29 Year Texas Coal Miner, About To Lose Job Due To EPA Regulations.
Topic 5093 | Page 1
Denny, welcome to Trucking Truth.
You came to the right place. My first impression is that you're going to do just fine in this industry. I'm a newbie myself, but you're no stranger to hard work and the two cultures probably have a lot of similarities. This is another "tough guy" environment. Piece of cake for you. Go through this website's training program. Part of the reason I got into trucking was because I was researching like you and when I stumbled on this site, I started taking the High Road Training Program and realized I kinda' liked this stuff. I was so well prepared by this online program that I excelled in CDL school. If you like heavy equipment, you'll love tractor-trailers, for sure. Study for, and get all your endorsements, for sure. It makes you marketable and also, there's a TSA investigation that goes hand-in-hand with the hazmat , so start that as soon as you can, too, because it sometimes takes a while for it to come back.
Also, check out the information on this site about Truck Driving Jobs and definitely get as many pre-hire letters as possible, even before you go to school. You can find info on that by clicking here: Understanding Pre-Hires These are really important to getting your career off the ground the minute you finish school and you don't have to have your CDL yet, to get them done, but companies are usually very willing to get them out to people.
You might find this EPA thing is a blessing in disguise and a chance for you to pursue something else you've wanted to do. And don't even think about your age in this industry. According to some out there still holding CDLs, you're a young man. One of my instructors at school was 82 and still had his CDL and (6 million miles of safe driving behind him) There are still plenty of ways to "play" with heavy equipment and you already have the knowledge and experience to respect how dangerous it is, so no problem there.
What kind of truck driving do you want to do? OTR (over the road), tanker? (I'm guessing), LTL (less-than-load) which is usually local? Flatbeds? (you get to haul all sorts of cool stuff with those, heavy equipment included)
This is a good place to learn a lot about the industry. These guys on here are the best. Good luck and stick around
-mountain girl
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.
HAZMAT:
Hazardous Materials
Explosive, flammable, poisonous or otherwise potentially dangerous cargo. Large amounts of especially hazardous cargo are required to be placarded under HAZMAT regulations
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.
Over The Road:
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.
HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.
Welcome to TT Denny !
I too am starting out in trucking and let me tell ya. If you have a clean MVR , a clean criminal history, a solid work history and can pass a DOT physical. Buddy, you will have companies falling all over themselves trying to recruit you.
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.
MVR:
Motor Vehicle Record
An MVR is a report of your driving history, as reported from your state Department of Motor Vehicles. Information on this report may include Drivers License information, point history, violations, convictions, and license status on your driving record.
Thanks everyone for all the encouragement. My brother said I was a good catch for the trucking companies. I think flatbed hauling would be my first choice. I have a one ton Ford dually, and a 36 ft. dovetail trailer, that I haul tractors and round bales of hay on; I have a small farm with cows. I believe this gives me a smaller feel for what a bigger rig would be like. I currently operate big Hitachi stripping shovels and Cat D9 and D10 bulldozers. I have operated big Euclid coal hauling trucks with belly dump trailers. I've also operated Euclid and Cat 90 ton endumps. I believe over-the-road trucking would fit me well.
Welcome aboard Dennis. I am from Nacogdoches. Have you been working anywhere near Tatum? I'm familiar with some mining in that area. I also was familiar with hauling farm equipment and hay and started out doing flat bed work. I have never looked back. It's a great career.
I'm originally from Carthage, graduated from school there, and hired in at Tatum on 1-27-86. I used to hang around Nac back in the early eighties. Had friends going to school at SFA. I live in Sulphur Springs now, and work in the Thermo mine just outside of town. I transfered up here in june of '95. It's good to hear from a fellow East Texan, thanks for the line, look forward to talking to you again.
I currently operate big Hitachi stripping shovels and Cat D9 and D10 bulldozers. I have operated big Euclid coal hauling trucks with belly dump trailers. I've also operated Euclid and Cat 90 ton endumps. I believe over-the-road trucking would fit me well.
Dennis W.
Plthlthlthlth! Piece 'a cake, Dennis. GO for it!
Wish I could see the trainer's faces when you go to CDL school and on your first day behind the wheel, they find you're a smooth operator from the start.
-mountain girl
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.
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I'm looking at truck driving as a new career. The EPA has placed unreachable emissions standards on the power plant that my mine site supplys fuel to. The mine where I work will close in December 2015. I'm 53 years old, no DWI's, no troubles ever with the law, long work history, and no moving violations in over 20 years. I do not have a CDL endorcement, and no over the road experience. I have been looking at the company training programs and believe this would be a good option for me. My older brother is long time driver for Conaco-Phillips, with a Hazmat endorcement. He's made a real good living and enjoys the job. I have always been interested in trucking, but got into operating heavy equipment in the East Texas coal mines in 1986. I have been getting advice from my brother and would like to ask you all questions from time to time as I get closer to making this move. Thanks alot, Denny Weir
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
HAZMAT:
Hazardous Materials
Explosive, flammable, poisonous or otherwise potentially dangerous cargo. Large amounts of especially hazardous cargo are required to be placarded under HAZMAT regulations
Over The Road:
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.
DWI:
Driving While Intoxicated