Hello, first post here. I graduated with my cdl a on April 20th this year and currently coming on my 90 days with my cdl a and still no experience. I’m moving to California in late December and planning to find my job during that time before I move. Will my cdl still be valid with 7 months of no experience after graduating?
will this hinder me from finding a job?
Can you please give me some insight
Recent grad looking for advice
Discussion in 'Questions From New Drivers' started by Zaybarajas, Jul 24, 2024.
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Some companies will want you to take a refresher course if you are brand new and have not worked for 7 months. The better a company is to work for the more selective they can be when picking employees. You can find a job almost anywhere.
I don't understand why SO MANY newbies get their CDL and then do nothing with it for months or years. It makes finding a good job more difficult. CA is expensive place to live and crowded. They have crazy rules and some companies will not hire CA CDL holders because of those rules.Zaybarajas and Gearjammin' Penguin Thank this. -
I scored my first CDL job with Schneider....almost 2 years after I got my CDL.
Why the delay?
In my case -- legal family in-fighting, while settling a family estate.
Basically...I did not want to start driving a big rig until I could focus all my undivided attention & resources on that.
But that was back when the freight & CDL job market was MUCH BETTER.....than it is now.
Suggestions:
- If possible -- move to Nevada, instead of CA. You'll thank yourself later -- as a beginning driver. Look for CDL jobs in Nevada, instead. @Chinatown
- Get ALL the relevant CDL endorsements, preferably before you start applying for jobs (tanker, doubles/triples...& especially hazmat). Those endorsements will show prospective employers that you are serious -- & you mean business.
-- Lcke and Zaybarajas Thank this. -
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Hello thank you for your response. I spoke with Werner today for a drivers position with them and they told me if I waited until December it would be too long and would need at least 3 months experience by then to be able to drive for them.
my reasoning for not going after a job immediately after getting my cdl had to do with my moving situation and current employment. So it prolonged my new career path as a driver.tscottme Thanks this. -
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Hello thank you for your response! There are some companies out there that I spoke to like western express who would offer me a job in December (possibly) but starting pay is pretty low compared to the current employer im at currently.
I really wish I had gotten a job right out of schooling but I also was in between a rock and a hard place trying to figure everything out from financial to household issues also going through some legality with a business partnership trying to settle. My girlfriend of a few years lives in California and trying to find a good stable job out there is impossible compared to the opportunities in Michigan. I currently make 27 an hour from my current employer which is a big reason I prolonged my career path with my cdl. But, to get anywhere close to that was to get my cdl and move to California. -
Which city/town will you live in, in California?
A CDL with zero experience will not get you a top paying job as a starter company.
Once you relocate to California, you'll have to change your CDL to a California address and get fingerprinted again for Hazmat endorsement.Zaybarajas Thanks this. -
Where in California? I assume you want a local, home daily job. It hardly makes sense to move cross country and then go OTR, since you'd just be exchanging one type of long distance relationship for another.
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Chinatown Thanks this.
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