getting in the industry

[kenx187x]

Been researching for couple days now and kinda lost don't know if i have any opportunity in this industry.


I'm 19 years old
In kansas

I'm a trained diesel mechanic with the U.S. Army National Guard.
Willing to go to CDL school. Willing to purchase my own straight truck or van. But every where I read the minimum age is 21 other then Midwest expedite which i heard you don't want to go with.


Any advice for the situation?

 

[highway star]

Get older.....

 

[chefdennis]

The age deal is an insurance requirement....companies need insurance, and they could get it if they had contractors that can't legally do the job....

 

[skipr4520]

Been researching for couple days now and kinda lost don't know if i have any opportunity in this industry.


I'm 19 years old
In kansas

I'm a trained diesel mechanic with the U.S. Army National Guard.
Willing to go to CDL school. Willing to purchase my own straight truck or van. But every where I read the minimum age is 21 other then Midwest expedite which i heard you don't want to go with.


Any advice for the situation?

Being a diesel mech in the guard, don't you already have a CDL? If not, your MOS should be able to transfer over to a civilian job classification (some MOS's don't). I would check with your NCO and see if they can find out for you. Also, being military, you can be elidgeable for cross rate training, free civilian education or the GI Bill, if you took that option. Also, even though you are only 19, if you are a veteran, you have even more options for free education. You can call veteran affairs if your a vet and find out ALL that you are elidgeable for. Don't forget to go ahead and fill out your forms for VA Cerification for a home loan (it takes up to 6 months for pre-approval) so when you do decide to buy a home, all the prelim stuff is already done. As far as Midwest, I, personally, don't know anything about them, BUT, if you can get your foot in the door.....just make sure you do all your research on whomever may hire you. If you can, check within a 25 mile radius of your hometown (or how ever far you want to commute) and see if there are any companies around you that may not be on here, that you will be able to meet your hiring age criteria. I have seen several companies (some factories) who have over-the-road straight trucks that haul from their factory to a recver, pick up at a shipper and deliver either back to their factory (point of original origin) or to another factory (of the same factory name) in another state. Their requirements, as far as age, could be lower than others you have checked on because their insurance requirements could be different, ie..lower age requirement.

 

[Steady Eddie]

The age deal is an insurance requirement....companies need insurance, and they could get it if they had contractors that can't legally do the job....

What type insurance you talking about? He could get his own insurance for his unit and workers comp. "Legally do the job?".. Knowing what I know now, at 19 I could do this job, better than I can now....shoot, at 19 I was doing a job 20xs harder than this.

 

[Slo-Ride]

Any advice for the situation?[/QUOTE

Not knowing your situation,,
My opinion would be to stay (or go full time) active duty for a few more years.Before ya know it you will bout 40 years old with a nice lil Gov Pension and a health care plan.
By staying active duty you have so much to choose from as far a work goes. You may even change your MOS and move in a different direction..In 17 or 18 years you can come out already owning the trucks or be in a nice position to buy if ya work toward that goal.
The driving jobs will still be here after ya retire from active duty.
So many of us out here wished we would have stayed and made a career of it,,ya cant go back very easy.

 

[Steady Eddie]

Been researching for couple days now and kinda lost don't know if i have any opportunity in this industry.


I'm 19 years old
In kansas

I'm a trained diesel mechanic with the U.S. Army National Guard.
Willing to go to CDL school. Willing to purchase my own straight truck or van. But every where I read the minimum age is 21 other then Midwest expedite which i heard you don't want to go with.


Any advice for the situation?

With your background, I would try the Rail Roads, Tow Boats or a dealership for diesel mechanics. Contact some Expedite companies to see if you can get your own ins. and W/C. Assuming you have a perfect driving record at your age. At 19 I went the Tow Boat route. Best years of my life, gone from home a lot, but home just as much as you are gone, with pay. Folks that didn't know me thought I was a drug dealer with all the money I had when I got home.....

 

[ChrisGa23]

No offense but you having experience in diesel mechanic you could find a job paying $13+ hr and sleep in your bed everynight. Got a friend who works for yellow freight as a mechanic and is knocking down $16 an hour and been there maybe 5 years. You wont come close to the money over the road as you can using your mechanic experience.

 

[idtrans]

You will make allot more $$$$ working on diesels than driving a truck ! Be smart take it from me work on them don't drive them !! With the terds many companies are hiring on working on the trucks will have a better future for you young man!

Been researching for couple days now and kinda lost don't know if i have any opportunity in this industry.


I'm 19 years old
In kansas

I'm a trained diesel mechanic with the U.S. Army National Guard.
Willing to go to CDL school. Willing to purchase my own straight truck or van. But every where I read the minimum age is 21 other then Midwest expedite which i heard you don't want to go with.


Any advice for the situation?

 

[cheri1122]

Not making any assumptions, but sometimes, money isn't the deciding factor. I could make more money if I went back to nursing, [and get great benefits] but I didn't enjoy the JOB [silly me, I thought it was about taking care of sick & injured people, but that was last on my list of tasks] enough.
The OP can drive intrastate until he is 21, if he finds someone who can use him that way, and driving is what he wants to do.

 

[Jefferson3000]

Been researching for couple days now and kinda lost don't know if i have any opportunity in this industry.


I'm 19 years old
In kansas

I'm a trained diesel mechanic with the U.S. Army National Guard.
Willing to go to CDL school. Willing to purchase my own straight truck or van. But every where I read the minimum age is 21 other then Midwest expedite which i heard you don't want to go with.


Any advice for the situation?

I just sent you a PM with some info that may help.

 

[Moot]

Got a friend who works for yellow freight as a mechanic and is knocking down $16 an hour and been there maybe 5 years.

Are you sure he is a mechanic and not a tire boy or truck washer? I was making just over $16/hour at a non-union LTL carrier as a driver and that was 15 years ago. The mechanics made slightly more per hour.

As for Kenx, why not do the mechanic thing until you are at least 21. I'm sure any carrier or dealership you worked for would let you use a truck for your road test. Save your money for a nice down payment on a truck and then do the expedite thing. I believe the law states a driver must be 21 years or older to drive interstate, unless that has changed recently.

 

[Jefferson3000]

Here's the only difinitive thing I can find from FMCSA:
391.11

General qualifications of drivers.

(a) A person shall not drive a commercial motor vehicle unless he/she is qualified to drive a commercial motor vehicle. Except as provided in §391.63, a motor carrier shall not require or permit a person to drive a commercial motor vehicle unless that person is qualified to drive a commercial motor vehicle.

(b) Except as provided in subpart G of this part, a person is qualified to drive a motor vehicle if he/she—

(1) Is at least 21 years old;

(2) Can read and speak the English language sufficiently to converse with the general public, to understand highway traffic signs and signals in the English language, to respond to official inquiries, and to make entries on reports and records;

(3) Can, by reason of experience, training, or both, safely operate the type of commercial motor vehicle he/she drives;

(4) Is physically qualified to drive a commercial motor vehicle in accordance with subpart E—Physical Qualifications and Examinations of this part;

(5) Has a currently valid commercial motor vehicle operator's license issued only by one State or jurisdiction;

(6) Has prepared and furnished the motor carrier that employs him/her with the list of violations or the certificate as required by §391.27;

(7) Is not disqualified to drive a commercial motor vehicle under the rules in §391.15; and

(8) Has successfully completed a driver's road test and has been issued a certificate of driver's road test in accordance with §391.31, or has presented an operator's license or a certificate of road test which the motor carrier that employs him/her has accepted as equivalent to a road test in accordance with §391.33.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As far as driving a CMV goes, the minimum age is definitely 21. However, would this poster be disqualified from driving a vehicle 10000 GVWR or less in interstate commerce? Can anyone point to a reg? We've never had one before, so I am still researching to find out.

 

[JLew90]

I just turned 21 and i went to tech school for commercial truck and equipment technolgy i just hung in there till i was of age and been doing for a month best money i ever made besides the crap jobs i had before its worth the wait but i wouldnt jump into buying your own truck at first cuz it will smamp with everything it can breakdowns r on u feul is on you everything is your responibility let an op take care of you first but pick a good one that pays good and treats u right

 

[ChrisGa23]

Are you sure he is a mechanic and not a tire boy or truck washer? I was making just over $16/hour at a non-union LTL carrier as a driver and that was 15 years ago. The mechanics made slightly more per hour.

As for Kenx, why not do the mechanic thing until you are at least 21. I'm sure any carrier or dealership you worked for would let you use a truck for your road test. Save your money for a nice down payment on a truck and then do the expedite thing. I believe the law states a driver must be 21 years or older to drive interstate, unless that has changed recently.

No clue. I know he originally got hired on as a mechanic not sure what he is doing now