Best Way To Kick Off Trucking Carrer
Topic 8885 | Page 1
Hello Zachary, and welcome to Trucking Truth!
One of the first things you should do is take the time to read through our Truck Driver's Career Guide. Follow all the links you come to in there and you will benefit greatly from that exercise.
Also you can check out our Company-Sponsored Training section which is full of information on various company sponsored training programs. We have a lot of current drivers in here now who got there start this way. You will find web sites and contact numbers that you can use on those web pages, and to be honest with you that would be the first thing I would do is make a call and visit with a recruiter to get the ball rolling. One thing you could start on is to get your last five years work history written down in a timeline with no gaps. By no gaps, I mean no time that is not accounted for. If you weren't working for a few months just list that time period and say "unemployed, looking for work" - it is critical that there are no gaps in time accounted for, it is not critical that you were working all the time, just make sure you account for the time periods. You are going to need those records laid out with contact numbers for former employers.
As you look into this further more questions will arise, don't be shy or embarrassed, the only dumb questions are the ones not asked. There will always be someone in here who can help you out when you need it.
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.
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.
Well you've found us so step 1 is complete!
We have just the information you need. Thoroughly go through our Truck Driver's Career Guide. Be sure to complete theHigh Road Training Program from beginning to end before you go to school. You want to choose if you'll go through A Private School or Company-Sponsored Training .
When you find the path that fits you best you want to learn How To Choose A Company. However, if you choose the private school route then you have got to learn Understand Pre-Hires . Here's a detailed list of all the Trucking Companies.
Now... Get to studying!
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.
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.
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.
thank yall both for your time and advise preciate it kindly thats a great start point
Zach I can honestly say, without being conceded, if you listen to what we tell you and read this site and use the study materials here you WILL get past all the testing with ease . Of course the drive portion is up to you.
I have never added it up but I can say without a doubt our pool of drivers and knowledge here vary easily over a hundred years worth of experience. Even a few of us grew up in trucking well before modern trucking.
So i currently just finished read and review of the career guide and now going through the high road training program but am having a hard time putting together my 5 year employment history any thoughts, experience, advise, etc.
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im in search of a company sponsored cdl training program to be a class a cdl otr single driver whats the best way to start in this direction
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.