I Got my CDL just to move my family across 4 states - I have questions

LMAO.

 

O.K. thank you, but you could have asked a truck driver that. Many of us are aware of that.

But, your deal is you intend to rent a semi-truck, which has to be insured. Insurance companies, rental companies, don't like "gray areas" and don't insure "nothing." So, what we are all curious how are you going to pull this off; renting and insuring a semi-truck for moving, RV, or personal use. The renters and insurers are all expecting a commercial truck to perform a commercial service and have stipulated clauses and contracts to that affect. How do you intend to overcome that? That has always been my question.

 

I had talked with a outfit in my home area that rented semi trucks. I was not the problem, class a, age etc. Money too.

But... erf.. it has to go to work for commerical hauling for a living or earn one.

Sometimes I wonder a little bit about that. Isnt the very act of renting something same as you take a horse out of the livery stable for a run to the valley for a day and back same as earning that livery stable a living?

Not all truckers know everything, we can learn and sometimes quickly by asking questions.

 

Yes were truck drivers not English majors. Clear communication is not our forte.

Well I am really curious how it goes, because as I said before this is an annual question around here and I have not heard a definite reply yet. So I appreciate your input, don't get that wrong.

I often tell people on this board to skip the truck driving school because it is a huge rip off: $5000-$7000 for 2-3 weeks of piss-poor instruction is outrageous. If a guy could rent a truck and take the test more power to him.

Yes, but insurance is the problem there also. O/O has to insure you and the little one as passengers or his insurance can be voided.

If you have a CDL, that is even harder, because the assumption by the insurers is that you will take the wheel at some point. Insuring a new driver with no CDL experience is out of the cost range of most O/Os. Certainly, out of practicality for just one trip.

Keep it up, we enjoy hearing the results.

Entrance to this industry is hard for a reason.

 

Yes I am well aware of the circular logic everybody puts you through. But you can rent a truck, have somebody else with a CDL to drive it to testing.

Another thing that happened just a few years ago and still continues in some states, is the CDL tester was a third party tester contracted by the state and you could meet somewhere, like a rental place, to start the test. Things have changed, and use of third party tester varies from state to state. I just wonder how things can work in various localities.

The mega trucking firms and CDL schools are raking it in with their racket and they want it to continue at $5000 - $7000 a head. They know insurance companies do not want to take on the risk of a new driver and are working the legislation to their advantage.

That price seems outstandingly good which leads me to believe their is a misunderstanding somewhere. Especially considering a new driver without experience of any kind.

Of the few experiences I have had with Progressive is they seem quite eager to take the deposit, approve the company or driver and then rescind the policy shortly after. I don't know if that is a business tatitic of some kind, a communication problem, a management thing, or what. But I have work with construction companies that have had approval on their operations and drivers only to get a letter in the mail stating policy is revoked shortly after. Is that the Progressive's fault or the Owners's, I don't know. Could be just as well the company's fault and they are not letting the workers in on their omission or indiscretion. But it did happen once where I worked and also a competing company.

 

Under the current medical plans your deductable is around 14000 more or less a few thousand for a single event hospitalization.

A friend was stabbed, Trauma care in Baltimore saved his life at a cost of 100K in 7 days. In my case 20% of that would be mine to pay.

Keep that in mind. Ambulances, rescue etc and associated costs will also all bill you. You would be amazed at the amount of billing that buries people.

 

I still think the rental company is going to be a sticking point. If you're not commercial I can't imagine they'll rent to you, if you're commercial, you'd need authority (I know you're going to say you're not commercial, which makes me think the rental company won't touch you). But I guess you'll have to see. I suspect that someone's contract will make lying to the rental company a non-option.

I know you talked to an FMCSA guy about the theory of the regulations and it's entirely correct. However the "Oh officer, this is my stuff and therefore I'm exempt from the regulations, and yes I have a CDL and yes this is a rental semi, and no I don't use it for business" is the exact same line they get from the rogue movers who tell them lies and pay a $38,175 fine. I'd worry that you'd be having to prove you're legit on the side of the road. The cop on the side of the road is a very different animal than the FMCSA desk guy, and I think other folks here on the board can attest to that.

I've known real legit moving companies who had some minor paperwork problem with their authority and their truck got grounded at a weigh station for a couple days before they could get the appropriate stuff faxed around (with the customers' goods stuck on the truck). I've known licensed moving companies with CDL drivers who drank who ran at night for years without getting caught. They'd break every rule in the book and somehow always got away with it, but I've also known some reputable guys that got NAILED on seemingly innocuous BS.

Like I said I think there's a good chance you could run the whole gambit without getting pulled over, get in an accident, or have some other mishap, so if you're feeling lucky maybe it's worth it. The downside when things go wrong looks pretty nasty however, and being a business owner I always factor in unlikely but nasty downsides into my decisions.

Personally I'd run the load in two 26' trucks which means everything is clear cut, above board and well insured. It's relatively low risk. Then if you want to drive semis around and do some "take your kid to work with you" type stuff, get a 2nd job on the weekends working for someone local like a farm, paving company or whatever. I understand the desire to drive big trucks, and I think you should do it, maybe not in combination with your personal move.