This trucking is confusing, help.

As mentioned. You will be in demand knowing the North East. Might even end up just doing dedicated runs into NYC?

There are some who try to make pulling the latch on the kingpin difficult. If it ever is. You just back that tractor toward the trailer. You’ll take the stress off that latch. It will be easy then.
There has been guys going around truck stops, pulling those kingpin latches. Then the poor driver doesn’t notice it. He drops the trailer when he starts to pull out of his parking space. Eliminate this by; After in parking spot. Set the trailer brakes. Then pull the tractor forward and set its brakes. You will put pressure on that kingpin latch that nobody can overcome. They can’t pull the latch.
Specifically: There are companies, trainers, who try to create pulling that latch a difficulty for women. One claimed you have to have 200 pounds of physical pull to drive for them. This is BS! Follow my instructions above.

 

As a company driver if you can replace a bulb, change wiper blades, and check the fluids you are already in the top 10%. If you can inspect a belt and see if its in danger of failing you just putt yourself in the top 1%. I've met guys out here that couldn't even tell me what kind of engine is in their truck. And because every engine manufacturer stamps their name on the engine not knowing what they got means they've never even opened the hood, or if they did they didn't look at a darn thing.

Note: kicking tires is not an effective way to check for inflation. Kicking them what you do during the day when you stop for a restroom break or lunch or whatever. Get a 2 lb engineer hammer(looks like a one handed sledgehammer) from Lowe's or home depot or even harbor freight to use during pre trip and post trip inspections. Use it religiously and soon you will know if a tire is properly inflated by the tone and feel of the impact when you strike the tread of the tire. Kicking only tells ya its not flat. A low tire is just as bad as a flat tire, maybe even more dangerous. A flat tire will shred apart a low tire will explode.

Get every endorsement you can, doubles/triples/tankers and hazmat will increase your employability in ways you won't understand right now. Lots of normal everyday goods are considered hazmat due to the quantity they are shipped in. Some of the best paying jobs are pulling doubles or triples. And tankers are required for large containers of liquids. I don't ever pull a tank but every few months I'm pulling a load of liquid containers that require tanker.

And get your twic card and passport. Apply for Twic card after hazmat endorsement so you can save on the background check.

 

Thank you. I know it's going to be a tough couple of years, lol.
Yes, I'm afraid of the orientation process and being told to go home. That will be crushing to say the least.
Thanks for taking the time, it gives me all perspectives. ..

 

2. Endorsements.....you do a multiple choice test on the DOT computer to get tanker, hazmat endorsements, and double trailer, They are about 20 questions each. There are no skills test required for these endorsements.

You take them after you pass the general knowledge and air brakes test.

For hazmat, you will also have to get fingerprinted and a background check through Homeland Security.

 

Thank you. The more I hear from you guys, the more I want to go. I'm going to check out two programs this afternoon. Both in NJ. , community college and tech school. Hopefully something is coming up soon for the program I choose. I'll get my experience, right after my daughter graduates and is off to school. I don't want to sit and think about it anymore, I feel like a dreamer, lol.

 

I went to Community College in 2010, rather than a company based training program because I knew I would not be doing OTR, but rather local driving or possibly regional.

Having a clean record, no tickets, no drugs, no arrests, put me at the top of the list for any job I applied for. I got hired on the spot for any job I applied for.

I got a regional job pulling a milk tanker in the midwest while I was finishing up school.
After that I got a local job hauling grain for a farmers co-op.

 

Thank you for that warning. Sheesh!!! I had a feeling that companies would try coming up with strict, unrealistic physical requirements when they feel someone, not just a woman-- couldn't hack it. Hey listen, if I don't try, I'm going to regret it All these tips are helping. I might not know what everything is when you mention it, but I'm looking them all up and reading on them as you guys tell me. Stay safe.

 

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I had my tractor trailer in for service on the fifth wheel. I got into it to pull out of the shop. The mechanic yelled at me just as I noticed the trailer wasnt coming along with me....I was going slow as there was a walk in pit below the trailer, so I stopped immediately. And I backed up to catch my trailer.

The mechanic had not gotten the kingpin latched, or he had pulled the release and forgot to latch it.

What are the odds a mechanic would fail to latch the kingpin?

I never even thought about checking the kingpin before pulling out of the shop.

 

One more question. I was watching a video of a guy driving down Monarch Pass in the winter. Snow looked to be about a foot or a little less. How do you even prepare for that? I watched the video before I went to sleep and had anxiety for 30 minutes lying in my bed. Scary stuff. Do you get more comfortable or every time you know your making that trip your thinking, " I hope I'm alive after this". I know this is a dangerous job, but that ride was scary. Was he supposed to be up there? It didn't change my mind, but I want a healthy fear not a paralyzing one.

 

A word on schools. You keep mentioning community schools and tech schools. Look at CDL schools (If available near you) as well. The goal of any of those 3 is to teach you enough to pass the CDL test. Very few will teach you much more than that.

A reputable CDL school may be cheaper and take less time to complete than a comm or tech college to achieve the same goal. So, don't overlook them. I went through RoadMaster several years ago. I paid $5500 out of pocket and had my CDL in 2 weeks. At the time, the RM location I went to had very good reviews and was highly recommended. Not sure how they are nowadays. Do your homework.