Looking to become a driver. I need advice!

First, we need to know where you live. Next you need to search these forums, a lot of info on this question, been asked many times. Short answer is if you go to private CDL school you can find a local job without ever going otr. Get your CDL then apply to all the Ltl companies and more importantly apply at small companies. Search craigslist, indeed, monster........ if you are looking fora local company to train you to get your cdl, that rarely happens

 

Here is my understanding and the route I am pursuing.

Local truck driving is highly sought after and typically the more experience one has the greater the chance one would be hired for such a position. As for schooling/training options, there is community college, company sponsored schooling and training or vocational/technical schools where one can get the knowledge they need to pass the CDL tests and "learn" to operate a tractor trailer.

The route I am pursuing involves schooling and training at a vo/tech institute which specializes in truck driving, heavy equipment, hazwoper and other associated training geared toward the petroleum industry in Alaska and construction, and the truck driving curriculum is certified by the PTDI, which, evidently, is important to prospective companies when viewing ones qualifications as a new graduate.

So you have options;

Are you in a position to fund a course that will educate you to pass the CDL exams?

Do you need a company sponsored program to school and train you to earn a CDL?

Do you have a Comm. Coll., VoTech school, or transportation company in your area that you can attend?

Get those things figured out, then concentrate on finding employment, also, many will tell you that OTR is the path to local. Personally, I think that more situational based on ones location, work history and willingness to put forth the effort to locate and secure the job with a solid interview provided the company will hire a new graduate.

That is my outside looking in perspective of a soon to be student who has spent much time reading so much of the knowledge and experience available on this forum and other sources.

Good luck to you!

 

Don't let that stop you from applying, or making inquiry, all they can say is "no" at the worst. Make an effort, submit applications in person, show interest and enthusiasm.

 

Old Dominion hires new CDL grads in PA. Better call and ask which schools they recruit from. That would be my first choice.

Other companies with weekends home:

Maverick
Jordan Carriers
Mansur Trucking
Builders Transportation Co.
Sysco

Ignore "experience required", doesn't mean much these days.

 

Think outside the box. Most big trucking companies want experience. Look at small companies. Look outside of trucking companies. FFood service, water delivery, pop or beer companies usually hire without experience. Hard work, but a good start. Look at industrial companies that own a couple trucks to transport their own merchandise. i don't know about pennselvania. But I know in some areas ABF, Conway freight, and yrc, all have training programs if you are determined to go to a big trucking company. But they are hard to get into

 

Most company's won't hire just because you have cdl they mostly are looking for at minimum an truck driver training which meets their criteria of credit hours or weeks in length ect. You can however still do it the old fashioned way which would be cheapest route is ,.01 find a buddy/ family member to help you in endevor 1.go to BMV take written test which gives you temporary license requires you to have cdl licensed driver in truck with you to drive , 2 , have cdl licensed driver teach you until you are good enough to pass drivers exam including per trip , backing , ect , 3 take drivers exam with type of truck you intend to drive ,is, borrow buddys truck or ,some states offer a "rental" for a fee last I heard example Ohio rent fee was like 350/400 $$$ for test day , pass driving Portion of exam go to doctor get med card take med card "this step may be required before driving with cdl driver" and certificate of road test and temp back to BMV , congrats you can now get a cdl , next find small company that is hireing and get job. Drive at job keeping clean record for year or more , then apply where ever you like and likely get that job ,

 

PTDI means nothing!!!!!! I was fed the same line of crap when I went to cdl school.

 

So is it your opinion, based on experience, that if one attended a school that was NOT PTDI certified, that the program holds as much value to a prospective employer as a PTDI certified program?