Can you get CDL without school

You could get a copy of the accident report. I don't know if a warning will appear on your mvr or not. It would be best to pull a copy of your mvr yourself. If you explain the situation and what happened, have the accident report, I don't think it will be a problem. As I stated, it may not even appear on your mvr since it was a warning. Warnings usually don't appear on one's mvr. In any case, it would drop off in one more year. You should be able to get a copy of your mvr for about $5-10. You should be able to go by your local mvr or sheriff's office and have one printed while you wait.

 

Warnings are just that,

and will NOT show on your MVR !!!!!

 

The short answer is: yes you can get a CDL license without going through a school. HOWEVER, without that paperwork that comes from completion of a formal program, you reduce your ability to become employed.
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Most companies require that diploma to satisfy insurance requirements. Get a job from a small mom & pop deal and if they go out of business, how will you prove your experience to your next employer?
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Things have changed in the last 20 years. If you want to know the safest current method of driving a big rig, go to a school for your education. Why do you think there are training companies with their own schools, community college programs and private schools that teach commercial truck driving to newbies?

 

You can prove experience by hanging onto old logbooks, W-2, 1099 or pay stubs. If you work for someone who goes out of business, you could also get a letter from them concerning your employment with them.

 

Any accident where a cop shows up and files a report WILL show up on your MVR, even if you are not the one who received the ticket. I hhad my insurance rates jacked up for three years because I called a cop out to file a report for a car/deer accident... so the insurance company would pay to fix my Dad's truck.

Lesson learned... Next time pay the damages myself--it's cheaper in the long run.

 

Yes you can, I did it. It's the job search process that can get tricky. I found a local outfit (logger to be specific) that was willing to train me, and offered me a job.














Then, just after getting my CDL-A, I was still riding with an experienced driver, improving my skills, and work slowed right down. No housing market, no need to clear land, mills all had restricted quotas, didn't pay much for the chips and logs they would take.... long story short, new guy is the first one laid off. I can't say enough good about the company and the man who runs it, he helped me out a great deal and let me burn a lot of diesel while practicing the yard maneuvers.

Here's the rough part. Even though I spent four months or so driving around NH with a gross weight of 99,000 lbs I never did a solo run (rookies and heavy hauling can be a dangerous mix). I was working towards that when work slowed down. So here I am, a fresh CDL, with virtually no experience, and no "certified driving school." Just a government issued CDL (apparently not good enough, but that's a complex issue)

The large carriers won't touch me unless I pay them for their training, but since I don't trust anyone whose title is "recruiter" it doesn't bother me too much that the super-carriers don't like my training program.

I took a job in a warehouse, and I'm currently networking and looking for small outfits.

At the end of the day, I feel I learned more about driving than any of the schools could teach me. I've pulled loads, ran heavy and wide, learned some maintenance, pulled a lowboy a few times, ran on and off road, operated some heavy equipment. (I'm not scared to adjust brakes without a card in my wallet either). My "instructors" were old hands who have driven longer than I've been breathing. We dealt with minor breakdowns on our own and carried some tools and spare parts in the truck.

What I didn't learn was logbooks (100 mile radius operation), trip planning, "OTR lifestyle and all that that entails", my experience with heavy traffic is limited (not much forest in the city, but drove through a couple on the way to the plant).

So there's pro's and con's to learning the old school way. It's also highly variable, a lot depends on the individuals involved.

I'd do it again in a heartbeat. It took longer (7 months as opposed to 3 weeks) and it has limited my choices now (removed the companies many tell you to run from). If all had gone to plan it would have come with a job, and if things turn around and they call me, I'll probably come running.

To paraphrase, you can get a CDL without a school, but getting a job without a school is a bit more challenging. The companies that will hire you probably don't advertise, labor may be part of the job, it may be seasonal, you may have a great deal of uncertainty in the job.

One of the most important things I've learned: "There is no normal in the trucking business!"

 

Prime, Inc. has a unique training program. You start there with nothing at all. Four days of classes and you get your CDL permit. Then you are in a truck, learning to drive until you get your CDL. They charge nothing for this, AND in fact pay you while you are in training. If you stay with the company for a year, all training costs are forgiven. After you get your CDL, you train with another trainer learning the job. You do have to disregard the siren call to lease... starting out that is not something you want to attempt!
Prime is where I started, and I wouldn't change a thing.

 

I couldnt afford to pay for the schooling for my license. I worked at a company as a mechanic and got to move trucks in the yard which wasnt very big so its not like there was room for actual testing/shifting/driving. Mainly they were moved from docks, garages, and parking spaces.

I decided I wanted my CDL and thought I had the knowledge I needed for it. I called a local place and asked about testing. 190.00 to rent a truck and test. So, I went in, did the maneuver test and we did a 13 mile course on the road test. First time I had ever taken a truck on the road. The instructor told me besides a few fast turns (which werent fast by unsafe means) that I was a very good driver.

Since I am in school for diesel technology right now (degrees are better, so im told) I havent gotten the time to get into actually driving for a company and at the rate of things I dont think I would enjoy trucking the way it used to be. But the way I see it, not having a CDL and working on trucks is almost as bad as working in an auto garage without a license..

As I see it, most companies put you into a training program for a few weeks anyhow. My dad has driven for 20 some years and when he got back from Iraq (contractor) he went to CRST and had to train with them even though his experience had him making more money per mile than the people training him. He ended up leaving to go to Afghanistan a bit after that but he still had to train even with his experience. Why waste 3+ grand if you have a good head on your shoulders? Everybody knows that you learn the real stuff out there doing it. I hate bigheaded people that always put down rookies because they didnt do it 'this way'. You started out too. There was a time you got into a truck and had no idea what you were doing. Now you are self proclaimed 'know it all' drivers.