Paid CDL Training - Maximum Home Time
Topic 32169 | Page 1
Check into Maverick. Continental Express. USA Truck. Usa is very regional. They could most likely work you into a weekends off or regular time off situation fairly quick. Millis most likely 14 out then hometime. Check into WOIA if you go to a cdl school. Anne will stop by soon w all the fun links here on TT.
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.
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.
If I were in your shoes:
Paid while you train (about $17/hr, actual rate varies by your location's union contract), Teamster scale after you get your CDL. Weekends off. Healthcare is 100% paid for you AND your family.
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.
Training will have you away apparently 4 to 6 weeks as a minimum. We have a terminal in KC MO and HQ in Joplin, MO. Training would have you in school at least 3 weeks. Then out with a trainer for at least 3 weeks a few days of orientation in between. Once you upgrade you can be sent home for a few days to set your truck up. We have many drivers with weekends off. You would have to check with a recruiter to see what's available in your area. They have a 120,000 Mike contact which is a year of OTR. I don't know how they would work it for someone wanting home more.
Good luck. To study for your permit use the High Road CDL Training Program.
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.
Terminal:
A facility where trucking companies operate out of, or their "home base" if you will. A lot of major companies have multiple terminals around the country which usually consist of the main office building, a drop lot for trailers, and sometimes a repair shop and wash facilities.
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.
McElroy Truck Lines is weekly home time from the get go. No company sponsored training though. Have to go thru a cdl school. And of course there is Prime which is one of the best training companies out there. Not sure about hometime though?
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.
Company Sponsored Training:
A Company-Sponsored Training Program is a school that is owned and operated by a trucking company.
The schooling often requires little or no money up front. Instead of paying up-front tuition you will sign an agreement to work for the company for a specified amount of time after graduation, usually around a year, at a slightly lower rate of pay in order to pay for the training.
If you choose to quit working for the company before your year is up, they will normally require you to pay back a prorated amount of money for the schooling. The amount you pay back will be comparable to what you would have paid if you went to an independently owned school.
Company-sponsored training can be an excellent way to get your career underway if you can't afford the tuition up front for private schooling.
I'm really appreciating this site so far. A place that is looking to educate those of us getting into the business!
I'm 35 and switching careers. Not getting ahead doing what I'm doing and need to start putting something away so our dream of an acreage and homesteading can happen someday!
Here's my deal. I can't put myself through driver school right now. So i'm kinda limited to companies that will sponsor me through a school, or who have their own. I'm strongly leaning towards TMC at the moment because they do this AND have weekend hometime. This is important because I have 3 small children and a sweet wife who I want to see as much as possible! Maximum hometime is a bigger plus than maximum $$$. I realize this is the tradeoff.
Does anyone have any other company suggestions? TMC only requires 1 year after training, which is another plus as I could possibly switch to another company with dedicated home every after only a year. This would be the ultimate goal. We currently live in central Kansas, half an hour north of Wichita, but am looking to move to central Missouri (Ozark specifically which is near Springfield). 2-3week OTR is really not an option at this point in my life.
Really appreciate any input! I do think the flatbed lifestyle will work for me. I like climbing stuff and that sounds less boring that just drop and hook.
Josh
Hay Josh; welcome to Trucking Truth!!!
Great advice, all the way, above. Wouldn't hurt you to read and study, here:
- Truck Driver's Career Guide
- Brett's Book: The Raw Truth About Trucking (free online version)
- High Road CDL Training Program
- CDL Practice Tests
Moreso, if LTL doesn't work out for you (It sure could and has for many within TT, with Dock to Driver programs) as it did for Bobcat Bob, Banks, Delco Dave, Rhino, and so many more..... as Pacific Pearl is suggesting YRC (an LTL company.)
You could look into following Rob T. (moderator as well) 's journey on here. Foodservice, with a young family also, and good pay. Physical like flatbed, to a degree...which isn't a bad thing!
Comments and History re: Rob T.
As you will read, however . . . he DID go through a driving academy. I'm not sure if the company(ies) paid his way, or reimbursed him. There's always the option of obtaining an WIOA grant, as well.
I still agree that TMC would be a great start for you in flatbed, as would Maverick. You'd most likely be home on weekends as you wish to.
We've got a great app, right here ~ Apply For Paid CDL Training, TMC included.
Best to you in your journey; ask away!
~ Anne & Tom ~
ps: @Pacific Pearl ~ I've heard about this being a HUGE thing in Detroit and a good part of Michigan, our neighboring state. Do you have any intel as to if this is just a 'stopgap' thing with YRC or, infinite, per se? Thanks!
If I were in your shoes:
Paid while you train (about $17/hr, actual rate varies by your location's union contract), Teamster scale after you get your CDL. pp, off. Healthcare is 100% paid for you AND your family.
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.
LTL:
Less Than Truckload
Refers to carriers that make a lot of smaller pickups and deliveries for multiple customers as opposed to hauling one big load of freight for one customer. This type of hauling is normally done by companies with terminals scattered throughout the country where freight is sorted before being moved on to its destination.
LTL carriers include:
- FedEx Freight
- Con-way
- YRC Freight
- UPS
- Old Dominion
- Estes
- Yellow-Roadway
- ABF Freight
- R+L Carrier
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.
WIOA:
WIOA - Workforce Innovation & Opportunity Act (aka WIA)
Formerly known as the Workforce Investment Act (WIA), the WIOA was established in 1998 to prepare youth, adults and dislocated workers for entry and reentry into the workforce. WIOA training funds are designed to serve laid-off individuals, older youth and adults who are in need of training to enter or reenter the labor market. A lot of truck drivers get funding for their CDL training through WIOA.
Drop And Hook:
Drop and hook means the driver will drop one trailer and hook to another one.
In order to speed up the pickup and delivery process a driver may be instructed to drop their empty trailer and hook to one that is already loaded, or drop their loaded trailer and hook to one that is already empty. That way the driver will not have to wait for a trailer to be loaded or unloaded.
HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.OWI:
Operating While Intoxicated
If I were in your shoes:
Paid while you train (about $17/hr, actual rate varies by your location's union contract), Teamster scale after you get your CDL. Weekends off. Healthcare is 100% paid for you AND your family.
Thanks. Hadn't paid attention to this one yet!
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.
Good luck. To study for your permit use the High Road CDL Training Program.
I already started!
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.
ps: @Pacific Pearl ~ I've heard about this being a HUGE thing in Detroit and a good part of Michigan, our neighboring state. Do you have any intel as to if this is just a 'stopgap' thing with YRC or, infinite, per se? Thanks!
It's ongoing. They are now up to 20, "permanent", Driver Training Academies with the three they opened in June. Sorry, 21 with their newest Academy in Detroit. They plan on training 1,000 drivers every year.
Two years ago they went waaaay past third base with bankruptcy only to have the US Treasury rescue them at the last second with a $700M bailout in exchange for 29.6% equity. Yellow used the funds to catch up with their union pension and healthcare contributions, purchase new equipment and start training drivers. They seem to be righting their ship - Wednesday they announced their second quarter results, "....highest quarterly operating income in 15 years".
I’m not sure about companies that offer training but one thing I’ve told people who are wanting to get into the field is to try and get any endorsements you want while you’re on your learners permit. If you go and take the tests for the doubles/triples and tanker before you get your license, it’ll save you some money since they’ll already be on your license when you take your final test. I got my tanker and doubles/triples on my learners permit and didn’t have to pay anything for them.
Doubles:
Refers to pulling two trailers at the same time, otherwise known as "pups" or "pup trailers" because they're only about 28 feet long. However there are some states that allow doubles that are each 48 feet in length.
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I'm really appreciating this site so far. A place that is looking to educate those of us getting into the business!
I'm 35 and switching careers. Not getting ahead doing what I'm doing and need to start putting something away so our dream of an acreage and homesteading can happen someday!
Here's my deal. I can't put myself through driver school right now. So i'm kinda limited to companies that will sponsor me through a school, or who have their own. I'm strongly leaning towards TMC at the moment because they do this AND have weekend hometime. This is important because I have 3 small children and a sweet wife who I want to see as much as possible! Maximum hometime is a bigger plus than maximum $$$. I realize this is the tradeoff.
Does anyone have any other company suggestions? TMC only requires 1 year after training, which is another plus as I could possibly switch to another company with dedicated home every after only a year. This would be the ultimate goal. We currently live in central Kansas, half an hour north of Wichita, but am looking to move to central Missouri (Ozark specifically which is near Springfield). 2-3week OTR is really not an option at this point in my life.
Really appreciate any input! I do think the flatbed lifestyle will work for me. I like climbing stuff and that sounds less boring that just drop and hook.
Josh
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.
Drop And Hook:
Drop and hook means the driver will drop one trailer and hook to another one.
In order to speed up the pickup and delivery process a driver may be instructed to drop their empty trailer and hook to one that is already loaded, or drop their loaded trailer and hook to one that is already empty. That way the driver will not have to wait for a trailer to be loaded or unloaded.
HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.