Yard jockey=Experience?

Is a CDL required to be a yard jockey? I've spent the last 2 1/2 years OTR. I loved it but my husband didn't. Out 2 weeks home 2 days. I failed a pre employment drug screen due to a false positive. What am I looking at as far as jobs? I need to make quick money to pay for the return to duty crap.

 

Yes and no.
No in the fact if it never leaves private property then a CDL is not needed. Yes in the fact it will need fuel sometime... Sure the company can get it delivered, but that's unlikely to happen.

 

Yard dog work does not count. It should but the insurance companies do not count it.

 

When I first got my Class A, some guys were already working as spotters but wanting to go OTR. For what it's worth, they obviously had a big advantage getting through the course so experience paid off that way.

At my company, we have an option accelerated refresher course for people like myself coming back to trucking. I could see see a Yard guy totally new to OTR being considered for that type of training program. I was just out on the road with my trainer for a week, while people with less experience might be with a trainer 2 weeks or more.

I hate being in truck feeling cramped or sharing storing space. It was so nice to only go one week then get my own truck.

I'm currently Spotting now just to try something different. I do drive between to customers so I sort of still use my Class A, though I'm not sure that means much for experience.

 

You don't have enough time in the seat to be laughing at anyone, buddy.

 

To insurance companies it won't mean ZIP.
If I were the boss it would mean a TON.
Most accidents are backing accidents and when you DO get out here you'll see that these jokers can't back up to save their lives.
A 90yr old woman can drive these rigs down the interstate.
It's the turns and backing that's the trick.
But, all they want is months and miles.
It doesn't correlate. I want the guy that can put that trailer HERE.
Not the guy that starts sweating and walking around worrying to death about how he's gonna do it... when it's wide open to begin with.

You'll see. I'm not kidding.

 

I agree with you in theory. However lets not forget several differences. The first is there is a big difference between a yard dog and a road tractor. (most OTR drivers are not in day cabs) I have seen yard dog drivers have problems backing using a road tractor. The next point is a yard driver is in one yard all the time. they develop muscle memory of all the backs. OTR you can't develop such muscle memory. Next operating a truck on the road is easy like you say I fully agree however it is handling the truck in bad weather and when things go bump in the night that requires some experience. I'm not saying yard drivers can't do this. I'm saying yard experience while helpful is not quite the same as actual OTR experience handling all the problems OTR drivers face each and every day. The carriers know this. One more thing. If I were hiring and had 1 driver job open. I had a yard driver with 2 years and a green driver I would send the green driver home and hire the yard driver if this driver was otherwise qualified.

 

On that note don’t put yourself as “yard Jockey” on the app. Put local driver. The definition of local is subjective, and you are a vaild cdl driver.

 

Yard is good experience. Even the difference between a day cab, and an OTR tractor is substantial. All that experience backing is important. Backing is one of the toughest parts of driving and results in many accidents. A yard guy isn't going to make mistakes judging the distance between the blind side and what's next to that trailer. I would say that companies have much more respect for a yard guy than anybody inexperienced. Our yard guys have to take trailers across town and back.
Still... that one or two years stuff. That is mostly insurance companies.

 

Oilfields taught me about tight spaces and backing up. Some of these spots you'd never think that trailer is getting in that spot but we make it happen

 

True, however a yard driver can back both ways and have a clear line of sight. You take said driver out of that yard tractor and into a road tractor and they lose the ability to see to make those backs.