Got My CDL A, Now Where?
Topic 5866 | Page 3
Kyle, you could probably call any of the companies with training programs and they'd bring you in next week. They'll give you whatever training you need and get you on the road as soon as possible. If England works for you then go for it! But if they mess around and don't seem to be getting anything going then don't hesitate to contact other companies. In fact, telling England that others are interested in you will light a fire under them hopefully.
They kept telling me i would have to wait until a trainer was free to train me. like it was my fault. After 4 months they found someone to train me
To anyone out there who might be in a position where you're ready to go on the road with a trainer but it's going to be a long time, try calling other Company-Sponsored Training Programs and let them know what's happening. Many of those companies would send you a bus ticket to come to their program. Now that doesn't mean you want to do that! But it gives you leverage. You can call the company that is taking too long and tell them,
You won't believe how quickly things will get moving at that point. Don't be threatening or nasty about it. Just be very calm and pleasant. You're simply stating a fact - you can't afford to wait months for a trainer. Anyone can understand that. And that's why they'll make things happen. Once they know you have other options you're looking into that are ready to go right now they'll do something about it. Getting drivers is extremely difficult. They sure as heck don't want to get one and then lose them because of something like this.
You have to be savvy and know how to make things happen in the trucking industry. You'll learn to get your appointment times changed, get hooked up on the best freight, talk dock workers into unloading you sooner, and get out of tickets from DOT officers. Most importantly you have to know how to talk to people and get along with people. Truckers have no authority over anyone so you have to learn to get people on your side. The only way anyone will help you is if they want to help you. You have to be the type of person they want to do something nice for. You can't bully people around. That's the biggest mistake most truckers make. They confront people and try to bully people into giving them their way. It almost never works. Be nice to people, talk kindly, but be confident and firm when you need to be.
Trust me.....I learned this over a period of years and not all of it the easy way. I stepped on my own toes many times before figuring this stuff out.
Alright, Thank you all for your answers and help with my problem! It is appreciated very much!
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.
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.
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.
HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.New Reply:
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Kyle, you could probably call any of the companies with training programs and they'd bring you in next week. They'll give you whatever training you need and get you on the road as soon as possible. If England works for you then go for it! But if they mess around and don't seem to be getting anything going then don't hesitate to contact other companies. In fact, telling England that others are interested in you will light a fire under them hopefully.
To anyone out there who might be in a position where you're ready to go on the road with a trainer but it's going to be a long time, try calling other Company-Sponsored Training Programs and let them know what's happening. Many of those companies would send you a bus ticket to come to their program. Now that doesn't mean you want to do that! But it gives you leverage. You can call the company that is taking too long and tell them,
You won't believe how quickly things will get moving at that point. Don't be threatening or nasty about it. Just be very calm and pleasant. You're simply stating a fact - you can't afford to wait months for a trainer. Anyone can understand that. And that's why they'll make things happen. Once they know you have other options you're looking into that are ready to go right now they'll do something about it. Getting drivers is extremely difficult. They sure as heck don't want to get one and then lose them because of something like this.
You have to be savvy and know how to make things happen in the trucking industry. You'll learn to get your appointment times changed, get hooked up on the best freight, talk dock workers into unloading you sooner, and get out of tickets from DOT officers. Most importantly you have to know how to talk to people and get along with people. Truckers have no authority over anyone so you have to learn to get people on your side. The only way anyone will help you is if they want to help you. You have to be the type of person they want to do something nice for. You can't bully people around. That's the biggest mistake most truckers make. They confront people and try to bully people into giving them their way. It almost never works. Be nice to people, talk kindly, but be confident and firm when you need to be.
Trust me.....I learned this over a period of years and not all of it the easy way. I stepped on my own toes many times before figuring this stuff out.
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.
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.
HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.