Need Class A CDL advice... Any tractor trailer guys on here? I'm looking to start in this industry and need some direction. I'm going to visit this facility www.swtdt.com for an open house and learn about the school. I currently have a Class B CDL and I'm based out of Phoenix AZ. I can't run OTR so I'm looking for AZ, CA and NV runs. Any advice would be MUCH appreciated as i'm still deciding if this is the direction i want to go, and the CDL school is a few thousand bucks... Thanks!

DO NOT PAY THOUSANDS TO LEARN TO DRIVE! haha. My buddy paid 8k for a school in Missouri and he no longer drives lol. Find a company that will train you for free, and you get paid. Usually some smaller companies will train you free, but want you to sign a contract that you will work for them for 1 to 2 years. Lots of them do the regional runs too. Check into that first before getting snaked into paying for something you dont need, its a joke.

i dont know about the comm class a, but the non comm class A test is a freekin common sense joke...ANYONE can pass that chit

If you know someone with a tractor, and trailer who can teach you, it would be to your advantage to be taught that way over paying for a school. Your next best senario would be to secure a job with a company that will train you as you work with them. This is how I got my CDL. I started with a metal co. driving a two axle bobtail truck. While doing that they allowed me to go out with other drivers who drove 40' flatbed trailers. Eventually I gained enough experience to take the tests, and began driving a 40' flatbed for them. After three years I quit for a better paying job with a soda company, and almost ten years later, I quit for a better paying job with a grocery co. and thats where I've been for almost 14 years now. Its a great way to make a living, but you have to be responsible about keeping your lic. free of tickets and don't even think about having a "beer or two" and getting in your car to drive somewhere! I know guys that make upwards of 80K a year just hauling groceries. Good luck!

Bob "Doc" Savage

there is a place on I17 and I10 on sw corner that will let you use their trucks for test. When i did mine the truck was an automatic and was like driving a pickup. The hardest part is the walk around.

I agree with trying to find someone to train you on the job. The trucking schools are a waste of money in my opinion. And with a class B your half way there already. If you need any endorsements, getting them ahead of time will help. I just had to renew my class A and the state of CA wants $94 to keep my Hazmat endorsement, and I've never even needed to use it. But I decided when I got my class A to get all the endorsements, except for passenger.

Thanks for the feedback fellas! The one thing about the school that I liked was they have lifetime job placement. If I try to "learn on the job" to get my class A, where is a good place to start to find an employer?

Carefull on that placement "guarantee". My daughter just finished at a school that guaranteed placement. All they do is send resume's out for you, and in this economy, not too many job oportunities. I asked her if they made it sound like employment was guaranteed before she signed on the dotted line and she said yes. But to the schools defense, if no one is hiring, it's not really their fault... So she is out there sending and calling also. She was also #2 in a class of over 30.

I wouldn't trust their lifetime job placement. I see alot of trucks on the road that have ads on them looking for drivers will train that kinda of thing. I got my class A thru my union and they paid for everything even took me to the dmv in their truck.

Don't let that hazmat go. I got my job because of my hazmat. I never used for the first 5 years I had it. I got a job because of it just before I was gonna let it go because I didn't want to pay for it. The new tsa background check was no big deal.

Be real carefull and read all the contracts completly. Most companies will train you if you sign on with them for no fee. But the catch is if you quit you'll pay the contracted amount. The biggest reason why drivers quit those job are the lack of money being paid to the driver. They pay at a reduced rate because your being trained. Make sure your paid for all miles driven too! Some companies dont pay dead head miles so you can spend alot of time driving and not being paid. Like some have mentioned in this post, there are some decent paying jobs but for the most part you'll have to put in your time behind the wheel before you can start making that money. Most companies look for at least 2 years driving experence to even be considered. One last thing, what ever you do, do not sign up on a lease contract with any company (England) to drive their truck its a big loose loose situation. Good luck....... BTW Call me when you have 2 years!!

Well, I just signed up for the CDL school. 4 week program, 2 weeks in class 2 weeks in truck. The cost of the class is reimbursed by the company that hires you on =) Thanks for all the input everybody, it really helped me make my decision. Hey double trouble, I'll send you a PM in 2 years good buddy!

I have a California Commercial Class A license. If I were you I would find someone who has a license, and if they don't have a truck you can always rent one for a day. The driving part is fairly simple. In SD the schooling is 5 grand. If you lived in SD I would help you no problem.

Got my permit 3 more weeks of school...

Got my class a license today, graduate from school tomorrow Anybody need a driver?

Congrats!

good luck wish you the best 25 five year veteran

Its fun being an owner operator....I have helped out several friends get there license's in my truck....it was nice for me when I started....got my license for free through the union company I was working for....there a good jobs out there....just need to be picky.....I personally think owning your own is the way to go...some might disagree...has been great for me....I also have been lucky to have a local haul everyday....and rain or shine.

Once you've seen what a truck makes an hour/ton compared to what a driver gets paid (at least in the aggregate industry), it will make you strive to become an owner operator

I know what the pay is in the aggregate industry....I guess I sold my superdump at the right time....did it for five years here in San Diego...when it was going it was great....busy everyday for 5 years.....came to a dead stop....what Im doing now is recycling....always work and I work for the biggest company in the nation. Having your own truck does have it draw backs....you are responsible for everything...it does all add up....for example...last year my fuel alone was about 65 grand....thats a grip.....then when you want to go on vacation....your truck either sits or find a driver that you can trust.

here is some advice dont do it

UPdate...

never done over the road stuff and what your saying is one of the reasons why. I think people either love it (single, no kids and team with wife, etc) or hate it. I know I would hate it.

Maybe when things pick up around here you should look into a local job. Either way, you got alot of experience and a little piece of paper that could help get a job if your ever in a bind. It's just too bad you had to pay so much for it

update is on first post

Take your license and find a good job working local.

i was once on a plane and started talking to the guy next to me, his job was going to get trucks that new driver's have abandond and went home
was a full time job for him, guy's would just walk away.

Why did you say you would hide in the sleeper? Were you being trained by an a-hole? And what is with leaving you in a hotel while he went home? What company was this? Help someone avoid the same bad experience. What did the company do wrong? Or did you just hate the time away from home? Did they do what they said they would or did they lie? Just wondering?


EDIT: My guess is Swift/AIT............

Werner Enterprises. Trainer was a nice guy, but you'll want to get away from him after a few days on the road. Same living space (cab/sleeper) for tow large men and a chatty guy will drive you crazy... Time away from home sucked big time, the dispatchers make money for every job you do and you're basically their bitch =( Company didn't lie, they just treat you poorly, drivers are at the bottom of the food chain in my honest opinion...

Don't give up on the trucking industry completly. There are good jobs out there but as you said you'll have to cut your teeth first. Might not help but here's how I got to where I'm at now-

I worked for JPL (kind of a part of NASA) in the Transportation department. They had a driver training program and luckily for me the trainer took a liking to me. I go t my Class B and after a year my A. I had 4 years with JPL but only 2 months of those with my Class A when I left at age 23. Before leaving my trainer told me to go out and spend the next 2 years jumping from job to job to see where I fit in in the trucking industry. In his words no one would hire me until I was at least 25 (insurance is cheaper?). That was great advice.

Quick list of my resume

JPL 1991-1995 Drove everything from P/U's, 40 passenger busses, small cranes, 20K forklift, tractor trailer

Contractor's Warehouse 1995-1997 (lame version of Home Depot) Hauled construction material, tractor trailer

Johnnies Tow and Transport 1997-1998 heavy duty tow trucks then moved into 10 car carrier running San Diego to San Francisco (good money,$500-1K/wk)

CV Tow 1998-2000 Heavy duty tow trucks

2000- present. I applied to my current company as a truck driver. Under 'Hobbies' I put building sandrails, welding, general automotive work. The HR guy saw that and said I might be suited for a job working in oil refineries operating a nitrogen pumper. These pumpers are mounted on tractor trailers hence the need for a Class A with Tanker and Haz Mat. This division did all their own maintenance on the pumpers except for engine or trans swaps (those were rare). This worked out great for me since in the oil refineries I just sat there operating the pumper but I still had a chance to get my hands dirty doing general maintenance when needed. After 3 years of that a spot opened in one of our hydrogen plants and I applied and got it. Now I work 14 twelve hour shifts a month for a Fortune 300 company.

I guess what I'm saying is don't short change yourself on the trucking industry. You never know where you may end up unless you give it a shot. The hours suck but tow truck companies are always looking for drivers with a CDL. It has always had a dirt bag image but the CLass A guys can actually do +/- $75K per year.

I have not driven a truck in a few years but still keep my CDL up to date. As a matter of fact I had my 2 year physical last week and need to go turn it in (NEVER MAIL IT). But you live in AZ and your DMV has go to be better then CA.

I was guessing swift also.

Don't forget excavation and construction companies. Jut moved out here an I'm currently looking for work (Transfers/End dumps/belly dumps/pneumatics) Keep hearing things are slow out here right now but hopefully picking up very soon.

A good friend of ours is working for the military as a private citizen. He is a former Marine, and had to go thru background to no end, but is making huge $$$ transporting weapons/warheads/missles. He is recently married with no kids so that part is not as hard as far as leaving the family behind. He has logged 60K+ miles in the last 5 months but they are living well with the $$$. He is home every other weekend and his wife is thinking of getting a CDL so they can be a driver team. I think I would be sad to have Doug gone most of the time but he is bringing in about 3-4K a week, it may be worth it to get ahead a bit.

Growing up my grandfather used to drive me and my brother across the nation camping at KOA camp grounds.. We had a CB and talked to the truckers non-stop.
I swore I would grow up to be a trucker.. I thought they were the biggest baddest mofos..
Love being on the road and cruising.. Its timeless to me..
Looking back, I often wonder and dream what it would be like cruising full time..
Ill never know now - but who knows.. maybe when I retire Ill do it and haul my grand kids around during their summers like my Pa did..

I did one cross country run back in 1996. I was with a friends dad who owned the truck/trailer. We went from Fresno to New York but the broker sold the load and we were diverted to Connecticut. Then we spent 3 days waiting for a load to come back to LA. 3 days in a truck stop with a bunch of smelly truck drivers was enough for me. Obviously thousands of people can do it, I'm just not one of them. I stayed on the west coast after that.

As far as RVing across the country, that would be a lot of fun. I think they call themselves "Full Timers".