Seriously considering being a driver, have a few questions

Hello

I have always been curious about truck driving and I am seriously considering going through with it but, I have a few questions.

1. Is it better to get your CDL through a company or through a community college?

2. If you get your CDL through a college, do you still have to ride with a trainer when you get a job?

3. What does OTR actually mean. I gather its an abbreviation for on-the-road...but what does that mean?

4. Been reading a lot of websites from trucking companies and they all say the same thing....team drivers earn more. Can someone give me a reason behind this? Is the pay better or is it just because you can run 24/7?

5. I have always wanted to take long trips and I love driving. The only jobs I have been able to hold down for longer than a year have been delivery jobs (delivering pizza's). I just like being alone and being on the road. But, I have a family (2 kids and wife), the wife is currently going to school for a degree and I am not sure how that is going to pan out. So, I would like to be able to switch from a class A to a class B type job if the need arises. With a class A, can I qualify for a class B or do I have to retest?

Thanks in advance to anyone who can help me out.

 

1. Is it better to get your CDL through a company or through a community college? you would be better off going through a community college and getting it, most likely cheaper and you wont be tied down to a company for a year or so.....

2. If you get your CDL through a college, do you still have to ride with a trainer when you get a job?yeah i think maybe for a little bit

3. What does OTR actually mean. I gather its an abbreviation for on-the-road...but what does that mean?Over The Road

4. Been reading a lot of websites from trucking companies and they all say the same thing....team drivers earn more. Can someone give me a reason behind this? Is the pay better or is it just because you can run 24/7?yeah because they expect team drivers to do nothing but run 24/7 and you are most likely to get longer hauls on each trip

5. I have always wanted to take long trips and I love driving. The only jobs I have been able to hold down for longer than a year have been delivery jobs (delivering pizza's). I just like being alone and being on the road. But, I have a family (2 kids and wife), the wife is currently going to school for a degree and I am not sure how that is going to pan out. So, I would like to be able to switch from a class A to a class B type job if the need arises. With a class A, can I qualify for a class B or do I have to retest? you don't need to switch from A to B, A covers it

 

I kind of figured that but that is not what I was asking. What does Over the Road mean? Does it mean going across the 48 states or just driving anywhere (like a regional job).

 

Over The Road means, essentially, living on the road for extended periods. Measured in weeks at a time, typically.

 

So I can get OTR experience in a regional job? I currently know a guy who works for a private contractor and have been offered a job once I get my CDL. I'm just concerned that I won't get my 1 year OTR if I do a regional job.

 

I think it may depend.. Most companies I know of consider Regional to be a separate breed of cat from OTR. Regional you are typically home every weekend - or sooner. Or some equivalent.

OTR- you could miss half the football season (not that you'd be missing much) before you saw home again.

Ok, that's probably an exaggeration.. but you can certainly expect to be out 3-8 weeks at a time, before getting home to feed the cat.

 

that would suck missing football season, at least i would be able to pick it up on the radio or satellite radio

 

If you can, and if you want your wife and kids to never see you, and if you really think you'll "see the country" while driving at night after spending all day waiting on the load that will be loaded in just another 1/2 hour, then go for it.

I was out for 5 weeks on my first solo run and they tried to keep me out longer. Only way to make any money is to stay out.

Driving a truck now is going to be tough for any new driver. Even lifers can't get good runs. Seen the price of deisal lately? Just because you can't find anything else fun to do does not mean you will make any money or have any fun driving OTR. None-the-less, that is how trucking companies keep drawing newbees in.

BRI

 

The title of your post and your experience caught my attention. What company to do you work for by chance? I have heard a lot of mixed replies about earning 200-500 a week when your training. And also not getting any loads with a lot of sitting time. I will most likely be running a team and was hoping that may actually offset the crappy pay.

 

It will vary by Company, of course. Some companies are strictly drop and hook, others are wait and load - others are a mix. I imagine drop and hook leads to darn little wait time.. dunno.

I'm flatly not interested in OTR. I've been all over the country, seen a lot of it. I want to see more, but not at the expense of missing my kids' wrestling matches.

I'd be much more inclined to look local - especially if you can find one that's not LTL related. I mean, one which doesn't make you drive all over the city, each and every day. Look at construction, for instance.

Or maybe drive tank. I just got a call from a fuel company about 200 miles away - pay is by the load, with additional pay for this and that. 9 hour shifts. 5 days a week. I pick up the load here in Denver, drive into the mountains and either deliver to the farm at the HQ office, or deliver to various and sundry customers, and come back to Denver.

Pay is a lot better than any other job I've been offered out of school, too. In fact, it's 25% better than I was making in my IT job 5 months ago. With better benefits.

I digress.

The idea is "don't focus on one idea". Sure, it may be that you end up doing the one thing. But look around. Lots of local carriers will hire right out of school (or after long delays), and you can use that experience to plan your next move, and pay your bills at the same time. After all, you don't need to make LOTS of money (or you'd be a doctor or lawyer), you just need to make ENOUGH.

And you'll see your kids up close and personal, instead of in a cell-phone pick every other week.

I'm going to buck for this tank job. I'm not afraid of gasoline, and I LOVE driving in the mountains. In a truck, no less.