Getting a Job with a CDL and no driving experience?

Most companies want some kind of accredited schooling. Decent companies anyway. Just getting a CDL without schooling is useless in the grand scheme of things. Something to remember is that the schools will work with you. It's really hard to fail, not unless you really are aiming to do so.

 

But you're not going to get a job. Where do you live.

 

Put in an application at crowder comm college trucking schooling rooom and board in neosho mo and an application for a pre-hire with conway TL out of joplin.. that way if con-way tl accepts you they will pay for your school and you will have a job ready for you before you even spend a dime ..
Thats what we did..

you may need to get a signed statement saying why you were out of work.. my wife was at home taking care of the kids so no biggy..

 

What I have bolded. I do not know what you are saying.

So, are you saying to get your permit, and get a job at a mom and pop and have THEM train you?

A permit in of itself, does NOT cost over say about $100.

As for Swift hiring you and training you? I do not see why not. But with the CDL and NO driving experience? Most likely you WILL go thru thier training, but at the very least, you already have a CDL. But you still may very well have to go thru classroom as well as yard training, then road training.

Will you be charged for schooling? I think so. But the "flip side", is that if you get kicked out for failing a test, you still get to go home with your CDL, and apply elsewhere's, now you can at least say, you have a CDL AND training!

Or go to Swift, or someone else, and go thru the entire process.

I just saw your older thread that someone dug up regarding your work history. You say you are on disability?

You may have to get some sort of doctors clearance before you are even accepted someplace, just saying, so be prepared.

 

If you attend Swift's academy you will pay for the training from your pay. Stay with Swift 13 months and you've paid for the training. Stay an additional 13 months and they "pay" you back the same amount so the training is "free". You'll need to have your permit upon arrival. Call a recruiter they will answer all your questions.

Don't be worried about your past, just be honest. You'll hear many people bash Swift. It's the path I chose and I don't have regrets. Swift gave me the opportunity to enter a new industry when I had zero experience. I've kept the wheels turning each time out. Making respectable checks.

 

Since there isn't (yet) law making trucking school mandatory, there might be another way:

When my wife decided she wanted to start trucking, we approached the owner of the truck I was driving at the time. She had been in the truck with me for about 6 months as a rider, so the boss knew her a little bit in passing.

We explained that we had done the research involved and found out the requirements for "learner's permit" for trucking. The requirements are currently:

- a full class 5 license (car & pickup truck) license for at least 2 years
- a driver's medical form, signed off and not less than 1 year old
- an air brakes endorsement
- there has to be a licensed class 1 w/ air brakes in the passenger seat at all times while learner is driving

We explained that if he were willing to write a letter stating so, I would train her and she would challenge her Class 1 (CDL) at the DMV and we would run as a team thereafter. So we started, my run didn't change because we could not run team logbooks, but it broke up my days. (I was running very hard at that job). It have her a chance to run the snow and ice of a Canadian winter with a trained professional in the seat, and we put almost 100,000mi on the truck together in all terrain, days & nights, snow, rain & shine, we backed onto docks all over Toronto, Montreal, NB, NS & PEI. No doubt it was much more extensive than anything any school could offer, cost nothing and she completely rocked her test when she went a several months later.

i think there's no better way to learn than in be truck itself with someone who does the job. My school was over priced and I was rushed through it because I was the only student enrolled. In and out in 2 weeks, and while I passed a road test no problem, I could have used more time with backing and more time with a loaded trailer on the road.

My first job wasn't a great company, and every new driver (some from schools, some farm boys who had no OTR experience; and some truckers from the 80s getting back into it) went with an experience driver for a few weeks to learn the company's ways... Paperwork, dispatch, qualcomm macros, preferred routes, etc and got their own truck when they were ready. I did 2 weeks with my mentor and I was off earning dollars of my own:

Wifey and I drove as the only team at first company for 1.5 years (I was there 2 years prior to her getting her license) and when we applied at our current job, there was nothing said about her not going to school. They also didn't ask to see my certificates from school, I'm assuming with 5 years incident free diving under my belt they don't matter.

So, OP, there is another way. Why not find out what the requirements are in your state for a learner's permit are, get your air brakes manual out and when you have a permit throw an ad on Craig's list and try to find a broker who could use a hand on the truck and would be willing to show you the ropes. I've seen similar ads and it might give you an "in" with his company when you're done. The day my wife challenged her license, there were two other young lads in company trucks doing the same. Truck drivers being a notoriously conceited lot, you might hang out at a truck stop buffet and get one chatting and get some info on local companies that hire new drivers too.

Oh, and don't take any nay Sayers advice on it before you try yourself. Half of the drivers out here learned from another driver on his truck but seem to think all new drivers should need a PhD from an Ivy League school to get the same jobs they have.

Good luck!

 

Don't over think it a lot of new guys over research
Every company has disgruntled people talking shzt

I did training with one of the big companies and didn't last the mandatory year
I had to pay back 2500 (not 6-10 grand) and I made payments it wasn't that big of a deal
It wasn't hard to find a job but you can't be picky w/o experience
Now that I have experience everyone wants to hire me

You will get better training from a school or big company it's your call though
If you want to do Swift call and ask