In Need Of Some Help
Topic 3543 | Page 1
Hey Timothy, Welcome to the forum!
Are you wanting to go back to OTR driving? Because you are going to have a heck of a time finding someone to hire you after that lapse of time. I know it sounds crazy, but they will consider you as having no experience and will want a training certificate to provide evidence to their insurance carrier that you are worthy of taking on as a liability risk. If you already have something local lined up then you might have success by advertising on Craig's List to find someone who will give you a shot in their truck.
If you want to go back to OTR there a companies who have Company-Sponsored Training programs available with no upfront costs, they will expect you to sign a contract that requires you to work for them for one year though. It's really a great opportunity for someone in your situation to get paid while they are training and have a guaranteed job after you complete their program.
There are very few owner/operators here because our main focus is to help people get their trucking career off to a good start, and we try to discourage people who are just starting this career to be owner/operators until they've gotten a much better understanding of what it is they are getting into.
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.
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.
Ok. I understand. I'm trying to see if I can get in one of these community college programs here in NC. Like Beaufort, Nash, Miller Motte......etc. Are there good success rates there?
Community college is a great way to go about it. I mistakenly got the impression that maybe the cost was out of reach for you, but if you can swing the financing of it, that is a great way to go. Once you've gotten your CDL back don't wast a lot of time about getting a job where you are using it, or else you will find yourself having difficulties getting a job with it again. These trucking companies don't look favorably upon stretches of time where a commercial driver wasn't using his license and abilities in the work force.
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.
Honestly, I don't. Imma try to get assistance through grants. Hopefully I get sum luck.
Welcome Timothy! I also needed help with funding schooling and here is what I found worked for me.
Check with your unemployment office. They may be out of funds one month and then have funds in the next month. Ask them. Also as in my case two of the closest offices to me were not able to help but low and behold the next county over were able to help.
Check with the administration at any of your local trucking schools. They often know of folks that provide grant money that no one has ever even heard of.
After a lot of phone calls and paperwork I got the help I needed and now this Thursday I will start the private school of my choice.
Keep positive help is out there and on here too! :-)
Boots
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.
Hey, thanks alot Boots. Its good to hear that. I'm glad I found this site. The insight is great. I'll keep everyone posted on the outcome.
To be honest, I'm not sure exactly what your goal is. Are you trying to just get your license back as quickly and inexpensively as possible or are you looking to get back into OTR driving?
If you're trying to get your license quick and cheap, just speak with some local Truck Driving Schools in your area and see if they'll offer you a price for getting a refresher course and then using their truck for the testing.
If you're looking to go back to OTR, you're going to have to take some sort of training again anyhow. Some companies might accepts a short refresher course, others may require a full course. So you might consider applying for pre-hires before deciding what route to take. The Company-Sponsored Training Programs that Old School mentioned would be a great way to go if you can't scrape up the funds for a private school.
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.
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.
Pre-hires:
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.
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.
Um tryin to get em as quickly and cheap as possible. Finding a local job wont b a problem. I already have options but just like this site, they're company owned. Its been difficult cause I have experience but my situation is a dagger.
Um tryin to get em as quickly and cheap as possible. Finding a local job wont b a problem. I already have options but just like this site, they're company owned. Its been difficult cause I have experience but my situation is a dagger.
Just like this site? OK maybe I missed something somewhere. I was not aware truckingtruth.com was owned by a trucking company. I have never seen any Truckingtruth.com trucks on the road....
Hey Brett you hiring drivers?
Oh wait you mean Brett has devised a way to make us give free advise and teach new trainees and make us all what amounts to instructors and all for free?
Brett I want a pay raise. I want double what I am getting now.
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I've been in search of help for a month now. Here's my situation..........I received my CDL in 2006 through Schneider National. I worked with them for three yrs until I relocated to Virginia where I began doing heavy duty towing for two yrs. I then had financial issues and couldn't renew my Class A, so I dropped down to my Class C. I kept those for more than two yrs so I recently went through the process over again. I have a CDL learners permit and a current DOT physical. (card and long copy). I've scheduled one third party test and the driver change plans at the last minute, which is totally understandable. A driver's truck is like his/her child. I've tried getting funding from the WIA Program to attend a course at a community college but the funds are frozen here in my county. I've never really stopped driving trucks due to me being a logging equipment operator for the last 2.5 yrs, but because I couldn't legally drive on the highway I did more spotting than anything. My driving/criminal record is clean. I live in Greenville, NC. I hope it's not a crime to do so but I'm willing to pay for two hrs of time as a slight refresher and your assistance as a licensed driver for DMV. I know there's money to be made with the truck and time wasted so I don't mind doing that. As u read, I have five yrs of experience but because of the situation, I'm a rookie. I know what I'm asking is way over the top so whatever responses I get, it'll be no hard feelings. But, a closed mouth don't get fed. Thanks to all.
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
DOT:
Department Of Transportation
A department of the federal executive branch responsible for the national highways and for railroad and airline safety. It also manages Amtrak, the national railroad system, and the Coast Guard.
State and Federal DOT Officers are responsible for commercial vehicle enforcement. "The truck police" you could call them.
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.
HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.OWI:
Operating While Intoxicated