My question is kind of for recruiters i think but if anyone wants to answer go for it:
If i get my CDL permit and then have an O/O teach me to drive the rig... does that count as "verifiable experience?"

i have that option available to me and at this point in time its looking pretty darn good but if its not going to help me in the long run then i need to know that too.

Thanks for any information on this

 

Unless he will train you on the road, it will probably not count as experience. Most of these carriers seem to be more interested in whether you have a CDL than anything else. Some want to see a minimum number of school hours. I think you can overcome that requirement if you can run with this owner operator for a few months or perhaps as long as a year.

 

Let me say first , I am not debating the issue of getting a job with or without accredited schooling or company training but arent there schools
out there that are not accredited ( CDL MILLS) and are the folks that attend these schools not getting jobs? Again , I am just curious !

 

Some carriers don't care which school you attend so long as you went. Other require the course to have a min amount of hours, and still others want to see a PTDI certification or something similar. Often times though, the shortest schools, which IMHO are the biggest mills, are the carrier based ones. Make the student do all the book work solo, then run them through a 2 week crash course with 50 others and send them out with a trainer.

And yes, there are some drivers who have attended some really, really crappy schools who do have major problems getting hired.

Anyone looking at attending a private school should find one that is 160 hours or more. These are generally accepted by 98% of carriers.

 

Thanks Uturn2001, Makes me wonder why anyone would attend a school that will not be up to par. I guess because they are probably cheaper.

 

yeah, it's all a racket--set up to discourage independant O/O from gettting their Authority and starting a small private fleet/ truckline and training their
drivers ---Right, the Old fashion way--- hands on. It forces many "new" drivers into the mega OTR market-- by basically making the entry level truck
driver positions available to only this "school grads".

@Kahlana

the skipping school idea--- only works if you can find a company-
probably a small one(300 trucks or less) with a driver/trainer you can learn from-- then run Team with for x-miles with the understanding(in writing-if you can get it) that after a set # of miles as a 2nd seat- That company will promote you to-- solo. (Say for the last 6months). This would give you a year of undisputed driving experience.
A husband/wife team is usually the only way a woman can manage to break into this industry THAT way.(Sorry, don't mean to sound sexist)
If, your brother or boyfriend could work out an arrangement like this- with their carrier- it would be the best.

Whatever you do--- don't fall for the "Honey, come out with me--I'll teach you everything you need to know" line from any 0/0 that comes along.---
You'll end up-- without any "experience" you can put on paper and build a career on.

Or maybe try Millis?

 

I believe Southern Refrigerated Transport will hire without school. You just need to have your Class A.

 

I assume you will be running with your bro, so ask, the people he runs for.

When you have run with him there is a good chance you can get on with his company, or find a small firm ten trucks or so. The way it works is ten drivers been with firm ten years each, cheap ins, low turn over average, you will not bump up the rate.
Large firm turns it's driver over at over one hundred percent then can only employ experience.