Looking to get my foot in the door

Good post & future planning.
You have 36 months to prepare for your CDL. There are practice tests on this site; look at the top of page. Google for more tests. Ask your father to pick up some newspapers & other literature at truckstops that are specifically for truckers, so you can start familiarizing yourself with the trucking business. All those papers & magazines are free at the truckstops. At age 21, you will be ready to enroll in a driving school & between now and your 21st birthday you will know which school is best for your paticular situation & maybe even what type of trucking interests you. Reinhardt sounds OK. It's important to show a good work history and no job hopping. Try to go with one company & stay there until you enter driving school. Best wishes.

 

Whatever you do, DON'T GIVE UP!! You COULD consider the National Guard or Army Reserve, as they have driver positions open worldwide, and will give you training in any number of MOS that involve going to school to drive 18 wheelers and bigger. Just be forewarned that we ARE still at war, so it's likely that you will get deployed, but one way or another you will get real training driving real trucks, which by the way, looks EXCELLENT, no matter where you apply. Saving that option, you should still be able to get a provisional class B cdl depending on your state, which will allow you to drive dump trucks, etc. That's what I did, at age 16, I took my first driving test ever in a dump truck (ran over a curb on the last turn and failed the 1st time, passed the 2nd go with a perfect score). I had the advantage of my Dad owning an Excavating company. Anyway, that would be my suggestions to you. Start with getting that class B ASAP, Then move forward to the A when you can. Use the B to get in someplace that also operates big rigs, and work your way up. Wishing you the best of luck!

 

Drive a farm truck-- here are some of Missouri rules, other states have other rules. You need to be 18 or older. You still need to get a DOT medical. Etc.

A CDL is generally required if;

• Your truck is over 26,000 lbs gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR), or
• Is used in combination with a trailer for a gross combination weight rating (GCWR) over 26,000 lbs., or
• It is required to be placarded under the Hazardous Materials Transportation Act.

However, if you strictly meet all of the following guidelines, no CDL is required.
The farmer operating their "farm vehicle" as a "farm-vehicle-driver" are exempt from the CDL requirements if:

1. Farmer transports their own agricultural products, farm machinery, farm supplies as a private carrier to/from their farm (Not operating as a for-hire carrier or other than farm use), and
2. Is within 150 miles of the farmer's farm, and
3. The driver is a farmer, family member of the farmer, or an employee of the farm, operating a farm vehicle, and
4. Is not required to be placarded under the Hazardous Materials Transportation Act.

 

From my experience, most companies, if not all, big, small, good, or bad, won't hire you unless you 21. Now I'm not aware of the rules and regs of your state, but you might be able to get a provisional cdl and only run intrastate. Then when your 21 you can run interstate. You'd have to go to your local state DMV, or dps, whatever your state calls it and ask. Good luck though.

 

Personally I would recommend putting the driving thing on the "back burner". You are still very young and have many other opportunities out there besides being a truck driver all your life. Go to school. Not truck driving school. Maybe keep the driving thing as a fall back career.

Being 18 you will not be able to drive cross country anyway. You can get your CDL and drive in-state but not over the road. You must be 21 to drive over the road and most companies won't hire you until you are 23. By age 23 you could have already completed your full college courses and earned a BA.

Do your dad proud and don't be a truck driver.

 

That's probably the best advice I've seen one member here give another. But some people (like myself) just have the BUG that makes us want to drive OTR no matter what. Heck, places like CR England and the other "starter companies" have built empires based on that fact. But what Chompi says is dead on, as far as if a guy had a BA, then went trucking for a few years, he'd have a leg up on the competition out there to start a business, or get into a trucking company at a much higher level than being a driver. Good Call!