I don't want to do over the road, I want to be home every night, every other night, and/or a few times during the week and weekends. But I wouldn't mind working Friday night and not get home until Saturday night or Sunday morning. But while in high school I need to be home every night and if I can I would stay out Friday night and stay out until Saturday night or Sunday morning.

 

I did not say you had to do OTR, but it may be an option in the future. I said the same thing in 1989 because I was home everynight and the weekend. I even thought my father was stupid for driving OTR when he could have driving local with his dad and myself. But my mind changed when I got older and did the OTR with SWIFT for 7 years and I loved it. I had a family crisis so I had to come off the road. I am just suggesting that you leave all options open for future references. I don't know about those types of hours in the grain business. Here in GA you either work 10-12 hours daytime or nightime. Most of the time I had to wait to be loaded and unloaded so thats when the long hours come in not including driving in muddy fields and waiting to be pulled out with a tractor.

 

Yeah thats true I heard about the long waiting hours. That doesn't really bother me one bit as long as I make enough to get me by while I do my 4 years of college to get my business degree and then diesel mechanics after that.

 

I wish you luck with your education; like I said in the other post alot of this business is paid by a percentage, load, bushel and stops. Waiting is not good when you are not paid by the hour. my grandfather paid me a percentage of the load and he paid me well because I was his only driver other than himself. I remember in 1991 a guy left his company truck at the farm because he could not get in and out of the fields for about a month or so quick enough to make enough money and he was boiling hot the day he quit because the equipment at this particular farm would break down for hours on the hour.

 

Well I won't have any bills to pay, I plan on staying at home with mom! :lol: Atleast until I finish my 4-6 years of college. Hell she said she doesn't want me to move out so hey why not take advantage of it. :P

 

Reading from: http://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/de...xempt_cdl.html You have to be either a family member or employee for you to drive under the Farm Operators' Exempt (Waived).

Also from what I read to operate an 18 wheeler you must be at least 21 and the vehicle must have farm plates.

I would suggest you call (or have your co-op teacher) the highway patrol and discuss the matter with them.

kc0iv

 

Double L, you need to check with your state's requirements on commercial vehicles, and farm use. I know in Texas, you are not required to have a CDL for farm use.

Getting your Class A, and hauling grain, and or livestock is good experience. Unfortunately, major trucking companies to consider country boys that grew up driving grain trucks, experienced drivers. :evil: :P

 

Well I found out I can't drive a truck for co-op due to labor laws? I thought that was rather weird but my co-op teacher who is also my auto teacher is gonna look into it some more for me!

 

The way I done it some years back was to git a job as a farm hand and the farmer took care of the rest, stuck me ina truck drove it round the farm for a couple of days then went and got my CDL. There was no renting a truck just finding one outta the bunch that was road worthy or at least looked the part.