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considering getting cdl a

Discussion in 'Questions From New Drivers' started by shantaltrucking, Oct 8, 2009.

  1. Oct 8, 2009 #1
    shantaltrucking

    shantaltrucking Bobtail Member

    4
    0
    Sep 28, 2009
    morrisville, ny
    0
    im currently working at a school as a cleaner i hate the work and im thinking about leaving in 10 years when i can lock up my retirment and start driving otr. I have been looking at getting my cdl now because i work on a farm and want a bigger truck to haul hay to new jersey. I currently haul with a dodge 3500 and a 24' trailer.

    Now the question is should i spend the money on a driving school or should i buy a truck with a million miles and a cheap flatbed and have my freind that drives combination teach me. They both would cost the same amount of money. I looked at a couple of schools and the one that really stood out was ntts in liverpool ny. thanks in advance.
     
    shantaltrucking, Oct 8, 2009
    shantaltrucking, Oct 8, 2009
    #1
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  3. Oct 8, 2009 #2
    ChromeDome

    ChromeDome Road Train Member

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    Lakeland, FL
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    If the price will be about the same I would do NTTS.
    This will get you your licence for what you want to do.
    Check with insurance companys first though. Because of limited driving experiance you may have a harder time. But for limited farm use you will probibly be ok.
    Also, if you want to drive OTR later you will probibly have to do a company training when the time comes, but we cannot look 10 years into the future to know.
    It is a really good time to buy a used truck though. The prices are down where they were in the 80s.
     
    ChromeDome, Oct 8, 2009
    ChromeDome, Oct 8, 2009
    #2
  4. Oct 9, 2009 #3
    shantaltrucking

    shantaltrucking Bobtail Member

    4
    0
    Sep 28, 2009
    morrisville, ny
    0
    thanks for the advice ive been reading on here for a month now and havnt seen anything good about the schools i was wondering if it would be better to be trained by a driver with actual experiance. i figured id need a refresher when i joined a company. Im going to try and sign up for the course at the end of the year and see how it goes. im looking at a 2001 freightliner 10speed with a high top sleaper with 1,000,000 miles and 350,000 miles on a rebuild for $4,500.
     
    shantaltrucking, Oct 9, 2009
    shantaltrucking, Oct 9, 2009
    #3
  5. Oct 9, 2009 #4
    misterG

    misterG Road Train Member

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    Jan 21, 2009
    ask my dispatcher
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    Whats the gross of hte truck and trailer you use now?
    They may be enough to get the class A as is, (ie. 15,000 truck+ 14,000 trialer = more than enought to qualify for the class A license and get it at the lcoal DMV after getting the permit).
    As CD said, we cannot know what will happen in 10yrs.
     
    misterG, Oct 9, 2009
    misterG, Oct 9, 2009
    #4
  7. Oct 9, 2009 #5
    doubledragon5

    doubledragon5 Road Train Member

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    Lewisville TX
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    If your not looking to actually drive OTR for at least another 10yrs, then don't bother getting one now. You will fall under the same rules as a truck driver as far as driving records go.. If you get it now and drive only a car or light truck and get a ticket, you get treated in court just like as if your already driving a big truck...
     
    doubledragon5, Oct 9, 2009
    doubledragon5, Oct 9, 2009
    #5
  8. Oct 9, 2009 #6
    shantaltrucking

    shantaltrucking Bobtail Member

    4
    0
    Sep 28, 2009
    morrisville, ny
    0
    the only reason i want a cdl now is i want to buy a truck for the farm so i can haul bigger loads of hay to new jersey that means less trips less fuel and more money. I also want it because they cut alot of funding for the schools and are cutting teachers so it wont be long before they are cutting the help.
     
    shantaltrucking, Oct 9, 2009
    shantaltrucking, Oct 9, 2009
    #6
  9. Oct 9, 2009 #7
    shantaltrucking

    shantaltrucking Bobtail Member

    4
    0
    Sep 28, 2009
    morrisville, ny
    0
    i have never ran it across any scales since we sell by the bale and not the ton but i figure it as 40 pounds a bale and i carry 300 bales. i fiqure its around 25,000 pounds.
     
    shantaltrucking, Oct 9, 2009
    shantaltrucking, Oct 9, 2009
    #7
  10. Oct 9, 2009 #8
    Unidos

    Unidos Light Load Member

    78
    11
    Oct 6, 2009
    Port Orange, FL
    0

    I was hauling cars and ran a Ford F350 Crew cab Dually 13k gvw for the truck and 18k gvw on the trailer. 31k GVCW. I wanted to get a CDL with that combo. They told me here in FL If I used that combo to test in the Lic would have restrictions for no tractor trailers and no air brakes.

    just a bit of info.

    Now with No CDL Insurance was a killer. $14k a year. Not many places insure Duallys with gooseneck trailers for commercial use. Progressive does but you can only travel 500 miles from your home base. Intrastate only. This does not include cargo insurance

    Interstate travel Requires your own Athority. You need a MC# on top of the DOT#. You need to have the MC# before they can quote you rates for interstate.
     
    Unidos, Oct 9, 2009
    Unidos, Oct 9, 2009
    #8
  11. Oct 9, 2009 #9
    Freebird135

    Freebird135 Road Train Member

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    In the air conditioning
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    but he will have a S restriction, no semi

    to get that taken off hed have to do it all over again in a semi so he might as well do that now
     
    Freebird135, Oct 9, 2009
    Freebird135, Oct 9, 2009
    #9
  12. Oct 10, 2009 #10
    misterG

    misterG Road Train Member

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    Jan 21, 2009
    ask my dispatcher
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    Thats understandable, however the reason I was asking is that. Here in Commiesconsin, a class A allows for no restrictions, other that air-brakes. In other words it is transferable, according to the information I have obtained from several licensed testers in Spooner, Eau Claire and here in Hayward. Though I may still be wrong.

    Admitedly, if he is going to get a semi for the farm, he would be best served by getting the class A with no restrictions based upon what his home state allows.

    Each state is a little different, though the license is the same.
     
    misterG, Oct 10, 2009
    misterG, Oct 10, 2009
    #10
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