am i experienced enouth for the US trucking industry

I moved here from England in '99.
I got my Mo drivers license and went straight to the CDL written tests, which I passed easily enough.
After that, I rented a truck and trailer and practiced for a few days, then passed the driving test.
If you do all that, you will then need to find someone that will let you get that 1yr you need to start being picky.
My previous experience did work for me with my first employer (Schneider Specialized, no longer exists), and they bumped me up in pay as soon as I got a letter sent to them from a customer of mine back in the UK.
Best of luck, and keep us posted.

Martin

 

I have a friend who teaches near Hamburg. I forget which uni now. Anyway, I'm pretty sure a German CDL will not transfer to any US state, but many states have reciprocity agreements and will allow transfer of standard drivers licenses (here it's class D). Once you have your CDL learners permit (I forget the proper term) you will be able to schedule a time to take your state's tests. As far as I'm aware there is no requirement that you attend any particular school or schooling, only that you successfully pass the testing the state requires.

There will certainly be companies that will hire you, but the others are right, the smaller companies will be more likely to consider your European experience than a mega carrier, but they're also the ones who will be less likely to take you because you haven't had an American CDL for at least a year.

I can't imagine that any company who is hiring people with no experience would turn you down. Why would they, of course, they can effectively get a driver with a decade's worth of experience for what they'd pay the guy who doesn't know what air brakes are...

 

Hallo Typhoon, Arizona vielleicht nicht der beste Ort zum Leben sein möchte wenn sie eine over-the-road lkw-fahrer. Es gibt nicht sehr viel Industrie in Arizona, so könnte es schwierig sein, Güterverkehr. Typisch, Treiber, die in den westlichen Staaten beschränkt sich auf das nur noch die 11 westliche Staaten, und die Grenze wie viel Geld sie machen kann. Wenn sie in der Lage sind, sollten Sie erwägen, wohnen im Zentrum des Landes, damit sie mehr Gelegenheit.

 

Oh yes they would!!! Just give them plenty of room to make there turn and it will be fine.

 

The USA has become very bureaucratic, but being from Germany you're probably used to it. Yes, you will have to jump through a few hoops. But as long as you have your green card, getting a CDL should not be a problem. After that the problem will be to find a trucking company to hire you. Since doing anything other than driving OTR in the USA is foreign to them, you will probably be considered inexperienced to them, never mind the fact that driving a truck in Europe requires alot more skill than driving one here. Just put in your 6 months to 1 year at a mega-carrier and enjoy it. After that, you will be able to work anywhere you want. Driving a truck in the USA is fun. You can drive faster than in Europe. None of the 40/60/80 kph crap. You can cruise for hours at a time! Truck stop culture will also be interesting. And you will get to drive through the West. As much as I love Europe, they have no equivalent. Viel Gluck!