CDL Work Around

There are places that rent trucks for CDL Tests.
Not sure how it works but may look into that.

You may find it difficult to get hired at some companies, without going through training.
Also taking into consideration you drove like 30 years ago.

 

Today, carriers are not looking so much for a license to drive a truck as much as that you've had some recent "formal training" and/or experience to go along with the CDL. A lot has changed since the early 80's at all levels. You may as well figure on attending some sort of driver school either a carrier's internal school system or independent school that is recognized by your preferred carrier.

Could you rent a truck, pass the test, get your CDL? Yes. Can you find somehwere to work who doesn't care about your background or lack of recent driving history? Perhaps, at a fly-by-night operation but good luck with that.

 

I had a similar situation drove about 10 yrs. and quit driving for about 18 yrs. and now been back about 3 yrs.
Was thinking just like you are now, just getting my lic. and finding a job. But its not like it was back in the 70s and 80s
Now it seems the insurance co. and the megas are in bed together and will make it hard for you to find a job, not saying you cant do it but...
I ended up going with Millis $500. up front money the rest is paid back thru payroll deductions, I stayed there almost 2 yrs And left for a tanker job.
Your skills are still there, I got back in the truck and everything was still there for me, just took a bit getting used to these new engines that you shift at a lower rpms



Good luck.

 

The insurance companies make the call on who gets hired these days. If you go the cheap/quick CDL route you might find a mom & pop operation to drive for but for the larger companies you will need to go through a training program.

 

Do you have any place(s) in particular where you may want to work in the beginning? If so, I'd try and get a clear answer from them as to what they will and will not accept in terms of schools and certificates. Some may not have an acceptable accreditation for your future employer if that's a deal-breaker for them.

 

Having just come out of school and found a company that wants to take me on I can tell you that their primary concern for schooling seems to be hours. I did a 160 hour course and I think the minimum for most places is around 130-150 at least from what I saw. Its sort of depressing because a large chunk of school is class room time to prepare you for pretrip and the written tests and I had studied enough to pass the written exams before I was even close to half way through the classroom portion of the training. The practice tests I took were both considerably more in depth and longer than any of the state administered exams. I'm sure you could get a permit on your own with ease but like I said hours are what they want so when your picking out your school just make sure you take a class that includes at least 150 hours of training.

 

Community college programs are much cheaper and as good or better than the private schools. Good points posted about schools from Winbot and STexan. If you know the companies you're interested in , call and ask if the community college school is acceptable to them. Before you call, find out how many hours the school is because some companies have a minimum they accept.