Questions About Trucking
Topic 7066 | Page 1
maybe you ahould have your husband drive solo while you keep things together at home
My name is Whitney and I am 28 years old. Me and my husband have been considering getting our CDL's and doing a team route for about a year now. I have 2 children from a previous marriage but I only have them half of the time. We are very close to them so family and home time is very important. With that being said, my husband and I just found out that we are getting laid off here in a couple of weeks. So we are thinking this might be the perfect time to make this decision. This is his second time being laid off through a warehouse position. We want a more stable life for the kids and we want to be able to give them the start at life that our parents couldn't give us. We have thought about trying to get a degree in something but that takes 2 to 4 years before a person starts seeing any paychecks and by that time your buried in debt. I have a son (he will be 9 next month) and a daughter (she is 7). We are currently renting a two bedroom (kids are sharing a bedroom) apartment (cheapest rent in town) and barely get by when we got 40 hrs per week. The kids are getting older and know more about their bodies and stuff then I did at 12. So I know we have to get into a three bedroom soon especially since the the kids dad is a jerk and is just waiting for a reason to try to take me back to court to get the kids. My husband and I have been doing extensive research on several companies but I hear people saying that companies will say they can get you home on weekends or a couple days a week but then when they get you out OTR , they change their mind. Is this true, can they do that? My dad was with marten and fleet master and both companies did that to him. This is something that I would like to do because of the money but also because I love to travel and see new places. I also love my kids and don't want to give up all my time with them. Any advice would helpful. Thanks!
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.
First off, welcome to trucking truth Whitney! Secondly I would begin to agree with Kurt on this. Running team is a great option for a couple that doesn't have anything to tie them down to home. Generally running team you will be running long routes and out a lot. Mainly because companies like to use teams as a continuously running truck. Basically there's no reason for that truck to stop moving. If keeping closeness with your kids and other family at home is that important to you then I would hold off on doing team for the time being. Have your husband get his CDL and begin getting that all important experience. Then after the kids get older then maybe look into joining him.
This career doesn't lend itself very well to people with family. Of course they're people that can make it work but you really need to sit down with everyone and find out if you can seriously make it work.
I hope you're able to figure out what's best for you and yours and good luck. And if you have any additional questions please feel free to pick out brains.
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.
I agree with Heavy.
If you and your hubby can handle what is basically a long distance relationship, I would say let him get his CDL first (Or even you, but kids seam to be more attached to mom then step dads so him going first might be best) either way, one of you gets the CDL first and goes solo for a few months, learn the ins n outs of what trucking is. Once things back home settle down, the other can go get the cdl. Now whomever goes out first can train the other. If you both go at the same time, you both will be seperated and depending on the trainer, may not go home for weeks at a time during training. But if one goes first while the other stays home, then it may make the transition a little easier.
Take a look atTruck Driver's Career Guide and when your ready to find a school you can either go for a more local Truck Driving Schools or take a Company-Sponsored Training program. Our wonderfulHigh Road Training Program will help you study for the CDL permit. Trucking Companies, this link will give you some info on every company we have on this site. If you need some help choosing a school How To Choose A School or even a companyHow To Choose A Company then take a look at those links.
David
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.
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.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.
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My name is Whitney and I am 28 years old. Me and my husband have been considering getting our CDL's and doing a team route for about a year now. I have 2 children from a previous marriage but I only have them half of the time. We are very close to them so family and home time is very important. With that being said, my husband and I just found out that we are getting laid off here in a couple of weeks. So we are thinking this might be the perfect time to make this decision. This is his second time being laid off through a warehouse position. We want a more stable life for the kids and we want to be able to give them the start at life that our parents couldn't give us. We have thought about trying to get a degree in something but that takes 2 to 4 years before a person starts seeing any paychecks and by that time your buried in debt. I have a son (he will be 9 next month) and a daughter (she is 7). We are currently renting a two bedroom (kids are sharing a bedroom) apartment (cheapest rent in town) and barely get by when we got 40 hrs per week. The kids are getting older and know more about their bodies and stuff then I did at 12. So I know we have to get into a three bedroom soon especially since the the kids dad is a jerk and is just waiting for a reason to try to take me back to court to get the kids. My husband and I have been doing extensive research on several companies but I hear people saying that companies will say they can get you home on weekends or a couple days a week but then when they get you out OTR , they change their mind. Is this true, can they do that? My dad was with marten and fleet master and both companies did that to him. This is something that I would like to do because of the money but also because I love to travel and see new places. I also love my kids and don't want to give up all my time with them. Any advice would helpful. Thanks!
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
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.