Class B to Class A Job Question

Oh you definately need a CDL. You can't operate a commercial vehicle without one. Some of these companies offer tuition reimbursement as well, but again, you have to be committed a certain amount of time to get it.

Companies like McLane Foodservice, UPS, Fed Ex Freight, and Fed Ex Express offer inhouse training, where you can obtain your CDL through them. But you would have to start off in the warehouse or docks, in order to get that inhouse training.

 

If you signed on to one of these training programs, no you would not have to pay for the training, even if you started out on Class B. The company will provide the training at no cost to you, BUT if you decided to leave before your one year commitment, THEN you would have to pay back the cost of the training, which is usually around $4k. So stick it out 1 year, and you're free to look for other opportunities. If they offer tuition reimbursement, usually they spread that out in increments, so if you left early, you wouldn't get the whole reimbursement back, but that may be offered only to students fresh outta school, and not students who havn't drove Class A a year later.

Talk to a recruiter at one of these companies for more definitive answers. It can't hurt to ask. One company may ask you to take a refresher course, and anouther may not. So the advice I'm giving may not be correct. Only way to find out is to ask them directly.

 

Having a Class A and having a CDL has to be two different things.

Either way you need at least that to move a tractor trailer which is the most common A vehicle. The only other thing is to have a learners permit for CDL which requires you to have a licensed CDL with you (Probably endorsements too for airbrake as well.)

Class B has many of the same stuff as class A, the actual driving is the same as far as Im concerned. when you bring in a trailer, 5th wheel etc and add more weight that is why you need a A. You CAN put a beaver trailer onto a dump truck and still stay B, but I need to refresh that.

That is one of the biggest problems with me personally. Ive been around for so long I forget much of the particulars from the Facility that issues CDL's there are so many particulars that need to be correct before someone is issued a A. However the actual doing compared to a B truck is similar.

One person mentioned you need a buddy to get you into garbage stuff. he is so right. For whatever reason it's gotten impossible for someone like me off the street to walk in and get a hold of a trash truck to go the rounds. You need a buddy. (Not that I really want to deal with trash, that is best left to people better than myself...and able to put up with some of the really icky things associated with trash)