Starting out for rookies

I recently got furloughed as a power lineman and have had an class a cdl with hazmat and tanker endorsement with no tractor trailer exp.I was hired by cr. england to attend the burns harbour refresher class which began today in indiana but after reading all the discouraging things about this company i backed out and am now back to starting point.can anybody point me in the right direction.

 

Great information, Thank-You!

 

csellis77 Power lineman...I dunno how much unemployment you have if any..but you may want to consider waiting tell it dries up before hiring on as a driver...The pay is going to be really low starting out in this economy..For insurance you need fairly recent combination experience might want to check into in state driving at least tell you can be insured for intrastate driving..My 2 cent.. there is always cdl schools but they cost..

 

goog post good info keep up the good information

 

good advice. I remember my nephew reading all of these posts a few months back when he got his CDL. He learned alot.

 

I need help!!! I was fired from my last job in October, 2008. I was finally able to get into a driving school in December. I was prehired by a company and then the next day, my prehire was revoked, and no reason given. Fortunately, I was able to attain another. On the day of my graduation, this second company rejected me. Again, they refused to tell me why. Finally a company agreed to bring me in for orientation. This time, I was not willing to put all my eggs into one basket. I also had a fourth company schedule me for orientation. Good thing too, because two days before I was to go to their orientatiom site in Gary, IN I called them and asked them to e-mail me a list of things I will need to bring with me. The recuiuter told me that my application was rejected, and again they refused to tell me why. When I asked why I wasn't notified before, they simply said "whatever", and hung up on me. If I didn't request the list from them, I would have shown up in Gary with no place to go (Not a good situation). Finally, I made it to orientation. At the time of my first day, I have not driven a truck for six weeks,when I passed my CDL test. The evaluater was so rude and beligerant to me that I began making mistakes. I'm 46 years old. I know the difference between creative critisism and someone simply being an #######. I'm not trying to make any excuses but this guy was so distracting, I was temped to pull the truck over, but I didn't give up. After we got back to their terminal, I was told that they were rejecting me and sending me back home after only that one trip. I was not even given anopportunity to see if I did better a second time or with another evaluator. They told me that they did not do training, even though an ad in a trucker magazine showed a picture of an employee clearing wearing a shirt with their company logo and it and stating this person was a trainer. I was told that I was out of school too long. When I stated that it was them who delayed my orientation date and not me, the recruiter simply shurgged his shoulder and didn't care at all. That was a month ago. I have been applying to every trucking company I can think of. My school is bewildered that no one will hire me. I have been fired by my last two jobs, that was not my fault. I have one ticket and one accident on my record in the last three years, and both of them were over two years ago. I have never failed a drug screening. I have never had a DUI, or ever been arrested, let alone convicted of a felony. I have never refused a drug screening either. I know that the economy has been miserable, but if that's the case, why have orientation at all? My applications have been rejected by over forty companies, and every time, the recruiters refuse to tell me why. My school can even get anywhere with the companies on my behalf. I spent the last of my savings as a down payment for trucking school. I have one car repossesed and the other car is about to be. My house is in forclosure. I am the only student of my class that hasn't gained employment since school. I am also the only sgraduate that the school has had rejected by every company that the school works with. It's bad enough being rejected but not knowing why is intolerable.

 

You say you were fired but it wasn't your fault. I don't mean to dis you here, but with nothing more than that statement, it is hard to believe.

But look at it from the company's point of view. You've been fired from your last two jobs, (for whatever reason,) and you have a ticket and accident on your record.

They have probably hundreds of applicants that have never been fired, and have no tickets, or accidents on their record.

See where I am going with this?

I don't know what your situation is here, but I'd bet that you are washing out in your background checks. If you were terminated for no reason, then you should have the recourse to sue for wrongful termination, get some back money, your old job back, and most importantly of all, get your record cleaned up. But since you have been fired from your last TWO jobs, it makes me wonder.

Depending on the severity of the ticket, and the accident, those alone are probably not enough to get you booted. But being fired from two jobs probably is.

 

I lost mt jobs for wage garnishments. It's a bit difficult to pay outragous medical bills and support a family on $10.00 an hour, so the bill collectors have my wages garnished. It's not that I refused to pay these bills, but that the collectors didn't care. If I have to choose between paying a bill and feeding my son, I'm feeding my son. I guess that makes me a horrible person. Companies don't care about your problems. I guess that maybe I should have just died. So tell me Big Don, would that have been best? Instead of trying to better myself, maybe it would be better just to go on welfare. I'm not trying to take anything away from anyone else, I just want a fighting chance.

 

No point in getting upset with me over that post. It was a valid question, the way you worded your original post. The explanation that you added clears up the question.

I'm sorry you had a serious medical problem, it can happen to anyone at any time. Wage garnishments are a PITA for an employers accounting department. But I'm not sure that it is something they can get away with firing you over.

You really might want to check with an attorney on this.

 

I am currently training for my CDL in Illinois and this is some of the best advice that you can get. And it echos, what several 'experienced' drivers have told me.

Thanks CryptKeeper

The Biggest Mistake You Can Make...Is To Underestimate​

The biggest mistake people make when starting a trucking career is underestimating what truck driving involves. Trucking isn't exactly rocket science, but there is still much, much more to it than most people realize.​

While it may sound strange, driving the truck is only a small part of the job.

So what does it take? ​

Here are some of the "musts" that have nothing at all to do with actually driving the truck.​

8 Route Planning, Map Reading, Trip Planning...Must be able to find most practical and time efficient route while avoiding truck restricted routes. Must be able to find new places in new cities on a nearly daily basis. Must know how to avoid dangerous situations such as low underpasses or impassable routes. Must read road signs - and fully understand the routing/sign system in order to avoid getting lost, wasting time and fuel and other potentially dangerous situations (i.e. low underpasses). Must know how to plan trip's fuel stops according to company policy.​

8 Money Management...In order to make a good wage, a driver must learn good money management skills. A driver must also plan ahead for job related expenses, such as tolls, unloading fees, truck and/or trailer washes, etc. He or she must keep good track of expenses for purposes of taxes and to ensure proper reimbursement for company expenses. ​

8 Time Management...A driver must be able to accurately plan a trip to squeeze the most out of the time allowed. Without good time management, a driver will be late for pickups/deliveries and this may lead to job loss. Less severe but just as important, poor time management leads to unnecessary fatigue. A driver must learn the best routes to take, the best times of day for travel in certain areas and the nature of the terrain and how these factors affect travel time. ​

8 Paperwork...A driver is responsible for completing paperwork for each load hauled, as well as paperwork required for Hours of Service. Not completing this paperwork properly or on time may result in a paycheck being withheld or in the case of HOS, a hefty fine. ​

8 Diplomat...Must deal with dispatchers, safety department, other motorists, truck stop employees, shippers, receivers, law enforcement personnel, including highway patrol, local and city police and DOT officers as a professional. ​

8 Loading & Unloading... While many carriers pay for loading and unloading when required, others do not or at times, a receiver will not allow a driver to hire this work out. In such a case, the driver must be able to load or unload the freight.

8 Knowledge of Rules & Regs...A driver must know the rules and regulations that govern him. Ignorance of the law will not excuse a driver or get him out of an expensive fine. A driver must know, at minimum, rules that pertain to Hours of Service, FedReg and equipment related requirements. A driver must know how to load the freight in order to comply with weight limitations and how to adjust weight (between axles) in order to bring an overweight load into compliance. ​

8 Patience...A driver spends an unbelievable amount of time waiting on others. This may be at a dock or sitting in a traffic jam. Patience is an absolute prerequisite. Other vehicles will do obnoxious, irritating and dangerous things around you all day, every day. You get "cut off" numerous times every single driving day. People constantly pull directly out in front of big trucks, with no thought for their safety -- or yours. Many drive selfishly - others drive foolishly - and others have no idea that they are causing a problem. It doesn't matter, really, because the important thing is that you must learn to deal with these things on a daily basis and not to become angry every time because in the end, it only distracts from the job you need to be able to do. A truck driver is not immune to road rage - but he or she must learn how to deal with and control him/herself when dealing with other motorists. ​

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8 Ability to Adapt...A driver must be able to adapt quickly according to the environment and the demands of the job. One day you may deliver a load at 8:00 AM but the next unloading appointment may be at 1:00 AM. Work hours are never the same. Along with work hours, eating hours and sleeping hours are rarely the same, either. They must constantly change according to the load. Beyond these issues, other factors are quick to change, also. One day a driver will be in the mountains and the next, in the desert. The weather changes can be dramatic, too.​

8 Personal Safety...Must understand dangers of life on the road.​

8 Mental Strength / Fortitude... A driver must often work when tired or very stressed. A driver is not "off" at 5:00 PM, and may actually just be starting his/her workday. Traffic, paperwork, law enforcement, dispatchers, etc can all contribute to a high stress level. While many people work when stressed, it is especially important that a driver learns to deal with stress factors because of the nature of the job - in other words, a big truck has great potential to cause massive injury. A distracted driver is not a safe one. Add to this the added worry about loved ones back home, homesickness, etc, and stress becomes a major factor.​

After all of these skills, you have to know how to drive the truck. ​

The "musts" that have something to do with driving the truck.​

Of course, a driver must be capable of safe operation of the vehicle - often nearly 70 foot of vehicle with a pivot point - in all situations and places. ​

8 City Traffic: Streets lined with cars on both sides with lanes so skinny in places that clearance is a matter of inches on either side. The driver must also be able to turn the vehicle into places not intended for 70 foot vehicles - meaning some creative and well thought out maneuvering is required. Cars will not usually understand what you are trying to do and will often honk, yell and go to extremes to go around you. Heavy traffic and congested freeways are par for the course. ​

8 Backing: While some places will provide sufficient space, a great many warehouses provide only ample space - if that. A driver must be able to dock the trailer where the shipper/receiver wants it. It may take 5 minutes or it may take 45 minutes, but in order to load or unload, you will not have a choice. In the city, you may have to stop traffic from either or both directions. You may have to jackknife into a dock. You may have to back down an alley. You may have to back in blind. Anything goes. No matter how bad or how tight the dock is, if you hit anything, it is 100% your fault. You may have to get out of the truck 100 times, you may have to stop 100 cars, but one way or another, you will have to get the trailer in the dock.

8 Mountains: Mountains present an extra challenge. A driver must be able to properly gauge at what speed and in which gear it is best to descend. ​

He or she must understand how the weight of the load affects this decision. He or she must also make allowances when the weather and/or visibility is poor. The driver's carrier may expect the driver to put tire chains on when conditions warrant. ​

8 Bad Weather: Bad weather driving comes in many forms. A driver must learn to adjust to everything Mother Nature might throw at him, such as: Thunderstorms, Hail Storms, Tornadoes, Sand Storms, Snow, Ice, Sleet, Freezing Rain, Temperature Extremes, Fog.​

These are just the things that I can think of this moment. I'm sure I can (and will) come up with more to go on this list. My question to you is, ​

"Is this what you thought it was?" ​