Turned down - Is this a common problem for 'newbies'?

Unless you are a temporary resident (college, military, etc.) with plans to return to your home state, you have 90 days to get your license transferred. If you are not enrolled in school or in the military, and you have a job, and especially if the address on your current license is not a valid mailing address for you, don't get pulled over until you change it over...especially if you have been 90 days since you moved.

That COULD also be a reason why you are being rejected, since your license does not match the address you are giving the companies. Remember: You are applying for a driving job. You need to be squeaky clean on issues pertaining to your license.

http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/DriverLicense/faq/answers_dl_id.htm

 

Just go down to the local BMV and take the test.
You can take the practice test online here.
http://www.roadwars.com/index.shtml
This page has the actual questions on the test. It has ALL of the questions, and they are worded exactly the same. When you get to the BMV, your test won't include all these questions, just a random sample of them, in other words, the actual test is not as long as the one on the practice site above. You will need to take the General Knowledge and Air Brake test to get your learner's permit, the rest is optional, but I'd go ahead and knock them out while your in there.

 

So once you have your permit, then what? You still need to learn how to drive a CMV. You can't just go out and hop in a truck.

Bottom line... think this through carefully. Unless you have something lined up locally, you'll probably be unemployable. The big OTR companies where many get their experience to become valid players in the driver employment market will not touch you unless you have driving school accreditation.

 

If you get your permit you can just "jump into a truck" (with a trainer).

It shows the company that you are serious about driving, and decreases the training time by removing the need for "ground school". This reduces their investment in you and allows you to get in the seat and start making money for them.

Go to the BMV and get the commercial drivers handbook and study it and take those practice tests until you are confident enough to take the permit test.

Driving a rig is the easy part.... The hardest part of that for me was gauging my speed and getting slowed down and in the right gear for a turn. For me sitting up high in a truck I loose my speed perspective, at 60mph I feel like I am only going 35.