Want to be a driver; but, would like to know a few things first.

That's crazy! well, initially I applied to prime and they told me that if I got my permit before school, my bus ticket would be paid and if I got my permit there (missouri) I had to pay for my ticket to get there, but Roehl told me I had to have it before I get there-I'll be doing good to pass the thing once let alone a second time!

 

I though it was crazy too but hey i was all the way in Tn and thought that was normal procedure.I mean i could have left i drove down there on my own(getting practice)

 

If I am not mistaken Schneider will have you get your permit in the state you live in. Some companies do it differently but I believe that is the way Schneider does it. Did they tell you to get your permit before you attend class?

 

Schneider will tell you which they want from you. Each company/school has their own policy on getting your permit. However, regardless of where you get your permit from, you will have to get your CDL from your state of residency. I went to a CDL mill in Missouri, but lived in IL at the time. I had to give up my IL operaters license in exchange for my MO CDL permit once I passed the written test, and once I passed the pre-trip/skills/driving tests I was issued a MO CDL. The company I went to work for right outta school (PAM Transport) told me I needed to get my license transferred back to IL. I was able to stubbornly keep my MO license for almost two years before they finally said they wouldn't dispatch me on a load after home time until I got an IL CDL. I finally complied. The biggest reason I was being stubborn was because MO had a 7 year license and IL's is only 4 yrs. I am now "living" in Texas, which means that's where my personal vehicle is. I don't even have an apartment/house there yet, so since I have no domicile in TX I still am legal with my IL CDL.

For those curious minds, all of my mail (cell phone, credit card, insurance bills) go to my mom's house in IL, since my house burned back in Aug. Whenever I want time off I take it where ever I choose, be that my mom's, my dad's in GA or a buddy's house where ever he/she might live. My plan is to stay OTR for the next couple of years, bank a bunch of money and then buy a nice chunk of land either in eastern TX or eastern TN, find a local job, find a couple nice horses, and live the good life reaping the rewards of my sacrifices and hard work.

 

Here's what I was told... (i'm an Illinois resident Class D license currently)
Every company I contacted for training,( in 4 different states)said,
Take your permit test in the state of your residence, that permit allows you to drive with "ANY" class A cdl holder from "ANY" state, "IN" "ANY" state. At my local DMV,(Silvis, Illinois), I sat the test (gen. knowledge,air brakes,combination(dbls/trpls).) You are to retain your current class license.
My Current license was due to expire in March of '07 so I was told that I'd save $60 if I went ahead and renewed my class"D" for $5 and pay the $50 for the CDL up front (permit+the actual skills), this way, when I took the Skills portion I would not have to payfor the "upgrade" at the time of renewal.. kinda funky, but the way it was wrote out on their price sheets, I ended up saving money...go figure.. First time anybody in govt. ever DIDN'T try an shaft me...lol
Hope this helps.
Nos

 

The best thing you stated was that you don't really have anything to tie you down. OTR Trucking can be hard on family life, and as an earlier post stated, trucking is not a job, but a way of life. You'll have plenty of knocks to get through, but you'll never know if OTR is for you unless you try....just accept the fact that there will be many frustrations and challenges.

 

They didn't give a reason but rumors are saying that Swift has been operating an illegal driving school and maybe the straw that broke the camel's back was their attemp to charge students that quit the school $6,000. I guess it makes sense... sign up 100 drivers, 50 quit and you charge them $30,000. Nice profit without any wheels going round.

 

I'm a newby myself friend, but like you I had tonnes of questions. While browsing, I came across this site, firstclasssafetytraining.com and read some interesting articles about truck driving safety. This might or might not be of use to you at all, but its worth the read.

I'm almost down on my luck at my present job, I'm wondering if I can make a career out of truck driving. Any insights will be greatly appreciated, more power to this site!!

 

Re: Want to be a driver; but, would like to know a few things first.



Well; I am a driver and I want to know a few things myself!

 

There are positive aspects of trucking, but....what is positive for one person may be negative for another.
Example: Driving for days and days viewing the country and all the different places and various people.
Positve for those who have no ties at home and want the freedom of the open road.
Negative for those who miss their family, friends, and relationships.
Another example would be Structure. Some people like to know what they are doing on a daily basis. Trucking has NO structure. Every day is a different destination that you are informed of minutes before you head off.
Again, this is appealing to many, but those who are used to knowing their weekly plans, not so.
As far as the negatives, well that's a whole other ballgame. You've read many already, so I won't get into that.