New here, considering getting my CDL.

Welcome aboard, I'd have killed for site like this 25 years ago. Would have saved me a lot of trouble. Had 2 jobs in a week once, because years ago, it was the "try and see" method.

 

Well, It doesn't help the industry, but at least, you don't go into this with reservations. Like I say, we didn't have that luxury years ago, but things were very different then. Best of luck, and don't worry, if you change your mind, trucking isn't going anywhere with a projected driver shortfall of 50,000 this year, and as much as 200,000 by the year 2025, which isn't that far away.

 

babysitters are everywhere these days.

welcome to the site

there are many of us retired, and many of us still driving with (me) over 35 years now, but going to retire in about 2-3 years. maybe sooner if i hit the lottery.

some of us (like me) tell it like it is, some others, sugar coat

and tell you only what YOU WANT to hear.

personally, i feel the "tell it like it is" is better, as not to mislead anyone into thinking it's all wine and roses out here, cuz truckers "whine" like no tomorrow all the same!

 

thank you. sadly, there are some thickheaded people, not necessarily here, but they are around, that simply cannot accept the truth....

to which i would like to say,



but i bite my tongue, and hope others chime in as well and enforce what is said..

 

Well, the driver facing camera's shouldn't be the only reason you don't want to do this. Not every company does that, and smaller companies still do treat you right. I'd never drive a truck with a facing camera ( that I knew about, anyway, who's to say, they don't come standard in every new truck, you just may not see them) and many local jobs, while hard to get in, still can provide a decent living and be home every night. My advice, study the book, get the CDL on your own, and go from there. Maybe work on a dock and see how trucking works, and talk to the drivers. There's a wealth of knowledge there. Schools, I feel, are for people that have no other options, and it literally, could be the only job around and they have to do it, usually with not so pleasant results. There's a huge turnover in these "bottom feeder" companies, and they have to have camera's, otherwise, they may never see you, unlike a local job. It's cheap insurance for them.