Question for someone willing to help out a new dude.

Discussion in 'Questions From New Drivers' started by MarlinDoom, Oct 17, 2010.

  1. MarlinDoom

    MarlinDoom Bobtail Member

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    Oct 17, 2010
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    I'm 20, just turned 20 in august, but for the longest time I've always looked up to truckers, and bus drivers, and thought about going into driving someday. I know I'm young, but I figure I should ask these questions now.
    -At this age should try to pursue this? I honestly have read through here and see how much not being home is mentioned, long hours, stressful I'm sure, but I still want to look into this.
    -I know where CDL schools are here in CO. They recommended not doing the school till I got a bit older, what age can I actually get even a little bit of experience at?
    -Can you actually get experience before getting your CDL?

    I'm sure there's more question I have, I just can't think of any right now. Thanks for Reading.
     
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  3. REDD

    REDD The Legend

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    Dueling Banjoville
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    You can not drive interstate (cross state lines) until your 21. You can drive with in the state at your current age.
     
  4. dice11

    dice11 Bobtail Member

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    May 31, 2010
    PA
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    wait till u be 21
     
  5. notarps4me

    notarps4me Road Train Member

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    NASA HQ
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    Keep in mind to that most good companies will not hire you until your 25.
     
  6. ChromeDome

    ChromeDome Road Train Member

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    Lakeland, FL
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    I got my CDL when I was 21 and I had a hard time finding work.
    I got a local driving job easy, but the OTR company's really wanted drivers to be either 23+ or 25+, depending on the company's insurance.
    You can make a good living running local though, no need to ever go OTR.
    Just remember though, local experience will count as no experience at all to an OTR company.
    Depending on where you live you can get a job driving a dump or mixer fairly easy at 21. And pay in most areas starts at 10 bucks an hour or more. Many areas allot more.
     
  7. jeredius

    jeredius Bobtail Member

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    Oct 16, 2010
    utah
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    for local in your area try Pepsi, coke, dominoes, mcdonalds, sysco food dlv, dairy's in your area...like the others have said, you can roll in an 18 wheeler now, in-state. If you dig it, start looking at OTR companies when you're 23. good luck
     
  8. cant_wait_2_retire

    cant_wait_2_retire Bobtail Member

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    Aug 27, 2010
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    I obtained my CDL when I was 18, had a local gig hauling dump trailers all over the state of PA, just had to take a very extensive road test because I was so young. When I was 21 I landed a super regional otr job with a crappy PA company, ran all over New England and Mid Atlantic states. Three years later a well known ltl carrier was hiring 6 miles from my house and I been with them ever since, I am home every night, sleep in my own bed and make a little under 70k a year. And most big ltl carriers will now hire you at the age of 21 and with no experience so they can train you their way.
     
  9. American-Trucker

    American-Trucker Road Train Member

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    Nov 8, 2009
    Charlotte, North Carolina
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    your in luck I'm just the person to answer these questions for you:

    I got my Class A CDL when I was 18 in March of 2008, I am now 21 and driving OTR for a Very Good Company (Watkins Shepard, we have a terminal in Denver, CO).

    My advice to you is this: Do you want to go OTR? if you do look around and find the best school for the money, call a bunch of companies good and bad and make sure they hire out of that school. Then make sure you know what your getting yourself into, do lots of research on here as well as watch allot of the YouTube Truck Drivers (I'm on there to).

    Then schedule your school so that you finish about 2 weeks after you turn 21, that way by the time your done with school your legal.

    If you want to run local find a few companies willing to hire you BEFORE you go to school, I didn't do that and ended up having to pay for school again out of my pocket for the second time so that I could start driving right when I turned 21.

    There are plenty of companies that hire OTR drivers at 21 most are not very good but it will get your foot in the door and money in the bank. If this is what you want to do, do it now. That way you can get a few years of Exp. while your young and able to do the long hours/sometimes bad food/etc, and can get a good paying local job like UPS/FedEX/Conway or what ever at 23 or whatever and be set.





    Good Luck! If you have any questions or want some links to the 200+ truck drivers on YouTube let me know!





    American Trucker
     
  10. mysticguido

    mysticguido Light Load Member

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    Sep 20, 2010
    Wharton, TX
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    Call or go to You local DMV and see how old Your State says You have to be to get Your CDL. You can get the booket from them to start learning the written test. Do as other has said by looking for local driven jobs till You get older.
     
  11. KDuBB

    KDuBB Bobtail Member

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    Oct 15, 2010
    Inverness,fl
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    hermm i guess FL is different on CDL requirements...i HAD to be 21 to even get my CDL?
     
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