Preparing to get my CDL

I’m friends with an owner operator who is leased to my company. He has a 4 year old Kenworth, and when I asked him whether I should consider getting my own truck, he told me in the strongest possible terms that I should stay as a company driver. His truck was nickel and diming him to death.

If I was you, I would at the very least put in 2-5 years as a company driver just to save up a larger bankroll. Also, there is no substitute for experience. You’ll greatly improve your odds for success if you learn the ropes as a driver without having to deal with the financial responsibilities of being a small business owner.

You already dismissed the advice to start as a company driver, but the reason so many have suggested it is that it’s the smartest path to follow.

 

Sage advice.

 

True… It’s nothing like driving a pickup truck pulling a gooseneck. It’s not like driving a dump truck pulling a beaver tail trailer. I’m just starting out driving an 18 wheeler and it’s nothing like driving anything else. Nothing easy about it. Millions of things to watch out for, especially other drivers. The best advice is to drive for a company and see if it’s something that you can actually do. Then, if it’s something that you really want and can do, get your own truck. But jumping into it feet first with no experience at all could be very bad. Just my humble opinion.

 

I'm still trying to figure out how he got passed the diabetic thing, he needs a waiver and this takes time, right?

 

Took me 2 weeks to get cleared by my nephrologist and cardiologist. I have 2 waivers.

 

type 1 or 2?

 

I’m not diabetic. I had a heart attack in 2008 and have kidney disease. The original poster has diabetes.

 

Yeah I know, this is where I am questioning him, if he is a type 1 without insulin, he has a bunch of hoops to jump through.

 

I worked with a guy who got the waiver it took him a year or two to get it.
He got his medical card and the company would not honor it.
They said insurance would not allow. They were self insured.
Now we have a guy that has had two heart attacks and a defibrillator installed in his chest.
He is driving ( DOT does not allow ) company knows and could care less.

 

Ok