How hard is it to get a CDL license? Do you think it's still worth it?

^^^sad but true^^^ lol

 

You’ll most likely need to put aside any thoughts of free time for music (assume you mean playing in a band) for the first year or so because you’re likely going to be over the road and gone for 2 or 3 weeks or more at a time.

That said, things are different from when I started 10 years ago. There are plenty of LTL and other local gigs that hire noobs. Really just depends on what kind of driving you want to do.

If you do decide to give it a shot, just remember to keep your mitts off of the Kentuckians! They’re mine! All mine!

 

With respect, I want to amplify something about this comment. ALL carriers are required to follow 382.301 (a) OR use the exception found in (b) of that same rule. So ALL carriers use urine testing and some In addition use hair testing for pre-employment purposes!.

Currently, NO carrier can legally use hair testing to satisfy 382.303 through 382.311.

The intent of my post is not to cause trouble or to come off as a jerk or knowitall! It's just to remind everybody that the official testing means to satisfy ALL of subpart C to part 382 IS URINE. Sometimes we lose sight of this!

 

Fuel hauling, company driver.

 

How many years of working for $60k would justify $5-8k for school? A few of months of working pays for school. That's a pretty quick payback. "We'll have flying cars any day now". They started saying that 50byears ago. What colow is your flying car?

 

I can tell you that you will feel like you are being overworked and doing all kinds of stuff you won't get paid for. You will work 70 hours a week on the books and probably more off the books just to make things happen, if you get my drift, to keep rolling with minimal downtime.

It is a lifestyle and not merely a job if you do OTR, which is where most drivers start out. You will find yourself in places you would never go to, in your downtime, because you are connected to the truck. These places are usually truck stops that reek of urine and unsightly trash if you are lucky and other deserted places, lacking facilities if you didn't plan your trip accordingly.

As for other interests, I always make an hour available to do the internet before I sleep. I have to keep up with current events and the "news" or propaganda of the day. Then it's up again, in 8 hours to get ready for the days drive, sometimes I get more time, it all depends on the trip, weather and other variables. If you want to be productive and make money, you aren't going to have much free time. Most companies will run you every hour they can get out of you for production reasons.

Of course, the disclaimer is this, "Your results may differ from mine.".

 

The main problem with truck driving is that you start out making good money but it never goes up much . there is no room for advancement .

If you start out working the counter at an auto parts store , and work hard, you will be store manager in 6 months or so and regional manager on a year or two . Etc
In trucking there is no room for advancement.
The best you can do is get the hazmat and tanker endorsement and get paid slightly more to haul rolling bombs of gasoline.
Or try and get into heavy haul oversize which pays slightly more.

trucking is fine to get out of a hole and on your feet , it’s a good way to make some good money pretty quick if you work hard and dont spend it .

but as a long term career, it’s not so great because ten years from now that person that went to college , is going to be sitting on his Fanny in an climate controlled office earning a lot more money than a truck driver, and not having to deal with all the stress of minimum wage security guards and minimum wage dockworkers having absolute control over every minute of your life .
Will that college graduate have a camera on his desk watching him work all day ?
I don’t think so .

 

The CDL classes at the community colleges in my state are $1,650 , and are free for most people.

 

And don’t worry about the robo truck claims . That’s all made up dreams

same as the electric cars. California can sell are that al cars must be electric by 2035 but it ain’t gonna happen

GM can announce they will stop making gasoline powered vehicles by 2035 but it ain’t gonna happen .

The electric stuff and robo trucks are just virtue signaling by big companies and are simply not going to happen.

sure there will be some robo trucks for long interstate drives , but heavy rain, high wind , even falling leaves will make these trucks simply lose their mind and stop
In the middle of the road .
An accident or construction with lane closures will have robo trucks parked and blocking traffic etc

A hundred years from now they won’t have made a robo truck that can deliver gasoline to a station or deliver construction materials to a job site. Or transport an oversize overweight load across country.

robo trucks are not a threat I would be concerned about .
The flood of immigrants being allowed in, Thats what you need to be figuring out a plan to find a trucking niche that immigrants can’t do your job for half price.

and there’s plenty of those niches .
There are driving jobs that require spotless credit, criminal and driving records, that require extensive background investigations, of the driver and his parents and siblings and in-laws if married.

And companies and contracts that don’t allow immigrants to be drivers. That require drivers to be native born American citizens.

You just have to find those jobs.
Because Those jobs won’t come find you.