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Truck Drivers...
simonbs
Member Posts: 994 ✭
I'm thinking about getting my CDL. I need some info/advice on schools, requirements, companies, etc. Any help will be greatly appreciated.
I'm not afraid of the dark...the dark is afraid of me!
I'm not afraid of the dark...the dark is afraid of me!
Comments
will have all the booklets and handouts hat will answer all your
qustions.
I'm not afraid of the dark...the dark is afraid of me!
99% of the companies want you to be Hazmat certified, since 9-11 Hazmat drivers will soon need background checks to get the endorsement. You need to pass a physical and numerous drug screens. You need to be over 23 years old, federal laws says you can driver out of state at 21 but no insurance company will put you on at less than 23 for OTR.
Next comes the advise, DON'T DO IT!! There is a lot of money to be made on the road, I'm a high school drop out making $50k a year but that comes with a hefty price, no one likes you anymore, you are a lower class citizen with no rights, you are a marked man with a bounty on your head, your truck is a piggy bank to the police, you have no life, your wife may leave you, you may end up dead in an alley, you will develope a nasty attitude like mine, you will have back problems, you will be treated like dirt, you live in a box, noone cares if you like it, you are a mule in a barn untill a dispatcher needs you, you will see federal laws you never though possible, did I mention people will hate you, you will soon find out why truckers hate cars, cars are like gnats in your face, they hate you, they do not want you on the same road as them, they think you have no rights, they want you in the right lane all the time, they seem to forget when they pick a fight with a truck, they are playing with their lives, people in cars are stupid, like the jerk last night who didnt like me driving 70 mph. he cut me off and slammed on the brakes to slow me down going down a hill,STUPID!, don't do it, take it from me, don't do it. You will be a no good pill poppin, woman chasin overwieght slob, truck drivers are in the same class as rag heads, we are not liked, when you look up in a truck at the driver, look at the expression on his face and you will see what I'm talking about. Truckers also hate each other, listen to us on the CB radio, we are always wanting to kill each other, but let a non trucker mess with one of us and you will see trucker hell inflicted upon the unlucky soul!
The good stuff, you will see the country, all of it, and fast, you will see places you only dreamed of. This backwoods hillbilly redneck punk has been on Hollywood Blvd, downtown DC, Miami, Seattle and every other major city in the US, in other words soon you will be able to say "been there done that". You will find out that the wild west, is still wild, you will find out why Nebraska sucks, you will see the most beutifull woods ever imagined in Maine, you will cross majestic mountains in Oregon and Utah, you will know where all the best places to eat at are, you will find out in a place called Mouontain Home Idaho a truck stop called the stage stop feeds truckers before tourists! You will find a brotherhood of truckers who will help you no matter what(they have to because no body else will), you will discover the fun of "messing" with the 4 wheelers, playing games like box car, you will learn all the cb slang like "gators on the zipper" and "got one on your donkey", or "got it in the beeg hole", you will discover places like Ontario California, thats the place to be layed over on a weekend, you will get to be bad in states like Ohio, Indiana and Illinios, you will get to join in on "good time gangs"(convoy) and bust across Ohio far faster than they want you to, you will see things in cars that people think you cant see, you will get free shots from car loads of college girls, you will see some other things I won't mention here but it is funny!
There are alot of good times on the road, but there are just as many bad times. You will laugh, you will cry, but remember this, when you get home and look around you will see things differently and hopefully you will realize how good it is to be home.
To see some goofed up laws and problems we face, go to http://www.ooida.com
jobs
check this first, http://www.schneider.com/
http://www.layover.com/jobnet/?ref=goto
http://www.truckdriver.com/web/public/Drivers/index.cfm
http://www.onlinetruckers.com/
And for some good clean trucker humor for everyone go here,
http://www.truckerspage.com/writing.html
Edited by - nunn on 07/08/2002 16:48:23
Do you work for Schneider?
I'm not afraid of the dark...the dark is afraid of me!
I'm not afraid of the dark...the dark is afraid of me!
I tried to email you through GB, but it was kicked back undeliverable. If you don't mind, shoot me one to bsimon@sirote.com
Thanks again.
I'm not afraid of the dark...the dark is afraid of me!
Pack slow, fall stable, pull high, hit dead center.
Please pay particular attention to paragraph 3 from 7mm. Three days ago I finished my 30th year as a truck driver. Been driving ever since I graduated from Colorado in '72. Yes, I have made decent money and raised and supported my family well. I also was not able to really watch my children grow and be as involved with their lives as I would have liked. Then there was the problem with finding a wife (I am on 4th marriage) that could cope with being a truckers wife.
You will get to see all of the country but only from one shoulder of the road to the other. There is NO time to stop and be able to actually see any of the things that may interest you.
AN ARMED SOCIETY IS A POLITE SOCIETY
Pack slow, fall stable, pull high, hit dead center.
hey all!
You might have to go OTR for your first couple of years to get some experience. But after that you shouldnt have that hard of a time finding a local or regional job where you can get home everyday or atleast a few times a week. If your a strong willed, intelegent person, you will be able to avoid the pitfalls that that are associated with truckdriving.
As far as schools go , I got my CDL training from the local community college where I was living, It was alot slower paced than these 3 week driving schools. It took me 3months 1mo class time, 1month range time and 1 mo road training. I cant see learning everything you need to know in 3 weeks.
Ive had my CDL for almost 10 years, I never had: an accident,a ticket, sex with a lot lizard, popped any pills. I spent 2 years OTR now Im home every night. Its what YOU make of it. Good luck. lazy
If they have anything available in the next three months or so, I'm going with Schneider. The training is top notch and provided at no cost in exchange for a year employment commitment. They are a solid company with great benefits.
I figure to spend two to four years OTR and then settle down to local/reigional work here. My wife has an uncle that has been working dedicated routes for about 20 years now. He is home every night and only works four days a week with some occaisional overtime. He made just over $52,000 last year with three day weekends (Sat, Sun, Mon are his off days).
I'm not afraid of the dark...the dark is afraid of me!