Go to school for CDL-B only?

I'm in NJ and wondering about the merits of going to school for a CDL-B license? As I understand it you can study on your own and go take the test at DMV? Would I have to rent a U-haul truck to do it that way

 

if you are going to study for a class B, then in those studies will be the air brakes. you would need a sponsor who can take a class B truck with air brakes to the test site. a class B license will limit you and your possibilities to drive anything above that class B, meaning you will not be able to legally drive tractor-trailer (class A). a class B job "may" be easier to get than a class A job, as many companies REQUIRE formal training for the class A jobs, especially since at the moment, you have no driving job or experience.

 

Driving a class "B" has its down side though. You have to be willing to work for only $12.00-$15.00 a hour not use a qualcomm or log book and go home to your own bed each night!

 

The situation I'm in is the state will pay for a trucking school RIGHT NOW even to get CDL-A training. The problem is although I'm definately interested in driving anything from a bread or newspaper truck making dleiveries and very interested in driving anything as a long term job I'm not sure about tractor trailer training because don't know if that's something I'd want to do. I know I could use the CDL-B training but not sure if training for that WITHOUT training for CDL-A too makes sense even though I may never drive a tractor trailer as a job. If I go to school I'm being sponsered 100% on cost so should I take the extra 40 hr training for tractor trailers anyway just in case i MIGHT want to do that sometme in the future? I guess I feel kind of unsure about getting trained as a tractor trailer driver with no immediate intent to do that with the best being that i MIGHT want to do that later on.

One reaon too is with my spotty work history I don't see a company allowing me to drive a tractor trailer SOLO without agreeing to a driver lease program and I wouldn't agree to that or would I want to drive as a team, only solo. So my thinking is I'd have to establish some type of work hisory driving stright trucks locally first and THEN maybe could get into OTR driving and go solo from the onset IF i had a good record driving stright trucks for awhile and also have already been schooling as a tractor trailer driver. Any thoughts on that?

 

as long as you do well in school your work history may not necessarily hold you back. if it were me, i'd go full bore and go class A.........then you can still drive class B if you wish. heck, you ain't paying for it, so get all you can now, because in your future, YOU WILL pay for the extra training, and that'll cost you around $8,000 when that time comes around.........

 

Not sure about now but in order to rent a CDL truck you used to have your own insurance, you may want to look into that.....I would also advise you to just get the Class A it will open more doors in the work place..

Most (not all) employers will take the guy with the Class A over the guy with the Class B just because the A driver can do both where the B driver can't....something to think about..

 

yeah no doubt if they( the state) is going to "PAY FOR" your schooling to get the license, I would get the class a you become much more versatile. But before you go run out and sign up read the fine print....make sure you didnt sell your soul to the devil ( the state) for a drivers license

 

Get the Class A. Even if you work local, there may come a time when the company needs someone to grab a rig to get a load.

I have my class A, and worked for a local company as a dispatcher (after trying graveyard shift line haul . . . can not sleep during the day unless I'm in a truck for some reason), but ended up out several times in a rig to pick up a full trailer load or make a trailer load delivery.

 

You should get a class A, most companies prefer it, it gives you more wiggle room to work jobs that you wouldn't be able to do on a class B, the costs are about the same, cheaper in the long run if you ever would upgrade. And having those extra qualifications may get you slightly better pay too.

 

I thought about doing the same thing but then figured why not go for a Class A instead? At least with a Class A and a year or two on the long haul, you'll probably be able to get a driving job anywhere!