Interested in trucking, few questions.

A gallon plastic milk jug is good for a portable urinal.

 

go ahead and get that permit before school. my school covered the dot manual the first week so we could get our permit. but there was one woman that had gotten hers so they had her backing a week before us. its also stressful having only a week to take in all that stuff. Good Luck!!

 

also you can take all your endorsements at one time. my school only required us to pass general knowledge , air brakes, and combination which I believe is the requirements for them to issue you a permit . you can add triples and doubles , tanker and hazmat. hazmat will not be on your permit until you pass a federal background check and have finger prints taken which cost around 90 bucks and takes up to 2 weeks to come back.

 

I take metformin and the one that starts with a G. I also take Cymbalta and Cyalis. The Cymbalta is for lower back pain and the Cyalis is an anti depressant. At least it makes me happy.

Pills you have to worry about are pills that cause you to fall asleep. Anything that says do not operate heavy machinery should be avoided. In my case that was the Cyalis but the doctor explained that it was not the kind of heavy machinery it was talking about.

You need to have a permit before you go to most schools. You should also take all the endorsements that you believe you will need. You won't need them but it is cheaper to do them all rather then doing them piecemeal. Being in California, I would recommend the TWIC's card also. It cost around $130 but will make you more hire able there. Most companies will reimburse you.

CDL Schools are just to get you the license. You will not know how to drive after you get your license. You will learn on the job.

For example. One of the skills you have to learn is a straight line back. You line the truck up and back up. And back up. And back up. When will this end. It seems to go on forever with you praying the trailer says straight the entire way. That is part of the test. Actually, the straight line back is the basic maneuver that all other moves are based on. The trick is to understand that the trailer you are backing doesn't change. It will always drift the same way. Either left or right. When you look into the mirror with your hand on top of the wheel you move your hand toward the mirror that the trailer is appearing in. It is like you are scolding the trailer by pointing your finger at it. Once you do, the trailer will run back out of the way. Very small inputs. Put the correction in and then take it out. Small movements. There, you now know how to do the hardest thing to learn. Easy.

As to needing to pee. You use bottles for that. Me, I need a really wide mouth bottle but most of the Swifties get by with those little pepsi bottles. Dump the liquid out on the grass or down a drain before you dispose of it properly. It is a bio hazard. As to number 2, that should be handled in the preplanning phase of class. I have no idea what women do.

Learn to simplify your life so you don't end up packing your tractor with lots of things you never even open. Why I packed two sets of underwear, I don't know.

Any company that hires a newbie is doing so because they do not have a choice. They will not pay you much. Truck drivers should make $100,000 with benefits. Very few do. $75,000 with Benefits is being made by many with 10 years or so in. Teams make more.

You meet people in this business so practice being nice to jerks. If you find yourself delivering to Colgate Soap warehouse in Atlanta, Ga, the fat a s s gal that checks you in is a real test of your Christianity.

Welcome to the world of trucking.