3 Trucking School Tips By a Newbie Who Is Playing To Win

I am new to trucking, but well versed in life.

I learned quite a bit by scanning all the online forums prior to starting trucking school.

Please allow me to share my findings if you are going to get started in trucking.

These tips are designed for the folks who have a little set-aside, and can spend $150 - $200 bucks BEFORE you start a school or apply for a firm to PAY your way.

Tip # 1

Get your DOT physical well before school starts, to ensure you can pass a firm's DOT physical once you get to, or out of, school.

I had read all over these forums about students who got yanked out of school in the first week or second week due to failing physicals (which if you are having a firm pay your school, you WILL take a comprehensive physical the 1st day of class, prior to any class work starting).

I saw students in my class get pulled out, with one having flown in from 4 states away, only to be sent home, on his own dime.

(Side note: If you get to school and fail a drug test on day 1, well you are just plain 'ole dumb.)

Here are a few locations I found where you can set an appointment and get your DOT physical done ASAP to determine if you will make the cut prior to spending time and energy getting to school, only to get sent home very quickly.

I had not had a physical for over 15 years (typical dude, right), so I wanted to ENSURE I was going to pass, or at least know what issues I had regarding the physical, well in advance.

Mine cost me 60 bucks, and I got a 2 year DOT card AND a long form, within about an hour and a half.

http://DotPhysicalDoctor.com

http://www.CVS.com/minuteclinic/resources/dot-physicals?WT.mc_id=PS_010615&WT.srch=1

http://www.TeamCME.com

I did this FIRST, to ensure I had no issues once I got started.

I KNOW I have to get another company physical once school is over and I start with a company, but I have time to work on anything that may have been a problem in the physical. (I did weigh a bit too much for my taste, so I’ve already lost 14 pounds in 4 weeks just by making some minor adjustments to my lifestyle.)

Tip # 2

Take your DMV tests, and get your CDL Class A Permit BEFORE you start school.

Again, I have some cash reserves, so I spent 4 days studying the online free CDL tests listed below, and I passed my DMV CDL Class A General Knowledge tests, and all but one of my endorsement tests, in one pass.

I studied one more night on the one I missed, and passed the next day.

Even the DMV guy was a bit amazed I passed all 7 Class A CDL tests in pretty much one sitting.

Actually, I passed the first 6 tests in less than 40 minutes after studying those 4 days.

I don’t say that to brag, I say that show you that if you study the questions listed on these sites, memorize them, and drill, relentlessly for a few days or a week, you will also pass them.

http://FreeDMVPracticeTests.com/cdl

http://www.TruckerCountry.com/cdl-practice-tests

http://www.TheTruckersReport.com/cdl-practice-tests

Testing Tip:
When you are actually taking the tests at DMV, and you get to a question you don’t remember the answer to, simply skip it and move on. Don’t guess. Chances are you will get the required # right to have the test shut off and pass you before you have to go back and choose the answer.

Now, for full disclosure, let me say that rote memory doesn’t necessarily mean you Comprehend the information, but that’s what school will help with later.

Just pass the DMV written test, get your CDL Class A permit, with whatever endorsements you can, and keep moving forward.

In my school, some folks were still lost after the first 4 days, and they had a tough time with the test on day 5, including some even failing it.

It just amazes me that in today’s technological world, with these tests at your fingertips on your phone, anyone fails the test.

But, I’m a different animal, I guess.

Once I passed the test, I began interviewing schools, and companies.

Keep in mind, when I called these schools and companies or visited in person, I let them know I ALREADY had my 2 year DOT card and long form, and my CDL Class A Permit.

These facts changed the dialogue very quickly, in my favor.

I was going to pay my own way through trucking school, so I reached out to specific firms who do the driving I have chosen to do after reading all the trucker forums online, as well as reaching out to some experienced posters on sites like this one, and getting guidance and tips.

I called the companies directly, and the recruiters, and settled on 3 firms to pursue, BEFORE I even began school.

Tip # 3

Get your hiring background done in ADVANCE as well.

I check my credit scores once a year on all 3 credit bureaus, and after reading these forums, I also knew that folks get kicked out due to background issues.

Me, being me, I figured why not use the SAME firm to send me my background as most hiring firms use to check me out?

So I went to the site below, and ordered my FREE comprehensive background report, so I could see what they will see.

http://www.HireRight.com

The results will be mailed to you, and it took mine about 3 weeks to arrive from the day I requested them.

So, in summary, No ONE school will guarantee you a job, just the training to hopefully pass your CDL DMV written test, and the training to pass a DMV CDL road test.

During my phone calls to firms, I asked if the trucking school I attended ‘mattered’?

All of the firms I called told me they simply required 160 hours of certified training, and manual transmission certification as well, although almost all of them have automatic trucks for their drivers.

The obvious other requirements are the physical, the background and the drug tests.

So, If you are not scared of picking up the phone and calling companies, you should understand by reading this that if you pass your CDL written and driving tests, pass a physical, DMV and personal background test, you are IN DEMAND, and will find employment.

Firms NEED drivers.

Understand the pay won’t be stellar the first year while you are getting your experience.

If you think this will be a 70-90k job driving year 1, for the 70 hours you may run a week, you will drop out quickly, is my thought.

I listened to more than one student in my class ask the instructor about making 90-100k a year, and since the students asking this were actually being sponsored by a firm contracted by his school, he really had to dance around the subject, and not really answer.

He should have been on the verbal edition of 'Dancing With The Stars.'

He was flawless.

These students will have to pay back the school costs out of weekly paychecks, they will probably work for less per mile than others who didn’t get a company sponsored ride through school, and they have signed a CONTRACT to ensure they pay back the investment the firm made in them.

If that’s the road you have to take to get into the industry, life is what it is, and no judgement is levied.

I too have needed a hand-up, not a hand-out at times in my life.

But I’ve reverse engineered the average pay for new trucking-school hires, so allow me to share my thoughts.

Let’s assume you average 70 hours DRIVING a week, and you make 3000-3500 hundred per month, before taxes.

Let’s not EVEN consider miles driven yet, let’s just do that math, right there.

Calculation # 1

$ 3000 per month (before taxes)

280 hours a month driving (70 hours times a 4 week driving schedule)

$ 3000 / 280 = $ 10.71 an hour

Calculation # 2

$ 3500 per month (before taxes)

280 hours a month driving (70 hours times a 4 week driving schedule)

$ 3500 / 280 = $ 12.50 an hour

Here’s the beautiful thing, though.

You CAN make bank, once you get a year or more driving experience and get your cents per mile UP, or get specialized loads, or become an Owner Operator.

Finally, I KNOW for a fact, if you are unemployed, most state unemployment offices WILL give you guidance in order to get your schooling PAID FOR much cheaper than you can imagine.

We had a student in my class who went this route, and his cost was paid by the state, all except for $ 700 bucks, so he will be able to pick a company once he graduates as well, rather than being tied to a firm contractually for them paying for school.

Here’s what’s so cool about this dude, though.

Even though the state paid almost all his school ride, he came to class with his Class A CDL permit in hand, and his medical card, just like me.

He came to play.

And to win.

Good luck with your new career ladies and gentlemen.

Life pays what you ask.

Ask.

And Play Hard.

None of get out of here alive.

 

For those needing tips about the companies out there, read all of Chinatown posts.
He gives great advice, and speaks from knowledge, not forum feedback.
Rock and roll...

 

yep, there were many ways to compute it, and you are right, I did not include the other hours, or the possibility of driving more than 70 hours, but I was trying to get the basic mindset out there.
i subscribe to the KISS principle, especially in matters such as this.
(Keep It Simple Son)

 

I listed the practice test links in my post.