HELP, New To Trucking
Topic 33047 | Page 1
Mike, it really isn't personal. I moved from Montana to North Carolina to drive for Prime.
Right now, there is a hiring freeze on newly minted CDL holders, with no experience. So you have the double whammy of location and hiring freeze.
You could search out Mountain Matt, and his story about changing residence to SD. Unsure if this is a viable option for you 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.
You're in luck because there are lots of other companies that you can look at. Don't just get your head and heart set on one.
PackRat, Yes there is a ton of other options but I was hoping to find a place where I wouldn't have to fork out the money for school. Looks like that option is no longer an option for a washingtonian like me. Thanks
You're in luck because there are lots of other companies that you can look at. Don't just get your head and heart set on one.
NaeNaelnNC thank you for the info, I did not know about the hiring freeze. I appreciate it
Mike, it really isn't personal. I moved from Montana to North Carolina to drive for Prime.
Right now, there is a hiring freeze on newly minted CDL holders, with no experience. So you have the double whammy of location and hiring freeze.
You could search out Mountain Matt, and his story about changing residence to SD. Unsure if this is a viable option for you 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.
Yes there is a ton of other options but I was hoping to find a place where I wouldn't have to fork out the money for school.
Hit the link, see who bites.
I did not know about the hiring freeze. I appreciate it
Washington is just one of those states that doesn't have enough business to offer a carrier.
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.
HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.
Mike, I’m in the process of changing my state of residence from Wisconsin to South Dakota. I’ve still got a few steps to take, but it is not a difficult process. Might be something for you to look into. If you need help, my contact info is in my profile.
Mike, I applied through this site. I expected to go with one of four Megas for various reasons. But the first company that contacted me matched my wants, and they weren't even on my radar. I started their training in October and am very happy being a rookie driver for them. So I agree with the others, apply here and don't get set on just one company.
Welcome, Mike and greetings from Issaquah!
Prime is one of the better companies but they are also one of the pickiest. I've seen many tales of woe in this forum over the years from folks who were turned away by Prime for various minor reasons.
Not to worry - there are plenty of other options. Just because Emily Ratajkowski said, "no" doesn't mean you chop off your legacy genitalia and become Dylan Mulvaney or a monk - you keep at it until you have two or three ex wives but you don't give up.
Every company does their CDL training and licensing a bit differently. While Washington will only ISSUE a new CDL to you if you went a driving school on their approved list through the miracle or reciprocity they will happily EXCHANGE any valid CDL, proof of Washington residency and $228 for a Washington CDL.
I took a Greyhound from Washington to a trucking school in Colorado. I got a temporary paper Colorado CDL there and drove a rental car to OKC for my orientation. The Colorado DMV mailed my laminated CDL to the school in Colorado. The school forwarded by CDL to my home in Washington. My company routed my trainer's truck to Issaquah where I picked up my Colorado CDL and then exchanged it at the DMV for a Washington CDL!
As a new driver with no experience there are only about 5% of all companies that will touch you. That's for insurance reasons. Get used to it - hiring decisions in this industry aren't made by the company that owns the trucks - they're made by the company that insures the trucks. When I think of companies that train new drivers and offer team driving I think of CRST and Covenant. I know they both have programs that will let one spouse train the other. 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.
Dm:
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.DMV:
Department of Motor Vehicles, Bureau of Motor Vehicles
The state agency that handles everything related to your driver's licences, including testing, issuance, transfers, and revocation.
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Hello everyone, new to the forum and the trucking industry. A little about me, I'm 43 years old I've been in the aerospace industry for the past 20 years but desperately needing a change so I've decided to pursue truck driving. Specifically OTR with my wife. However I have a little problem that I'm hoping someone can give me a few tips on. My plan was to go through Prime inc's CDL and TNT training and then go out on the road with my wife fulltime. I called a recruiter at Prime who seemed very uninterested in anything I had to say or questions I had but she did tell me that I can't go through their paid CDL program because of the fact that I'm a Washington state resident and Washington has stricter laws than any other state so because of that Washington will not except their training. Then she followed that up with telling me that they most likely would not bring me on for the TNT stage without doing their CDL class first. So basically it sounds like I'm screwed because I'm a Washington resident. I was really hoping to drive for Prime. Has anyone had to go through this as well, any advise on the best way to go about it. Not many companies will hire a student fresh out of driving school with zero experience from what I've been hearing and reading. Thanks for any and all info you can give me..
Mike
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
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.
TNT:
Trainer-N-Trainee
Prime Inc has their own CDL training program and it's divided into two phases - PSD and TNT.
The PSD (Prime Student Driver) phase is where you'll get your permit and then go on the road for 10,000 miles with a trainer. When you come back you'll get your CDL license and enter the TNT phase.
The TNT phase is the second phase of training where you'll go on the road with an experienced driver for 30,000 miles of team driving. You'll receive 14¢ per mile ($700 per week guaranteed) during this phase. Once you're finished with TNT training you will be assigned a truck to run solo.