love to drive, but has no CDL, suggestions

Too #### much "Ice Road Trucker" in this thread for me.

 

Kris, it's NOT a matter of being scared or brave..........it's a matter of safety.

if you have a dispatcher that says, "all gloves off, get to where it needs to be", then you are being pushed and cajoled into a possible dangerous situation(s). yes the speed, weights, and traction play an important part, but so does common sense.

sure, we have all driven in bad weather, and you yourself mentioned the 4 wheelers in thier huge vehicles feeling super confident they can go any where's.......... like in the ditch, but i might add, that they CAN AND WILL take you with them........

ever have a 4 wheeler spin out in front of you (while driving an 18 wheeler...??) i have and it's down right heart stopping. DO NOT associate winter driving your little ford ranger with an 18 wheeler, because if you do, you lose..............

it's all about SAFETY out there in bad weather. a real professional truck driver will slow down, look for a place to stop, wait for the road crews to come out and clear the roads, then that driver will start going again. only the real hard core idiotic truck drivers think they have something to prove by driving in bad weather when it's futile to do so.

if you think it's a "challenge" to drive in bad weather, you had better remember, a dumb-arse 4 wheeler can take you out in less than a blink of an eye.

right now, from what i have been reading, you are showing signs of no common sense, and a dangerous attitude.

it'll almost never be 11 hour drives in the big truck. a whole lot more, in which you cannot log, like sitting in traffic, due to accidents, construction, etc. you THINK you can do 11 hours of driving, but frankly, you cannot. once you as a newbie starts working, you will only be able to drive "up to" 5 hours tops. you will be so tired from all the concentration you MUST BE DOING, unlike when you drove your tiny little "beep-beep" ranger.....

i gave you "some guidance", it's up to YOU to decide which company to go to. they are all good, they are all bad...........

you WERE homesick.......being on the road is full of inconveniences, like no parking for the truck, or perhaps, you find parking, but at a rest area, that doesn't even have vending machines, and you're tired AND hungry.....what will you do then..........???

you needed the money, so you did the construction gig..........right.......?? it was hard on you, being away from home, being 30 minutes away from what, food, drink, bathrooms, tv,...........do you really think driving is going to be all glory for you..........??

if so, you had better re-wind the clock in time, go back to those weeks at the construction site and re-live that, because that IS your future as a driver...........

 

First, you have to find a company that will hire you. They will recommend a school for you. You'll have to pay for schooling up front. Try to get a school loan for that. Then get a DOT physical and a CDL permit. Hopefully, you have a clean driving record and clean urine. Good luck.

 

You can find a lot of great trucking schools online - just google truck driving school.