Getting CDL back

Go find a truck driving school in your area such as roadmaster I think they'll allow you to use their truck for the road test for a fee.

 

Why is this in the "favorites" section?

 

I did it kind of like the op is trying to do. There is a company in MN that rents you a truck and trailer to take your road test. $425 for an hour of practice and the road test. Highly recommended.

 

I went this route as well. Gave up my CDL in 99 when I moved from Md to Fla and got my Fla class C because I didnt want to pay for my endorsements and the CDL fee. I had a good job that didnt need a CDL,.. so it wasnt important at the time.

What I did was to take the written tests and got my learners. That was easy enough. Instead of renting a truck,.. I paid $150 to Roadmaster and used their truck on their property to do a 3rd party road test. Got their certificate and when back to the DMV to take my picture and had my CDL the same day. Its like riding a bicycle,.. you never forget.

Getting my CDL back was the easy part.
Finding someone to hire me was a nightmare. I drove commercially from 88 - 96. I did heavy haul RGN from 92 - 96. I had references from my old company,. with the exception of a 2 week stint with JB Hunt in 1989,.. I worked for the same company from 88 - 96. Owner of the company wrote up a letter of recommendation for me. None of it mattered.

So I took some money out of what was left of my IRA and bought a 96 Volvo single axle day cab, 10 spd with a 350hp 11.1 Detroit for $4500 and then paid $7800 for a 4 car Kaughman trailer. I was doing the odd haul for various dealers picking up cars at the auctions. Then subbed for Hansen & Adkins. I dinged the roof on a SRT8 Challenger and 2 weeks later my ramp wasnt latched in correctly and as I was backing a Dodge 4500 Cab and chassis off the ramp dropped and the bumper of the Dodge caught the back of my trailer. Insurance dropped me after that. Couldnt find new insurance that I could afford,.. so I sold the truck and trailer. 2 months later I hired on with one of the most crooked company owners I have ever met. He makes the notorious Chicagoland rebels look like angels in comparison. This is a white guy,.. well he's Greek,.. but then so is my wife,.. but he gives new meaning to the term A hole. I knew I would have to ride it out with him for at least 12 months before anyone would be able to hire me. I stuck it out,.. with the exception of one bad inspection where I miscounted my 10hr break when I wrote it down on my log,.. I kept my nose clean and kept true to my word when I told him when I quit,.. it would be on my terms. He had it in his head that I would never quit and needed him more than he needed me. I knew if I stayed it was only a matter of time before something bad happened. I had to quit. Terrible pay with even worse working conditions. I came out smelling like a rose after that. A year later I bought the truck I have now and the rest is history. I couldnt be happier.

Its getting your foot in the door after you get your CDL that will be the hard part. The bottom feeders wouldnt even entertain hiring me. Now all the companies that I submitted applications to all send me emails and call and leave pre-recorded voices mails telling me how I can make $35k my first year!! Pffft,.. they can all go pound sand. They werent there when I needed them. I am no different now than I was then.

Thats how I did it.

Hurst

 

Subscribed!

 

Wow it's like they penalize you if you leave trucking for serveral years and then come back. They make you start all over again. I wonder what would happen if you leave truck driving for like 4 years but you kept your CDL active? Would they just have you do a road test or would they make you get a refresher course?

 

They do that for guys that believe that you have to work for a mega company to get started or get back into trucking. Sad part is about 99% of the people on this site think that's what you have to do.

With a little ambition its not necessary to go that route.