Is there a way to get into OTR trucking without a driver trainer?

Generally schools train you to pass the cdl exam and get your license, and the company trains you to operate the truck safely and all the aspects of the job.

 

You still need to spend some time with a trainer before going solo. I know it’s not fun, but neither is sharing the road with untrained drivers.

Lots of different companies out there with different training periods. Some of them spend weeks with a trainer, some less. I was only with my trainer for 8 days. It was probably the worst 8 days of my life, but I’m a better man because of it.

 

Lots of guys think "I've BEEN trained. I have a CDL, just let me go to work." Maybe 1 in 25 are actually ready to go to work.

Even if hard skills are good - backing, button hooked identification, etc - there are a lot of times I'll say something like "you were taught x, and that's what you should usually do, but in this case we need to do x'."

Then you have soft skills - using the company dispatch software, understanding communication pathways, and trip planning.

As a last thought, maybe 2 or 3 guys over my 10 years of training have understood how to scale out.

Go with a company that has a short program, suck it up and learn what you can.

 

OP, trust me, you want the training. Even after 3 to 8 weeks of training on the road with a trainer, you still got a lot to learn. Trucking is kind of different. After my first year out here I thought I knew most everything about trucking. Then after my second year I thought surely I must know everything by now, and after my third year I thought the same. Then I realized you’ll be learning new things about trucking for as long as you’re in trucking. Lol but without any training at all? You’d be freaking out on your first loads and too dangerous.

 

I’m on the fence with this

You could possibly get your CDL and start out with your own truck and insurance doing hotshot and working your way up. Not sure what’s all involved or if you can do that. Not sure why you couldn’t??

The big problem with the trainer thing is many companies still are not training anyone
I see a lot of so called trained drivers doing absolutely dumb stuff

So that said, I would seek out a smaller company that would take a new CDL driver and train you properly if there is such a thing

 

Is there a way I can become a school bus driver without any training other than in a classroom ?


would you want your kids riding that bus ?

Riding with the trainer can be horrible or it can be pleasant . It totally depends on the company , and the trainer .

Ive seen a lot of companies where the trainer has been driving less than six months .
Really ? How much experience do you think this guy has that he can share ?

You need the training , if the trainer has any actual experience to share…
The school teaches you how to pass the test , the trainer teaches you how to deal with all the real world stuff .

I know of a company that requires you to ride with a trainer for eight months .
But their trainers are pleasant and experienced and the company isn’t letting you drive their specialized heavy haul oversized rigs without the training.

 

160 hours is what most companies like to see.
After graduation, you'll be hired by your first company.
Then, you'll go through a training phase, on the road, with a trainer/instructor. Each company has their own rules on that.
Usually you'll be required to drive 'X' number of miles before being turned loose as a solo driver.
One company I know of requires new cdl school grads to run 15 round trips from North Carolina to California and back.
Some companies just require you be in the truck with a trainer for 'X' number of weeks with no mention of how many mile the new guy has to drive.
Where are you located and what type trucking are you interested in? We'll try to help you find something where there's a good balance of training and decent paychecks at the same time.
Some drivers have different opinions on this and make judgements based on rumors or maybe what they've experienced.

 

My first company, the trainer and myself ran teams. This is what I wanted because teams mean you get paid for all the miles the truck runs. You're paid while you're sleeping and while you're driving. In other words, you get paid for all the miles you drive and all the miles the trainer drives.
For me this was perfect, because I don't need a baby sitter. My trainer felt the same. We got along great and never had even one issue.

 

I heard that Schneider only does 7 days with a trainer. That’s why a lot of people go to them. 7-10 days then you get your own truck. I’ve seen some smaller companies that do that too, but those usually don’t pay much per mile.