Long Break From Driving
Topic 33322 | Page 2
I’d recommend talking to Western Express. They have a refresher program for those who’ve been away from driving for a while. They have a good reputation as a second chance company.
Now here's a voice from the past!
Where have you been since 2021?
HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.EPU:
Electric Auxiliary Power Units
Electric APUs have started gaining acceptance. These electric APUs use battery packs instead of the diesel engine on traditional APUs as a source of power. The APU's battery pack is charged when the truck is in motion. When the truck is idle, the stored energy in the battery pack is then used to power an air conditioner, heater, and other devices
Now here's a voice from the past!
Where have you been since 2021?
I’ve been alternating between being a tour guide/CDL B driver in the summer season (Alaska and Napa Valley) and being a digital nomad web designer traveling internationally during the winter season. I’m heading back to the US on Monday and exploring my options. Which explains why I was looking at Western Express an hour ago. I really miss the OTR life, but I question if any company is going to be willing to let me keep my schedule, which I’ve grown rather fond of. But I am considering dedicating a full year, just to get back in the saddle once again.
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.
I question if any company is going to be willing to let me keep my schedule
I would say Yes with a maybe attached depending on the company and what's available out of the terminal you end up boing homed. There are a few companies that immediately come to mind, but I can only speak of my experience with Knight out of Florida. They have been extremely accommodating of my weird schedule requests. Knight has a casual OTR position where you can pick and choose when/how long you go out, they only ask that you commit to doing a minimum of 7 days out at a time.
I think Swift and Roehl have similar options. Also, I believe they all have some options for refresher training if needed.
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.
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.
I didn’t mean to hijack this thread so I started a new one.
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I’d recommend talking to Western Express. They have a refresher program for those who’ve been away from driving for a while. They have a good reputation as a second chance company.
HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.EPU:
Electric Auxiliary Power Units
Electric APUs have started gaining acceptance. These electric APUs use battery packs instead of the diesel engine on traditional APUs as a source of power. The APU's battery pack is charged when the truck is in motion. When the truck is idle, the stored energy in the battery pack is then used to power an air conditioner, heater, and other devices