I lived in made a change to the "rules & regs" on getting your CPL and they now require "Entry-Level Training". I am having some difficulty getting a straight answer on what this means, IE: does this mean I have to go to a CDL-A program now in order to just get a CPL etc. I can't get a straight answer from the MVA office local to me so trying to track someone down who can explain this to me. I have continued to work on my health and I have lost 54 lbs this year (so far) and I have cleared out the little bit of debt I had etc. I have been going to school for barbering and while it is something I do enjoy, I am just not so comfortable pursuing this for a career with the economy heading in the direction it is. I should be done with that in Feb/March but I am back to looking into getting my CDL. I never consider it a waste to be educated and have a license for any profession. Regardless of where I am at, if I find a good situation to pursue my CDL I will go and do so and then come back to deal with Barber school if I still feel the need to do so. I just need to finish class hours and I'm halfway there, but I finished all the examinations and tests including the final exam.

I have emailed Wilson Logistics again as I saw a Facebook Ad of theirs recently, and it seems the demand of drivers may have changed a few things.

I am also waiting on the Vocational Rehab office local to me to get back to me for an intake interview to see if I qualify for assistance with funding to go to CDL school on my own.

I really want to get my Hazmat Endorsement and my TWIC card, and in my current state you cannot get the Hazmat off the get with your CPL anymore, this has to be added on later after you get your CDL-A.

So just trying to pick up where I left off, and trying to find the correct information and find the situation that is a good fit for me. I have absolutely zero regrets on the time away from pursuing my CDL as my life has improved in many areas especially my health to put me in a better position to come back and continue pursuing this. I just don't see being without work if I have a CDL. And this line of work seems to be a good fit for someone like myself who doesn't currently own a lot of material possessions, has no famliy left, and basically no ties to stay put in one place. I love driving big trucks and I love to travel so might as well get paid to do both.

So picking up where I left off and waiting for people to return phone calls and emails so I can gather info. I passed the learners permit exam before so not worried about that.

Hope everyone is doing well.

G

Any updates, any luck; Gabriel?

It's been awhile!

~ Anne ~

Not too much has really changed, you should still be able to go and take all your permit tests except the hazmat. The entry level training requirement is a certificate verifying you completed the required minimum of 160 hrs training. A training course/test is now required to be completed prior to taking the Hazmat test at the DMV. Most schools and company training programs provide it, if not, there are some accredited ones online. Upon completion of the Hazmat course, your info will be submitted to the FMCSA and your state DMV which will allow you to take the test.

I did a 6 week training program with ABF Freight, we were given the Hazmat course and test week 4, I went to fIngerprint place then DMV for Hazmat test the following weekend. Didn’t road test with state until entire 6 week training was done

Thanks for your time and reply.

Is ABF still putting folks through training? It is my understanding they have a hub close to me in Baltimore.....?

As for the CLP , it is different now than it was last year. When I got it last year, I just showed up to my scheduled date at the MVA with my DOT physical card, and my ID documents they wanted to verify identity etc, and took my exams and left with my CLP. There was not a training requirement of any kind prior to February of this year when they instituted the change. This is the part that confuses me now. So you can't get a CLP in MD now without going to school?

Not too much has really changed, you should still be able to go and take all your permit tests except the hazmat. The entry level training requirement is a certificate verifying you completed the required minimum of 160 hrs training. A training course/test is now required to be completed prior to taking the Hazmat test at the DMV. Most schools and company training programs provide it, if not, there are some accredited ones online. Upon completion of the Hazmat course, your info will be submitted to the FMCSA and your state DMV which will allow you to take the test.

I did a 6 week training program with ABF Freight, we were given the Hazmat course and test week 4, I went to fIngerprint place then DMV for Hazmat test the following weekend. Didn’t road test with state until entire 6 week training was done

Just today catching up with this thread and trying to pick up where I left off. I will look into CFI. I have no issues obtaining clearances since my history is clean (criminal and driving) so this is why I am trying to position myself to get the Hazmat/TWIC.

Thanks for chiming in. Much appreciated.

CFI will reimburse you for your permit, hazmat background check, hazmat and tanker endorsements. All transportation, food, and housing is paid for by them. They also reimburse for your DOT physical. You will need receipts for reimbursement. You would have to drive for them for one year to pay that off, there are no payroll deductions for training. You only owe if you don't complete your year. That year goes by quickly.

Also, you can get going quicker with paid training than with a grant. Governments don't move quickly.

Good luck.