Older Prospective trainee

Welcome aboard! Sounded confusing to me that you have taken all endorsements but just applied for your permit? I think I missed something?

 

You can get all the endorsements at the same time you get the permit. It is what I did so a prospective employer could get me road experience enough to pass the road test while on the job in the slow season. Team drive a route with an experienced hand for a couple of weeks before taking the skills test to get all the stuff figured out.

 

Must just be depending on your state. When I applied they let me get tanker, but stopped me before hazmat and doubles/triples. They said I had to get my cdl first then go back and could not have those on my clp

 

Was Cali at the time and got Haz/Tanker on the permit. So could very well be state dependent.

 

I'm partially guilty for starting the derail........

Lets try to get this back to the original posters question. He's looking for an employer recommendation....

 

Best of luck to you.

 

Alec,

I turned 66 in December and got my CDL a week ago. You have two years on me so I think you will do just fine.

I grew up in MA and lived in N. VA for a few years so I am a bit familiar with the east coast. You should be close enough to plenty of opportunities. Most companies will specify their hiring area, but if you choose OTR you can live just about anywhere. I live just outside of Burning Stump, WI but because I live within 100 miles of the terminal I qualify for a regional (read home weekends generally) position.

As you have probably noticed there are a bazillion jobs out there but most want some type of experience. However there are plenty of companies that will hire you fresh out of school, you just have to do the legwork and figure out what is best for you. I paid cash for my CDL school so that I could have a bit more freedom of choice. Many choose to go with an academy attached to a truck company and then commit to work for them for a year or longer. For a variety of reason I went with Schneider. It's a dirty job, someone has to do it.

Good luck in whichever path you choose. I start training next Monday and am psyched up.

cheers
taodnt
teaching an old dog new tricks

 

You're right about trucking; age is irrelevant.
Here's a few to check out:
Trimac Transportation : hires new cdl grads from a list of approved schools. There's a terminal or two in New Jersey.
Calex Logistics - refrigerated company that runs lots of California.
Magnum Ltd. - refrigerated company that runs most states.
FFE (Frozen Food Express) - coast to coast refrigerated & has a New Jersey terminal.
Tyson Foods - refrigerated and runs almost everywhere. You're in the hiring area.
Schuster - nations largest ice cream hauler.
Shaffer Trucking - coast to coast refrigerated trucking.
J&R Schugel - refrigerated
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If you see anything you like on this list, apply. Don't be concerned if you think you may not qualify for some reason, because they all hire new cdl grads, even if the websites aren't clear about that. Submit as many applications as you want; the more the better. Some companies hire outside their normal hiring area if the applicant seems like an exceptional prospect.

 

Do you have a place to park the truck when your home for the weekend or are you going to commute back and forth from a terminal.You may not be able to bring a hazmat load home