I recently got my class A license with no experience driving a tractor trailer,,,

[TwinCities]

hi there,
i got my class A license last March with out any school, training or experience. i just studied the book a little bit and pretrip master. com and went down to the dmv and passed the general knowledge, air brakes, combination vehicles, haz-mat, doubles/triples, tankers basically every endorsement but school bus/passenger. i paid 325. to rent a truck from this company called "class A leasing ". they give ya less then an hour to practice in their automatic truck w/ a 15' or 20' flat trailer and this was ok to take the road test in,,, funny uh... then paid the 89.25 for the back ground check for tsa and got finger printed so i can get the hm endorsement.
i currently work for an armored truck company that has about 35 or 40 armored trucks and 3 or 4 of them have air breaks that probably requires a class B. my supervisor says that we Do Not need a special license to drive these 3 or 4 trucks that are loaded full of heavy coin,,, i find that hard to believe,,, anyways i dont drive these trucks very often but every now and then i get stuck on those routes, so i decided to just get my class A instead of the B and maybe have some thing to fall back on.
i drove a flat bed tow truck for a few years and have pulled boats for years so passing the driving exam for the dmv was a breeze. dunbar armored doesnt pay very well and after working there almost two years and only getting a few raises for less then fifty cents im thinking about moving on.
getting to the point now whats the best way to go about learning how to drive a rig w/ out paying for or going to a school ? and what would be a good company to start out with around Minneapolis, MN ? then the idea of going OTR w/ some guy for weeks at a time to learn, its not like the truck is going to wait for me to get a room and im not sleeping in the same area he was,,,
i used to drive cab in downtown minneapolis full time for 5 or 6 years and still do just about every or every other weekend. so ive been a commercial driver for over ten years w/ a valid dot card as well, but good luck finding a job with out at least two years of otr experience... then ive been reading a few of the other posts and it all sounds like if your arent already into it its hardly even worth getting into.
thanks
steve

 

[bluejaybee]

I would say that your first obstacle is getting insurance without experience. Should you find a way to obtain insurance, then you might find somebody who would talk to you about letting you drive. Limiting yourself to one geograpgic area and making statements that you aren't going to sleep in same area as co-driver, I think you are not really wanting to learn bad enough. There are probably some owners who would try to work with you, but you have limited yourself. Nowdays, being very flexible is the way to get the right breaks and chances in this job. If it was important enough to you, you would be willing to do whatever it took to get a chance. One way to get experience is buy your own truck (provided you can obtain insurance), then advertise as an O/O. Otherwise, expect to have to do a little something you don't like to get it.

 

[TwinCities]

i hear ya.
maybe it wouldnt be as bad as i imagined it.
thanks for your reply.
steve

 

[Doggie Daddy]

i hear ya.
maybe it wouldnt be as bad as i imagined it.
thanks for your reply.
steve

Oh it could be bad all right,one look at the scuzzy drivers that hang out at truck stops should convince you of that.

But as bluejaybee said,how bad do you want it? And there is always the chance that you would get paired up with someone who understands the concept of personal hygiene.

 

[jeffman164]

Twin Cities : not sure but heard that Progressive will insure newbies . Worth a call .

 

[TwinCities]

so i just got a letter from TSA
says, The TSA has reviewed your application ect. ect.
Accordingly, this letter serves as a determination that you meet the eligibility requirements to hold an HME, as set forth in 49 C.F.R. section 1572.15 (d)(1). TSA will notify the state that you may obtain or renew your HME.
Then i got my passport on the way. now need to get some training and maybe the company will pay for my twit card,,,

 

[nightcreacher]

Without a credited school,you getting a job driving a tractor trailer is slim to none.The only companies that may hire you are those that have driving schools,such as US Express.The insurance companies dictate to what the companies can do.Years back,you could learn driving from a friend and just go to work.That won't happen anymore.Every company has strict DOT rules,you having a liscense with no experience,wont get you a cup of coffee,but as I said a company that has a training center,such as US EXpress,and there are others,thats your best bet.Training will be free,but you will have top sign a contract to stay a year or you will be charged for the training.What sad,you cant't even buy a truck and go to work,in fact unless yopu pay cash,with no experiance,you won't get a loan for a truck.

 

[AMonger]

I've always hated hotbunking, too. Don't know how submariners do it.

One time I was in a truck made by a well-known company which took FL-70s and then put their sleeper and wiring in it. The company was known to make inferior products. I don't think I'm allowed to name them on the board, especially with the insult I would otherwise turn their name into.

Anyway, the roof leaked. It was alright in light rain, but if it poured, the upper bunk would get soaked. That was where my codriver, a skinny guy, slept, so he had to move down when I drove. Neither of us liked it, but we had no choice. I was going to have him take my sheets off and put his in place, then change them again when I would sleep. He had a better idea. He took one of the mattresses from up top (he had two slim mattresses up there, and the bottom one was dry) and put that whole mattress on top of mine and then put his sheets on that mattress. When it was his turn to drive, we just stood that mattress on its end along the back wall and I had my own mattress to sleep on. That turned out to be a great solution. We each had our own sleeping surface.

 

[greg334]

One time I was in a truck made by a well-known company which took FL-70s and then put their sleeper and wiring in it. The company was known to make inferior products. I don't think I'm allowed to name them on the board, especially with the insult I would otherwise turn their name into.

What can you do with Bentz?

 

[06081956]

U s express does not have truck driving school any more. Just to rule out them

 

[Jefferson3000]

Without a credited school,you getting a job driving a tractor trailer is slim to none.The only companies that may hire you are those that have driving schools,such as US Express.The insurance companies dictate to what the companies can do.Years back,you could learn driving from a friend and just go to work.That won't happen anymore.Every company has strict DOT rules,you having a liscense with no experience,wont get you a cup of coffee,but as I said a company that has a training center,such as US EXpress,and there are others,thats your best bet.Training will be free,but you will have top sign a contract to stay a year or you will be charged for the training.What sad,you cant't even buy a truck and go to work,in fact unless yopu pay cash,with no experiance,you won't get a loan for a truck.

I must agree. Insurance companies determine what and who a company will hire. I would certainly not expect and expedited carrier to pick you up for several years. Then again, I may be surprised.

 

[easyrider2697]

Without a credited school,you getting a job driving a tractor trailer is slim to none.The only companies that may hire you are those that have driving schools,such as US Express.The insurance companies dictate to what the companies can do.Years back,you could learn driving from a friend and just go to work.That won't happen anymore.Every company has strict DOT rules,you having a liscense with no experience,wont get you a cup of coffee,but as I said a company that has a training center,such as US EXpress,and there are others,thats your best bet.Training will be free,but you will have top sign a contract to stay a year or you will be charged for the training.What sad,you cant't even buy a truck and go to work,in fact unless yopu pay cash,with no experiance,you won't get a loan for a truck.

Interesting that you of all people say that..when the very company you work for will do that for him..as of a few months back..Tri-state was one of the only expediting companies that would still let you train someone with little or no experience..as long as the codriver had the qualifications to do it..I could be wrong..and if so I will stand corrected..but might be worth checking into..

 

[greg334]

So will his former company - FedEx.

 

[Crazynuff]

so i just got a letter from TSA
says, The TSA has reviewed your application ect. ect.
Accordingly, this letter serves as a determination that you meet the eligibility requirements to hold an HME, as set forth in 49 C.F.R. section 1572.15 (d)(1). TSA will notify the state that you may obtain or renew your HME.
Then i got my passport on the way. now need to get some training and maybe the company will pay for my twit card,,,

I doubt the qualifications for twit card are difficult to meet .
Urban Dictionary: twit
The kind of person that makes a retarded chimp look smart.

 

[nightcreacher]

Greg,if you don't haven't been to a school,the Fed wont let you drive a tractor.You can not train someone at the Fed,maybe in a straight truck,and I was told the same at Tri State.

 

[jeffman164]

Twin Cities - Buy a tractor , call Progressive for insurance , sign on with a very small company and you are good to go !! Done deal !!

 

[greg334]

Greg,if you don't haven't been to a school,the Fed wont let you drive a tractor.You can not train someone at the Fed,maybe in a straight truck,and I was told the same at Tri State.

Steve, Not to dispute you, that is the rules but actually rules can be bent and have been.