Question about needed experience.....

Not likely as there's a huge difference between running a tandem dump truck (non articulating) and a semi. Dump trucks don't back into docks, do tight corners in the city, trip planning or a multitude of other things that a semi driver does. Driving a dump truck and driving a semi are about as different as grapes and carrots.

 

This whole experience thing has been "flip-flopping" over the years.

At one time (for instance) military driving WAS NOT considered experience. then it was, now I am told, maybe not so much anymore (again).

Class B was always class B...period.

It don't "bend in the middle". So there "could be" some problems getting into a class A with ONLY B experience.

That too has done the "flip-flop" a few times.

If it were me, driving is driving. Keeping a record clean, in EVERY WAY possible.

I don't think anyone can give you a definitive answer to your question, as things change so much in the trucking industry (other than wages) that the answer you seek will be found later on if you DO NOT pursue class A work right now.

Why on God's good earth, do people go and get a CDL, then DO NOT want to "do the time" and get it done and over with??

All I ever hear are "excuses" of one kind or another for NOT wanting to go OTR.

Well, life is tough, and we cannot always get what we want, when we have nothing to offer up front.

 

some times other things prevent peoole from going out on the road and not making the money needed to support their family. but the money afterwards they can.

Like for me i have my CDL, ive driven military tractors(m818,m931,m915's) for over 10 years in the Army Reserve and continue to do so. My work(department of defense) made it a mandate that we needed to get our cdl's to conmtinue as civilians.so TECHNICALLY ive had my cdl for 2 years,but have more stick time then allot.personally im not going OTR.if i can get on doing dedicated or regional thats cool,if not and they want OTR.Sorry not happeneing,just my personal preference. its allot harder driving through Boston everyday with people looking at the camo envisioning a paycheck if i hit them,then an open road....not trying to argue just venting..lol

 

I would really consider how much you really need to avoid going OTR. Its not a 10 year sentence. You can get a few months OTR experience then you can start applying for local jobs already. And you'll have the experience that they really want.
BUT, if you really can't go OTR, then look for local work as a Class A driver. UPS, Fedex, are a couple companies that I think will train newbies.
If you want to stay local, class B jobs might not be a bad choice actually.

 

Like Gizmo said, times have changed and so do policies and blah, blah, blah. When we drove for Central we were told at the time that they use a point system to determine your level of experience for pay rate purposes. Class A local driving for one year counts as half a point. Class A over the road driving for one year counts as ONE point. Class B and everything else holds no weight.

So if you drove over the road for 2 years and local for three years you have total of 3.5 years of experience or 3.5 points. So when it comes to paying you for your experience they will give you the said rate for 3.5 years of experience.

On a side note, this is only if it is verifiable!