Howabusa Posted October 8, 2017 Report Share Posted October 8, 2017 It is time for my 2 year vacation to end. I am waiting on a call from Millis Transfer. They have a CDL school in the Cincy area. 3 weeks in school and 9 weeks of on the road training and I will be a truck driver. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tonik Posted October 8, 2017 Report Share Posted October 8, 2017 3 minutes ago, Howabusa said: It is time for my 2 year vacation to end. I am waiting on a call from Millis Transfer. They have a CDL school in the Cincy area. 3 weeks in school and 9 weeks of on the road training and I will be a truck driver. Perfect timing, trucking business is booming right now. My sister is an owner operator. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Howabusa Posted October 8, 2017 Author Report Share Posted October 8, 2017 If this happens, I see a new FJR in my future! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2talltim Posted October 9, 2017 Report Share Posted October 9, 2017 I might do something like this when my kids are grown. I think it would be a cool thing to do for a while, not long term but maybe 3 or 4 years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustinNck1 Posted October 9, 2017 Report Share Posted October 9, 2017 I always wanted to start a motorcycle courier service. They have them overseas, but I don't thinking would take off unless in a severely dense populated area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Howabusa Posted October 9, 2017 Author Report Share Posted October 9, 2017 12 minutes ago, 2talltim said: I might do something like this when my kids are grown. I think it would be a cool thing to do for a while, not long term but maybe 3 or 4 years. That's my plan, 2 or 3 maybe 4 years. I am thinking that if I can ride a bike for 10 hours a day, doing that in truck should be easy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Howabusa Posted October 9, 2017 Author Report Share Posted October 9, 2017 22 minutes ago, JustinNck1 said: I always wanted to start a motorcycle courier service. They have them overseas, but I don't thinking would take off unless in a severely dense populated area. Yep, they are big in Europe. That would be a dream job! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drc32-0 Posted October 9, 2017 Report Share Posted October 9, 2017 Good luck,let us know how it works out.Be careful about getting into one of those deals where you owe the company $5000 or more for your training if you don't stay with them a certain length of time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
serpentracer Posted October 9, 2017 Report Share Posted October 9, 2017 (edited) I suggest you get on a trucking forum asap. I looked into doing this and quickly realized all the cons. and they're big cons. any company that is going to "train" you will keep most of your paycheck until it's paid back. you will be OTR driver for at least a year or two. that means you will be spending 20+ days at a time in that truck. you will sit out on the road for a day or two before you are given a run. schedule so tight you can't stop to use the bathroom or eat. you have to pay fines for broken trailers if pulled over. the pay they claim is almost impossible to accomplish. you can only drive for 10hrs a day so do the math... it's not what they sell you. you've been warned.. Edited October 9, 2017 by serpentracer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Howabusa Posted October 9, 2017 Author Report Share Posted October 9, 2017 47 minutes ago, serpentracer said: I suggest you get on a trucking forum asap. I looked into doing this and quickly realized all the cons. and they're big cons. any company that is going to "train" you will keep most of your paycheck until it's paid back. you will be OTR driver for at least a year or two. that means you will be spending 20+ days at a time in that truck. you will sit out on the road for a day or two before you are given a run. schedule so tight you can't stop to use the bathroom or eat. you have to pay fines for broken trailers if pulled over. the pay they claim is almost impossible to accomplish. you can only drive for 10hrs a day so do the math... it's not what they sell you. you've been warned.. I have been researching it. Looked at a forum, called truth in trucking. The company that I am looking at only wants less than $3000 for CDL training. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MidgetTodd Posted October 9, 2017 Report Share Posted October 9, 2017 You can get your cdl easily without a trucking company school and contracts. Those are traps. Please don't do that. Most vocational schools offer it for substantially cheaper. Also you don't need school either. You can go get your temps just as you did for car and motorcycle and most testing sites rent you a truck for the driving test. You don't need to sign a contract with a company Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Howabusa Posted October 10, 2017 Author Report Share Posted October 10, 2017 9 hours ago, MidgetTodd said: You can get your cdl easily without a trucking company school and contracts. Those are traps. Please don't do that. Most vocational schools offer it for substantially cheaper. Also you don't need school either. You can go get your temps just as you did for car and motorcycle and most testing sites rent you a truck for the driving test. You don't need to sign a contract with a company Thanks for your input, Todd. Still researching all my options. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MidgetTodd Posted October 10, 2017 Report Share Posted October 10, 2017 When I got mine I just took the written test for my temps then got a part time job at a towing company that had light and heavy duty wreckers so I could use their truck for the test. No contacts no rental fees and could quit whenever I wanted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flashesbuck Posted October 10, 2017 Report Share Posted October 10, 2017 I didn't do the school either. The downside to not going to a trucking "school" is most companies will not put you behind the wheel of an OTR truck. or long hauls. Work you way up the chain. Or buy a truck. Great money can be made as an owner operator. But, "it takes money to make money" If i could start my career over again, I would be driving one of these Demo trucks for Yamaha or Honda. They pay very well, and its a blast!. *Disclosure- I still have my CDL but do not drive a truck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MidgetTodd Posted October 10, 2017 Report Share Posted October 10, 2017 You're exactly backwards. Any company will put any driver with a pulse and a cdl in an OTR truck because they are all understaffed and hiring because no one wants that life anymore. You start otr with no experience and work your way to a good local job. Or you start at a low paying local job like container hauling and work to a good paying local job. I run 4 local trucks out of my plant but I can't hire without 1year experience school or not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dorset Posted November 19, 2017 Report Share Posted November 19, 2017 (edited) i've driven a truck for a living for almost 10 years now, in a bunch of different configurations: van, reefer, and flatbed OTR, dump, brine transports, water bottles, rolloffs, and currently sand boxes: i took roehl transport's contract system. they pay you to drive up to wisconsin, spend three weeks in training, take your test, and then put you in a semi over the road with a trainer. two or three weeks later, you're on your own. if you stay with the company a year, the school is free. quit early, and you pay back a prorated amount. their training is excellent, the pay is entry-level. most drivers move on to something better after two years. OTR is not for everybody. i'm mostly home every night doing the sandboxes, but atm i'm in eastern pennsylvania parked in a flying j, home tomorrow after two weeks living in the sleeper. Edited November 19, 2017 by dorset Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dorset Posted November 19, 2017 Report Share Posted November 19, 2017 this is the biggest trucker internet forum https://www.thetruckersreport.com/truckingindustryforum/threads/tanker-comanies-that-pay-o-o-i-c-percentage-pay.254908/page-3?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIvMzVnoHL1wIVEcZkCh0Hlg4mEAAYASAAEgLaevD_BwE#post-5043016 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2talltim Posted November 20, 2017 Report Share Posted November 20, 2017 He doesn't get on here much anymore but maybe he'll chime in with a page. @Gunner75 He's recently gone though this and now drives OTR. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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