Experience from class B to A

Good evening. Ive had my class B license for 5 years. I started out driving for a waste company and drove most of their equipment including roll off, compactor and dump truck. Stayed there for 2 years. For the last 3 years I've been driving a roll off truck for my current company. I want to go ahead and get my class A, we have a couple schools here locally. My question is: once I get my class A, will my class B experience count when looking for a job? In other words, will I be considered a 5 year driver or does my experience start over? Thanks.

 

You might find a very small company who will consider your experience as a class B driver relevant, but to be honest with you, most will not. I know that's probably not what you want to hear, but the truth. I can't imagine any reputable Class A driver employer starting you out at the pay level of a 5 year veteran.

 

Thanks for the reply. I wouldnt expect the pay of a 5 year vet. I just wanted to know if those companies who ask for a year or two experience would at least hire me.

 

Most companies even differentiate by job choice now. Regional, OTR, local. For example, you have 5 years local and want to go OTR. They may require 7-14 days ride along. To see how you handle it.

Pay wise? I disagree with the previous poster, slightly. You’ll have a chance of starting at what was considered 5 year experience payscale a couple of years ago. But you won’t get what a current 5 year driver gets.

Pay has risen significantly in the past 2 years.

 

Short answer is no. You have no experience.

 

Best thing to do is get in a shop with both A and B trucks. Prove your capability in a B then swing into a A. Stick around a year plus and do as you please from there.

 

My cousin had a cdl a and no experience other than a couple years at a company in a straight truck. He found a small local company that just assumed it was T/T experience and threw him in a truck pulling a 53 ft van. He quickly learned theres alot more to it than meets the eye. I was getting phone calls every couple hours and I think we were both wishing he'd of went out with a trainer for a couple weeks atleast. If your dead set on it call around someone may give you a shot assuming you have kept your mvr clean. Your CDL A being new it won't be taken as tractor trailer experience but you've atleast proven you can run up and down the road in a commercial truck without causing an accident. I'd say that would atleast put your app above the other class A rookies coming from another profession entirely. Keep in mind if someone does give you a shot it's more than likely gonna be some bottom of the barrel company with worn out trucks that get put out of service every time you roll into a scale. You will probably be wishing you just put in the time at a big training company and paid your dues. This trucking stuffs all about experience.

 

You won't want to hear this,but I've talked to at least a dozen companies in the last 2 weeks,and everyone of them wanted at least 1 yr. verifiable OTR experience.

 

This could also work. Maybe at a company like Republic Services? start off class B roll off move to a class A. You will run the risk of being promised one thing and messed around and left in a B though. Risky business doing that. It's cheaper for the company to leave you in a B and hire an A driver.

 

I'm sorry I cut my answer short.I also wanted to say that a lot of company's are offering paid CDL schooling,but definitely shop around.If you really want it you'll find a home.The guy to talk to on this site is Chinatown.Good Luck.