You can get operating authority without a cdl but you probably will not find an insurance carrier to let you drive for your own company. I have been operating under my own authority since 96' and my ins. carriers wouldn't even let me train and hire my own sons to drive. Their requirement was always a minimum of 18 months with a perfect record or 2years over the road verifiable. You may be able to find an ins. carrier who will let you drive, but it would cost much higher than a conventional policy. I bought my first truck and trailer in 1977 and had never driven professionally before. I would never recommend doing it that way today, but since you already have the equipment, after school I would recommend leasing to someone like Malone or ATS where you could learn the art of load securement. I don't know enough about Malone or ATS to personally recommend them. I'm just saying a place to get your feet wet. I am not a big fan of letting equipment sit, it just turns to crap. Go to a good school and start off SLOW and CAREFUL, after about 6 months when you start to get the feel of it and think you know what your doing, go even SLOWER. One more important thing that has worked for me; learn to maintain your own equipment. If you don't start out with your own truck and want to learn to drive, shift, and brake really smoothly, then you might want to start out pulling liquid bulk. [chemicals not fue] Do that for a few months and you will have the smooth driving part down which would be very good for extending the life of your equipment when you do put it on the road.
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