anyone here have there cdl?

[cofi]

im thinking about shifting gears(haha) and trying my hand at driving for money i done zero research so far except for looking at a bunch of advertisments for trucking schools and seen a lot of jobs on craigslist/paper.....oh and i have watched like 3 episodes of ice road truckers

what do i need to do to get my cdl? what school is best? if you have your cdl are you happy driving for a living?

[Tinelement]

I'm sorry cofi.....

But I have to do it.

Their.

[cofi]

I'm sorry cofi.....

But I have to do it.

Their.

see and thats what i get for not having mama bear proof read

[StagLefty]

.oh and i have watched like 3 episodes of ice road truckers

Need a whole season !!! GL with career change.

[Bailey Guns]

I went to truck-driving school in Dec 2010 for something to do after retiring. I got pre-hired by an over-the-road trucking company. I finished the month-long training session in 8 days and went out on my own driving the 11 western states. I can't think of anything I HATED more than that job. Not the driving...just the whole culture of living out of a truck and truck stops and having to deal with pain in the ass dispatchers and customers. I lasted less than 1 month and I quit. I got my HazMat and tanker endorsements and hired on with a local propane company here in Conifer. I love it.

It's hard to get a CDL-A job (driving a combination truck) driving locally without 1 or 2 years of OTR experience. But there are other jobs out there. I couldn't stand being away from home. HATED it.

[sellersm]

Bailey summed up what my Uncle & cousin both experienced (they drove for Marten), except that they lasted much longer. Remember that pic of the truck with all the Coors (or Bud or whatever) spilled out? Yeah, that happened to my cousin, don't think he lasted long after that...

Good luck if you do decide to go that way! It's one way to see the country...

[cofi]

so in state jobs are tough to get??? i dont really want to do OTR stuff

[Big Wall]

Local jobs are hard to get with 0 experience. I was lucky, I started with a class B driving tour buses, the company provided the training. The only real money to be made driving tour buses is in doing over the road trips and you are constantly babysitting. Then I got my class A training provided by the next company I worked for. They did mostly local deliveries. I would go out of state a couple nights a month. I absolutely hate driving trucks for a living. Every time I get out I swear I will never go back to it. Right now I work as a dispatcher just until my wife graduates from college.

[BuffCyclist]

I have my CDL-B with HazMat certification for work, it was a stipulation of getting the job. I've only driven the truck a total of 3 times in the 2.5yrs I've been working there (I was the backup driver). We basically make weekly trips down the mountain to pickup 10x 180L dewars of liquid nitrogen to cool the instruments.

The only advice I can give on getting your CDL is go to the DMV and get the book NOW! Its free and they give you all the info you need. Study that book and get everything nailed down. Then you can take the written exam at the DMV. If you are going to drive a GOV vehicle, you can bypass the medical checkup with a waiver (which I did because it wasn't necessary).

If you don't have access to someone who will let you drive their truck to get some experience as well as do the driving test, then a truck driving school would probably be the best way to get it. And if you already got the CDL book, you will have a heads up on everyone else in the class. Good luck!

[ChadAmberg]

My brother got his while working for a moving company. That ended up being about 95% local, but typically you'll also be lifting heavy stuff too.