Active/Retiring Military - When Should I Get CDL

Let me also say this:

I obviously don't know you from adam...

If you decide to go the CDL route, get your class A and at a minimum HAZMAT, and Tanker. ALSO get your TWIC card up front. You'll be a better hire and make it easier to sell yourself. (Having a clearance of course is a big plus)

If your not married and want to travel you can go Merchant Marines. I thought about it, but with a wife and 3 kids... I couldn't handle the deployment sked anymore.

 

Get your CDL when you are ready to drive for a living. You might change your mind before you start driving. The industry will change. You can get a CDL in 3 weeks. IMO, while community college programs give better training than 3 week CDL schools like I used, you will learn 90% of this job OJT at your first employer. The CDL school goal is get you a license and then learn by doing under supervision at your first company.

 

I hear ya 100%. You sound exactly like me when I was getting set to retire ! I too explored the trucking industry back then as well. I couldn't accept the being home from home thing back then.... and can't now. I actually work as a Yard Dog/Switcher. Started 2 days ago.

My advice ? STAY IN as long as you possibly can !! I got out at (20) years on the dot and regretted the #### out of it. As the saying goes.... 'The grass ain't always greener on the other side'. ...... As I said earlier, I started with the VA and it was a nightmare. Those civilians who have never served simply have no idea what our Military lives are/were like.

I also hear ya about windowless working environments. I worked for (35) years in windowless Laboratories.

The civilian sector is dog eat dog and ruthless to the core. I relate the way US Corporations are run to the days of the Confederacy and slave ownership. The concepts really are the SAME. Just flat out greed. The only real differences are Corporations now-a-days can't physically beat their employees and they let them go home after abusing them.

Gone are the days of labor Unions. In the Military, we are all covered under the UCMJ..... and we have 1st Sergeants ! The civilian sector is mass chaos !

 

It's amazing how much thinking and sorting you will do while on terminal leave.

 

I love how alot of them claim they love hiring vets, but in reality they just want that tax break. Pass that tax break to the vet because he's going to bust his ###. I was 9 years army, not sure about the Navy, but the title nuclear power officer and 21 years of service tells me he's definitely a senior NCO or commissioned officer (o-5 ish range)
Yeah he/she definitely has what it takes to run a truck.

Not a recuiter, but Werner started me at 49cpm on a dedicated account. Typical day is roughly 450 dispatch miles. Have been plenty days where I gotten well over 500 miles and stoped at the house that night. (I live 30 mins from my DC)
But there's been days where I barely break 250 miles. I do miss salary pay lol

 

Check out ATI for driving school. I don't endorse them in any way, but I went there and it was 10 weeks long with plenty of driving AND class time.

not sure if he's still there, but IF you go and there is an instructor nick named "Woodpecker" and tell him Nuke says hey.