Class A CDL + Shuafers endorsement

lowes

coca-cola

beer

............

 

Check out Con-way Freight (Not truckload) they have driver apprenticeship programs in some locations. Or maybe the Teamsters, they offer apprenticeships.

Other then that you will have a very hard time finding anyone to train you for free.

 

That is going to be tough to do. Now I suppose it is possible that you might find an owner/operator who would bring you on to run as a team, but because of insurance, it is not real likely.

It does depend on what you are looking for. The local jobs listed in another post, are an option. But even they may be tough to do without any experience. You will probably have to start out on a dock and try to work your way into driving.

Or you could look to a construction or aggregate company. Again, they probably would not start you off driving, but might hire you for another position.

But if you are looking for a road job, you will more than likely have to bite the bullet and go to school first. You don't have any experience. Insurance is the big dictator in this industry, even more so than the DOT.

Good luck. Oh, and welcome to the forum!

 

Do you have a learners permit? Did you take the road test? I am a little confused about what kind of licensee you have. A lot of the states don't issue chauffeurs licenses' anymore. Instead you have endorsements such as passenger, school bus, hazmat, etc. I presently have a class B with a passenger endorsement. I am only qualified to drive a bus or a tandem dump truck until I get my class A's, hopefully in three weeks. I have done considerable research into the different companies out there and all of them either require a minimum amount of OTR experience or require you spent a certain amount of time driving with a mentor. Even if you find someone to drive with they might not consider it as documented OTR time. I don't think that there is a way around what the companies require.

 

Welcome to the TTR Forum. You are looking for a way around a minimum that is already too low. Sure what you speak of is legal and maybe even possible but it just doesn't happen. Even once you have completed school you will have several weeks of training with most companies. A full blown Class A CDL is nothing but a license to learn. You need to do some research and find out how things are done, then decide what to do. It doesn't do any good to make a plan if nobody is doing what you plan.

This is a great place to search and read. It has answers to every question you have and some you haven't thought of. Here's my standard advice. I hope it helps.

You need to research and find out what the important questions are. You can make an above average living but you will make sacrifices that other jobs don't require. Read the "good companies" and "bad companies" section on this forum and get an idea of what company you want to work for and what kind of trailer you want to pull. Don't just go to school and then try to figure out where to go.

I don't know your financial situation. Don't take training from a company if you can afford it or get it with financial aid. You will be their slave for up to year. If you leave they will trash you DAC and credit record. Check out your local community colleges and employment office.

Just know that most training and trucking company recruiters will do nothing but lie to you. They will let you talk about what you want and then tell you what you want to hear. Trucking is about moving freight to make money for the company. Your home time, family, paycheck and everything else comes second.

It is not like any other job. Local is usually backbreaking delivery work 10+ hours a day, 6 days a week. Often you unload dozens of times a day or you are a salesman. In my area most dump truck jobs pay less than a good factory job. Regional is lots of loading and unloading time, fewer miles than OTR and not as hard as local but will wear on you and push your HOS limits. OTR is out 3 - 5 weeks with 3 - 4 days home, less manual labor and more miles.

You'll probably have to pay your dues before you get the gravy job. Weekends off, if you are lucky enough to get something like that starting out, may be home Thursday afternoon and leave Saturday night or home Friday night and leave Sunday afternoon. Loads deliver on Monday early and you leave in time to get them there. Often your home time will be in the middle of the week.

Regardless of your driving choice, after school you will go through company training. For OTR this can be six weeks to three months with little or no home time. The first phase is usually $400 a week and the second phase is $500-550 a week. Some pay less. One company pays 12 CPM for training.

You don’t want to wait around too long after training or you’ll have trouble finding a job. If you get out before you have a year in, when you try to come back a few months later you will find they want you to start over.

One last thing, if you have anything that makes you less desirable than your competing job applicants, a phone or in-person interview will often bring the best results. Even if I am the best candidate I will choose face-to-face if at all possible and phone if not. Sure you may have to fill out that online application but that isn’t the best way to get a good job. You have to do something or be someone who stands out from the crowd. Do regular follow-ups by phone on the jobs you really want.