CDL on my own

You said, " Now the plan is to find a driver willing to let me get some time in the seat and find a rig to do my driving test in."

Good luck. For insurance reasons, no body can do that. One of my employers allowed two of us regular drivers to train another employee on Saturdays. Then, he was allowed to use company equipment for the CDL test at the location where they usually test school bus drivers. No CDL schools were involved. We understood from the beginning that our employer would not hire anyone who had less than eighteen months of experience. Nevertheless, we were proud that "our" student passed his pre-trip inspection and driving test.

 

Your plan can work, I did it mostly on my own also. When I was ready to take the driving test, after doing all the reading. I asked a driver training school, If I could rent a truck, and instructor for 2 hours. He pointed out to me any week spots that I had. I then practiced backing up, for a few days, untill I was real good at it, using a pickup truck and boat trailer that I own. I then asked the school to rent me the truck for the driving test. If I remember, they only charged me $ 125. a hour, so I got the cdl licence fairly cheap at 3 hours rate

 

My husband did the same thing you are wanting to do. Heres the problem. Due to insurance companies. Only trucking co, I know of that will hire you is Swift. They are self insured for a million dollars. Schnieder will not take you with no experience, unless you go to school.
Also Its tuff to get a truck & trailer to test in. The 1 guy my husband found to rent his truck. The guy met him at the testing site. The truck was in such disrepair,Thank God hubby did'nt need to take it out on the road(He already had a class-B). The officer testing him said it was'nt road safe.And would not have allowed it. Even harder to find someone to let you practice in their truck. You will be very limited in the beginning.

 

She is right you will have a very difficult time finding someone to hire you without experience or proof of training from an approved facility. I got my CDL on my own, there was a guy who would rent out his truck for $75 to test with in Ft. Worth. I couldn't get hired anywhere until I agreed to go through a company driving school and do the contract thing. After I got out of trucking for a while, I kept my CDL current but was required yet again to attend a driving school. I went back through driving school on my own this time and can get on with the pickiest of companies if I want.

 

I got my CDL that way, but fortunatly for me I was working for a small company moving trailers in their yard and they allowed me to use their truck to go for my driving test

I do know people who rented a truck to go for their driving test, with someone who already has a CDL, and I know some schools will let you take a few classes with a trainer before you go for the test, especially for people like you who already have some experience and don't need to start from the begining, I would talk to some of the local driving schools in your area about this.