Just Getting Started Tomorrow...
Topic 5409 | Page 1
Welcome Mike! I am getting ready to go to Roehl's CDL school in a few weeks so it will be interesting to to hear how your training compares. Be safe and let us know how it goes! 
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.
Thanks Jolie, I'll definitely keep posting, as I'm sure I'll have more questions once I know about what to ask. ;) I'll try to write about my experiences as time allows!
I will say that so far that Jack, my recruiter, has been quite helpful, and that PAM has a handy online pre-training setup called eGears that's been really good. It's set up as a series of study guides and quizzes, and is state specific, so I'm getting the information for Indiana's CDL test. I've been really impressed with them.
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.
Hey Snappy! Welcome to the forum. Please check out our High Road Training Program.
Also if you have an Android device, download the Trucking Truth CDL Practice Test App
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.
Man, that High Road program was a great supplement to the classroom instruction. I aced all my DMV tests (general knowledge, combination, airbrakes, tanker) on the first try today! Now I just have to make sure my blood pressure is under control tomorrow morning, and I'll have my learner's permit by lunchtime tomorrow. Exciting times for me! :)
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.
Hey Snappy, I'm sure the experience you've had driving a slightly bigger vehicle helps. The largest I ever drove was a U-Haul 14 footer. You've got a leg up. Way to go on acing the exams on 1st try!
Man, that High Road program was a great supplement to the classroom instruction.
I think it is more along the lines of your classroom instruction being a great supplement to our High Road Training Program! 
Congratulations!
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.
Keep us posted I will be there right behind you. Just not sure PAM or USA. Same school your at either way. I'm set for the 20th tentatively. BTY what did your research tell you.. why PAM over others. I'm still torn. Good luck!
I think it is more along the lines of your classroom instruction being a great supplement to our High Road Training Program!
Haha, that just might be the case!
And Graverly, it came down mostly to team driving vs. Solo... Pam wants their new drivers to team. I didn't find an app for USA, but they have a few students in my class. I also looked at CRST and CRE. They all seemed like fine companies to start with, but after doing the math, it just seems to make sense to team my first year. Luckily, I ran into another Pam student who wants to run as hard as I do, and we're going to try to get teamed up together and run as hard as we can :)
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.
Everyone wants to run hard before they ever even drove a mile in a semi. That doesn't mean that much.
Ensure that your focus is on safety and just surviving that first year accident free. Miles aren't the most important thing. You won't be able to handle much in the beginning so please don't have "I want to run as hard as I can!" mentality.
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So, I got packed up, after weeks of research, applications, and planning. Tomorrow I finally drive to Indianapolis to start my CDL training and new career on Monday with PAM Transport. Money will be tight this next month, but I think I planned well wnough that it should cover expenses until the first paycheck rolls in.
I keep thinking about how good it's going to be to get back on the road. In my previous position with a tool company, I worked two jobs -- as a regional guy, during which time I put 61,000 miles on an F150 in 18 months, and as a mobile store driver, running a Freightliner MT45 straight truck. I'm hoping that these experiences will help prepare me for the road ahead -- at least the medical exam won't be a surprise. The old job required one for anyone driving on company business.
This introducory post is getting long-winded already... I can't wait to start learning all I can. I also wanted to thank all the guys and gals on here for making this site what it is. The information here at TruckingTruth has been extremely helpful in making the decision to drive OTR. I'm definitely looking forward to seeing what's coming next!
Thanks, Mike
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
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.
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.