Just got my license last week and I have a question(s)

Discussion in 'Questions From New Drivers' started by davect, Jan 16, 2011.

  1. davect

    davect Light Load Member

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    Just got my CDL-A on Thursday January 13th. I know that most likely I will have to go OTR for at least 6 months or 1 year to get a local job. I am willing to take any job. Pay isn't that important to be honest. I am just happy to get anything that will start me out and get me the experience to move on. I got my B license last year and I know from that how hard it was to get a job without any experience.

    My main question right now and it may seem like an odd one is this: If you are an OTR driver how do you get home and how do you pick up the truck? Do they let you take the truck home with you if you can park it or do they let you park it at a local truck stop (i live 2 min from a TA). Or do you drive to the truck terminal to pick up the truck to start and then drop off the truck and drive home from terminal? I ask this because I live in CT and I see that most terminals are at least 200 miles from me. Plus I am just curious how this all works. Thank you in advance.
     
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  3. rocknroll nik

    rocknroll nik High Risk Load Member

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    In answer to your question as far as hometime...you make a request for hometime they will try to get you there on or around your request and yes you park at a truckstop OR if you have space where you live you park there. But one word of caution don't EXPECT to get home on the exact day you request...you are at the mercy of whatever loads are available.
     
  4. Jonny1

    Jonny1 Medium Load Member

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    Davect,

    Where did you go to school? I have a friend in CT, that is going to train his wife so they can team drive. His company (like all the big companies) require a 150 hr training at a certified school and he is having trouble finding a school near his home, so she can stay at home while she trains local. She already has her CDL, so she is just looking for the needed educational hours so she an join her husband's company.
     
  5. davect

    davect Light Load Member

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    I went to All State Training Center in Shelton, CT. Now I only went for 40 hours class time. They don't have any 150 hour classes there. They do at NETTTS and I believe A.B Training Center. I went to AB for my B license last year.

    Now, the thing is I just graduated so I don't know for sure all the companies that my school gets you hired on with but they have a lifetime job placement program. I am meeting the guy next week. I have seen Werner, Schneider, Swift brochures in the office but I am not entirely sure on all the other companies that they work with. I can try to find out more when I go meet this guy early next week.

    http://beasafetrucker.com is the site for AB Training Center. I'm sure Tom Moysey (owner and great guy) can work something out. That would be my advice.
     
  6. Jonny1

    Jonny1 Medium Load Member

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    I know when I applied at those companies you have listed, they required 140 hrs of training min..that was sometime ago, but I dont see them relaxing their standards. When my friend told me she needed 150 hrs before his company would hire her I laughed.....because she worked in the office at a very tight paper plant and often she would blind side back the trucks in for the new drivers. I guess they have to prove these hours of instruction for the insurance company. They looked at one school up there and it was like six grand.


    P.S. For any of those companies you have listed, they will put you on a greyhound bus to their closest terminal that does student orientation and then you be assigned a trainer, sometimes you come home after orientation and wait for your trainer or sometimes you will just wait for your trainer at a local hotel near the terminal. You will be out 6-8 weeks with your trainer and then back to the terminal to test out and get your truck. They will usually give you a load close to your house so you can get you stuff, and take a couple days off at that point. Not all TS will allow parking for home time, especially in your neck of the woods (not enough parking to start with!) you might have to find another approved location near your home........some companies allow you to only park in their terminals and drop lots for your home time.
     
    Last edited: Jan 16, 2011
  7. Allow Me.

    Allow Me. Trucker Forum STAFF Staff Member

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    In a perfect world, you would live 5 miles from your terminal. You would park the truck there, go home and come back 2-3 days later and get rolling, Anything wrong with the truck would be fixed while you were home. But, this isn't a perfect world, right? The biggest worry is where to park that beast while you're home. In your driveway ? At a nearby truckstop ? At the terminal ? Behind a boarded up K-Mart ? And the next worry is keeping the truck and load safe. You'd be a fool to park an electronics load or a meat load behind said boarded up K-Mart for 2 days, right ?
     
  8. Jonny1

    Jonny1 Medium Load Member

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    In this day and age with these big training companies, if you not parking at a terminal or secured drop lot you will need to provide them an alternate pre-approved location......and good luck on that, been there done that.
    Hopefully you will not be under load for your home time, but it does happen. You will find if you have a high dollar load, the company will often provide security and you will not be able to fart for the first couple hundred miles.
     
  9. chompi

    chompi Road Train Member

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    Most companies are going to want an address and or a secure place. Your best bet would be to start looking now. I don't know about where you live, but where I am at truck parking is hard to come by. When we were over the road and came home for time off we had a spot in a secure yard that we had to pay $80 a month, whether we were there or not. We actually had to be on a waiting list to get the spot so there was no way we were going to let it go! Some companies don't let you take the truck home. You could also drop the trailer at the terminal and just bobtail home. You can fit a bobtail pretty much anywhere. Just have to remember about your overhead clearance. (trees, limbs, overhangs, etc...)
     
  10. Rerun8963

    Rerun8963 Road Train Member

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    since you live in branford, you can ask to park at the T/A, that fuel place across the street, or the motel at the bottom of the hill. so you got some possibilities...however be forewarned, once you leave your truck at ANY of those places, you would be subjected to vandals and theft, especially of fuel. they may let you park there they may not. if the truck just sits at a place, someone, security perhaps can and will call the tow company....

    so find out first where you will actually be working and at the same time try and arrange for parking. if you get a fuel card and they let you fuel up at any T/A, then you might have an easier story to tell the T/A manager they will get your fueling business.....
    you also have a stop and shop behind the truck stop as well. you "might" be able to park on that property away from everyone else....
     
  11. davect

    davect Light Load Member

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    wow do you live in CT? LOL. Thanks for the info.

    Do most companies let you bobtail home even if you live 150 miles from the terminal?
     
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