Trucking school, then start OTR next year...?

Yes, go get your cdl now. That 15-over ticket will be an issue as you know, but even with that I can just about promise someone would hire you.

I can’t really say whether or not bus driving experience will do you any good as far as getting into a “better” company, but it absolutely would be better than not working at all.

But again, that 15-over ticket is a pretty big deal and i’m guessing most bus companies are going to be pretty strict about have a safe driving record.

 

Recruiters aren’t going to care what company you drive for, as long as you have enough driving experience that pertains to that particular job and a clean enough record to please their insurance company.

 

Some trucking companies don't give you credit for non-trucking work. Personally, I see too many newbies get the CDL school now and then drag their feet too long and find out they have to go back to CDL school or pay for a refresher course to get working.

I strongly recommend you don't go to school until AFTER you have found the trucking company and job that REALLY fits your personality/needs. Spend the time between now and your first job doing research until you find the company that REALLY fits you. You may find that the company you want to work for has their own school, or only accepts newbies from a particular school, etc. Decide about school AFTER you have picked a company. CDL school is too short and too busy to expect to do any real research once you start. Company first, school second.

I would also wait so that 15 over ticket falls outside of 3 years. Reputable CDL schools will often review your record and deny you entry because you have something in your background that will prevent you from working at many companies. The bad schools will be happy to take your money even though they see the same thing and realize you can only work for Dewey, Cheatem, and Howe Trucking. There is no need to fight your way into a hard situation if you can afford to wait and have your problem disappear into the past.

 

Sorry, i don’t mean to ramble here but another thing to keep in mind is if you want to get a class A cdl, you will obviously have to road test in a tractor trailer, but if you want to drive a bus for awhile you will also have to road test in a bus to get that passenger endorsement on your cdl. And of course if you want to drive a school bus that is a whole nother endorsement.

 

Several ex-bus drivers on this forum and I guess they made the change for financial reasons.
I'd get the cdl now even if you don't use it for a few months. I think you will be hired right out of school though.
Contact some companies now and ask if they'll hire you with that ticket being just under 3 yrs. old.
Freymiller is a good one and I think they look at each case and make a decision.
This company also has cdl school tuition reimbursement.
Go to this website and click on "Recent Graduates"
Drive Freymiller | Best Paying Trucking Companies
https://www.drive4freymiller.com

 

I was not aware you needed to road test a passenger bus to get the P endorsement. Where did that come from? Class A covers every class of vehicle except motorcycle.

DONT bring a bus to the first road test for CDL, you might be issued only a B class instead of a A. Make sure the vehicle you bring to the state test post schooling for CDL A is a manual tractor. Not a automatic.

 

You are correct that a class A covers class B vehicles, but anything that is designed to carry x number of people (I think it’s 16?) still requires a passenger endorsement, which requires a road test in that type of vehicle. All other endorsements require only a written test.

I know it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. Here i am with my tanker, hazmat and double/triple endorsements, so I guess I am certified to haul triple tankers full of plutonium, but I can’t legally drive a church bus. Because you know, all those lives are at stake lol.