Coming back into trucking. Where to start...???

your likely to be quite disappointed at the depths of the proverbial s***ter the trucking industry has gone in the last decade or so.

 

Did you like Schneider? If so don't they have training? If not I would go through a Community College for CDL training.

 

CLICK HERE for a list of trucking companies that hire new drivers.

This is from thetruckersreport website.

 

Your oppurtunities are greatly expanded if you obtain your CDL on your own, then go to a training company for your training experience. Look to your state unemployment agency to see if retraining funds are available. Check the local community colleges for CDL schools, they are much cheaper.

 

Most companies would of made you take a refresher course even if you had your cdl. Go to one of the 3week bottom feeder companies if you don't have the cash to shell out for school. You will be top of your class and they probably will let you out of training earlier. Even if you don't last long at the company. Its not hard to pay them back. It also seems most only want you to last 6 months instead of the year it use to be. I think swift,prime,crst, and rohl has them.

 

^^That.^^

Best to avoid the scam/indentured servitude of OTR and go local. If nothing else, you'll be home every night, and you'll learn how to reverse and manoeuvre in tight places again, right quick!

 

I was pretty much in your same type situation.

My son born in 94, by the time my daughter was born in 96 I gave up trucking in order to be home more and spend more time with my family. Young babies need more than a part time daddy.

Anyway,.. I was in Md and left to move to Fl back in 99. I didnt want to pay for all of the endorsements and all to have my CDL transferred to Fl. I had a new career that paid very well and felt I would never need my CDL again so I gave it up and just got a regular drivers permit.

Fast forward to 2009 and the company I worked for was out of business and I had to find something to bring money in before I went broke.

Here is how I re-acquired my CDL:

I did NOT go to any trucking school. If you already drove before then its like getting back on a bicycle. 10 mins behind the wheel and you'll be back in the saddle. I went to the DMV and picked up a CDL handbook. Read it over just to refresh the old noggin. I took the general knowledge, air brakes, combination, doubles/triples and tanker tests right there on the computer. Hazmat and passenger require a little more to get. Pass the tests and you'll get a CDL "Learners Permit". In Florida its nothing but a piece of paper that says you passed the written tests and can drive a commercial vehicle 26k + provided someone hold the proper permit is in the seat next to you. You have to wait 2 weeks before you can take the road test. In Florida the only place to take a state sponsored road test is down in Miami. I live near Tampa,.. so it would have been too costly to rent a truck and take the road test there. How ever,.. Roadmaster has a school in Tampa and they are a certified 3rd party to get your road test done. So I paid them $150 to use their truck and take their road test. Passed Roadmaster's road test. I got their certificate and then went back to the DMV and got my permanent CDL-A permit.

Now the tricky part was finding someone to hire me because I had not driven for anyone commercially in 15 yrs. Back when I last drove all you needed was a clean driving record, a road test with the company owner in the truck with you, a firm handshake and you had a good job. Today its completely different. Govt regulation and insurance companies have cracked down so hard its very difficult to land that first driving position with anyone except perhaps one of the bottom feeder training companies who will force you to drive team. Not only that,.. with out recent driving experience, they will require that you take a refresher course (Which can cost as much as CDL school) and make you sign a contract in order to pay it back while your working there.

I managed to land a local job hauling cars from the auto auctions and from the rail yards to new car dealers. Money was good when he had work. But the problem was he would work me good for maybe 2 months and then nothing for 3 - 4 weeks. Then maybe another month of work and then nothing again. Then I found the company I am with right now. Its an OTR position driving a very nice KW T660 pulling reefers, running coast to coast. But thats where the niceness ends. Because of my limited recent experience and unable to find work anywhere else,.. I agreed to sign a 12 month contract here. Basically he keeps 2 weeks of my pay should I quit before its up. But in order to stay working here, I am 1099 and on a salaried position. There is no incentive other than not to be yelled and cursed at or to lose my job to run hard. Yet I find myself going against my principles on a daily basis here. Basically you have to pretend that you dont have any. Coast to coast,.. 3500 - 4300 miles a week is typical here. Out 8 - 9 weeks at a time with only 5 days home. No insurance, no benefits, no detention pay, we lump 90% of our own loads. The delivery schedules are so tight and often they will switch things up on you asking you to swap trailers with another driver for what ever reason and you find yourself doing what ever it takes to get the load delivered. Often driving for 14+ hrs straight, praying nothing bad happens where DOT will go back and audit your logs. I havent had a legit restart in 6 weeks.

I'm 9 months into a 12 month, cant wait till my 12 month is up so I can move on. I can only assume this is what folks mean by "Paying your dues". I'm paying them in spades right now. I hope and pray I find something better after this.

This has been my experience so far. Hopefully you do as well or better.

Hurst

 

What's the #### difference he drove for Schneider,

For reals. My advice, watch out for them lease opp deals. It seems to be the latest way the companies are ripping off the drivers.

Check the docked thread in this forum section.(If you don't want to get burned by a lease purchase by rookietrucker). It's pretty good.

As Hurst explained the catch on his deal, it might be worth it to go through a refresher type course to help you get back on the road and the expense usually isn't as much as the schooling for new drivers.

It might be worth it just to avoid such schemes as Hurst explained. I myself got caught up in a shady lease that I'd taken on as I was coming back into the industry after being away for about a year.

I may be wrong, because I've never worked for them myself, but Stevens right for you, in your situation. I'd hate to steer you wrong though.

Good luck and try to void any unnecessary hassle's.