Just got my CDL today, any advice is great advice!

You'll probably have to start at the bottom running dry van to get experience. I doubt many will hire a complete newbie and throw them in a tanker hauling hazmat. But I could be wrong.

Good luck and be safe.

 

@Chinatown will be along shortly.

If you hire on with someone, do your best not to be noticed. As in that one who quietly goes about his loads unnoticed by anyone. the problem with newbies is they sometimes wanna run the company after two months. And wonder what happened when they get dumped like a undesirable boy or girlfriend.

The next thing goes without saying. When you move a semi a inch here to there, you are responsible personally, economically and so forth for anything, and any people you hit and break. Look around a bit before you decide to move. Or better yet get out and look a thousand times before you move, no one is going to sit there and say hey, you are now taking too long. (You will get enough of that already soonest)

Never mind the money, put away as much as you can unspent. Trucking is entering a downturn, so give thanks you aint been disposed of yet and if the freight happens to be a touch slow, be happy you have some savings. Never borrow for anything. Particularly tolls.

I can go on. But at some point you will have to do it for yourself. Not everyone can do it. Or should.

 

One new cdl grad in York was hired by Estes Express. He was shocked; didn't think he had a chance.
Try Estes Express and Old Dominion Freight Line.
He went to a job fair that Estes Express had and was hired on the spot.
Several of us on this forum encouraged him to go to the job fair, as in, "What do you have to lose?"

 

Thats the general idea. No newbies in gasoline tankers.

But they will stick a newbie into a bulk cement tanker right quick. Its relatively mindless.

 

A&S Kinard - click here > Apply On Company Site
Requirements:

• 6 Months Recent CDL-A Tractor Trailer Experience

Are you fresh out of CDL school or have a few months of driving under your belt? We are looking for you to join our NEW Driver Trainee program!

 

Central transport is a bottom of the barrel company but they may take you. Hell, they take everybody and they're desperate. You will learn to drive and back up almost anywhere in no time.