If I get a place to practice backing should I get a CDL with no school?

Sorry, I was just explaining to a friend how we as human beings naturally contradict ourselves on a regular basis. This post came right on time.

But perfect example of working your way up under/within a company.

And it isn't the driving that's hard for people. It's knowing the rules, regulations, procedures, responses, etc aka "thinking like a trucker" is what makes the difference.

 

Never went to school myself. Got my B last year while working for a trash hauling outfit, upgraded to an A this spring while working for Dr pepper snapple, and a week from Monday I start my new job running line haul for another company. So no, you don't nessasarly need to go to school.

 

-If you've already paid for and started the school, you might not be able to get a refund if you quit.
-You might be able to take the CDL road tests at the school using their equipment and possibly on roads they have had you practicing on already, instead of going to a DMV to get tested.
-There is also the instructors. Can't speak for all schools, but all the instructors that were at my school had over a decade of experience driving before becoming an instructor. A few of the older guys had over 30 years of driving experience and they were happy to pass along tips and tricks and give real life examples of emergency situations and stuff that the CDL manual talked about.

 

I didn't go to a school either and have been working as a 1099 contractor for small carriers. I did spend about a month or so on the road with friends who are drivers before getting my CDL. That time was invaluable in terms of learning how to do logs, truck stop routines, picking up and delivering, backing up, when not to listen to the GPS, and how to fill out trip packs.

Definitely do not think that driving is all you do as a driver. There are a lot of bad habits that 4-wheelers have that will get you stuck under a bridge, logging lots of extra, unpaid mileage, or in a ditch as an 18-wheeler.

 

You can do it that way, but like everyone is saying it limits your options. The only way I would skip school is if you could team with a friend who would teach you on the road with the permission of the company.

 

I am grateful for my time in cdl school. I know it's expensive, but I highly recommend it.

You didn't mention if you can already drive. Can you up and downshift, or turn a corner without killing something? You need to have your pretrip down pretty well too. You have to be awfully specific in the dot test. One of my costudents was failed because he forgot to set his tractor brake after he did the brake tests.

If you can do it without school, then great. But I don't think you'd regret going. To me it was probably my best investment. That's just me though

Oh and if there's a clown or some sort of mascot running the truck backing ride, get out of there.

 

It's to please the insurance company. Many of them won't allow a company they insure to put someone in a truck without schooling. Some require 2 years experience.

 

Correction: Thinking like a professional driver

 

Wrong.

It takes a bit of work but there are good companies that will hire the op if he does it like he explains. It's how I got my start. No megas, no awful trainers, no 1 year of torture to earn a trucking career.