How do class B drivers get their experience?

There are many class B jobs out there if you do not mind a little work, or a lot. Sewer combination cleaning truck operators are sought at various companies like CES, Miller pipeline, Reynolds pipeline, most municipalities, Suncoast, video pipe services and many more, not to mention rental equipment companies for flat beds and Garbage trucks, waste management , and many others. mobile crane companies.I operated a vactor for years.

 

There are endless class b jobs
if you think outside the trucking company box. For a lot of them driving is just part of the job, but im ok with that. Look at all the straigt trucks on the road.

 

I would recommend getting your class A. Like many others have said this gives you more options on where you can go. If you can not swing the price of a driving school, look for a job at Pepsi, Coke, or a local beer distributor. Most of these companies will, like others have said, train you to drive and set you up to get your license with their equipment. I drive for a beer distributor now and my company does this exact thing. They do not even require a permit as a hiring requisite, they give new hires 30 days to obtain a permit, then put them in a truck for training. Keep in mind most of those companies run automatic transmissions, so if you do not know how to shift in a rig this will limit your options for going OTR if you ever decided to go that route, but there are OTR companies who are making big changes to automatic rigs. But to answer the question on how class B drivers get experience, most have got their start with a company that trains in their equipment.

 

I'd question on the way out HOW that's not experience. Like it's been said look into ready mix, city/town jobs etc. There's a lot of Class B work out there. Being out in the country may limit your options, If you were willing to drive to either Spfld or Worcester you would probably have a lot more options, also don't underestimate craigslist.

 

Here is how I got my experience. I went to school, got a class a. I accepted a local class b job because the money and schedule are good. Day 1 they handed me keys to the truck and some paperwork and said go make these delivories...... 2 years later I still hapily work.there

 

If you're gonna spend the money on a school, might as well get a Class A. If you're dead set on a Class B, trying for an entry-level EO (Equipment Operator) position in a municipality... they typically give you six months to get a CDL, pay for it, and provide OTJ training for it.

 

As others have said get your class A if you can. I started out with a class B and when things got slow after a fire at my old job burnt down the shop and took out a few trucks I found it hard to find other work until I got a chance to get on with a company that would help me get my class A.

I am thinking strongly about going back to my old job because I did like working there, but now that I have the A I have far more options. Even alot of strait truck work requires an A. If your ever in a situation where you have to pull a trailer behind the truck (common in the construction industry) your gonna need an A to do it.

In a schooling situation where there will be little to no cost difference your best bet is really to go for the class A. It opens many more doors even if you only want to drive a strait truck.

 

I agree that getting a class A is the best. It gives you so many extra options. However it is one more test at DMV and a bit more added to the skills test. The combination test is not that hard and the skills test is not that difficult, just exacting. In my first post in this thread I spoke of working drive a way, even in this a class B won't allow you to move the trucks that are decked. This requires a class A. Go get the class A best solution.