So with my current job search, I'm noticing several jobs that are not truck driving jobs, but require Class A CDL.
How much of a pain in the ass is it to do the training and how much generally does it cost?
So with my current job search, I'm noticing several jobs that are not truck driving jobs, but require Class A CDL.
How much of a pain in the ass is it to do the training and how much generally does it cost?
My father had to go from a B to an A when he lost a job years ago. The school he went to was I think 6 weeks and cost a bit but when he got out he had a good idea what he was doing and found work right away. As far as actually getting the license it's not really any worse than doing the job aside from the inspectors looking for a couple spots to trip you up.
What state are in? Do you already 'know' how to drive a tractor trailer? I'm in GA and got my 'B' class ( air brake and passenger endorsement ) a couple months ago. It was a two day course that cost $350. I already knew how to drive a tractor trailer but opted for the B instead of the A because the pre trip inspection was / is a total PITA. If you have no idea how to drive a tractor trailer I'd suggest you go for the 6 week course. I think that was $1400 ... give or take. The backing and the parallel parking can be the worst if you never did it before.
I didn't take a course. Just went and got the book from the DMV. I have a class A but without air endorsements only because the truck I used to do the road test didn't have air brakes. I aced all of the written tests, even air.
Just like anything else the DMV you choose will determine how good or bad of an experience you have. I went to the one in Knoxville three times before I finally gave up and went to the one in Johnson City, about two and a half hours away. The one in Knoxville always found something wrong with the truck before we would even do the pre trip inspection and stop the test immediately. They never said a word about the non factory console in between the front seats in JC, which is the reason I wasn't allowed to take the test in Knoxville.
I've had a CDL since 2004 but only drove for less then 2 years. I worked in dispatch before and then in driver management and Safety after that. While retired now I keep the CDL. In IL the most difficult thing is getting a truck to take the road test in. Going to a school solves that problem as the fee usually covers that as part of the school. When I took my test the state sent an examiner to the school and we took the road test on the same roads that we learned on.
Interesting. I have been wondering about long truck/non trailer commercial driving myself.
I took the written test and had my permit when I was a diesel grease monkey. With a sick and pregnant girlfriend and working around 70 hours per week I never did find the time to take the driving portion. Which really didn't matter because I couldn't get my hands on a truck long enough, during business hours, to take the exam.
The written test struck me as being pretty easy but I was around tractor/trailers all the time and I had a study guide that I read a little bit of every night leading up to the exam.
A complete non-sequitur just occurred to me... pm inbound.
In reply to The_Jed:
Send me a pm on FB, my email is not getting the PMs for some reason
Some states have minimum requirements for behind-the-wheel time with an instructor as well.
One good way (the one that I used) is to pick any one of 60 bazillion school bus companies and tell them you want to drive part time. They will train you for free. That gets you a free Class B and all the training you need. Then its simply a matter of learning the little things like trailer air. The downside is that you do have to pay your dues driving little snots around on school buses for a while. The company I drove for had two school districts near me and I actually enjoyed the work despite the fact that I detest children. They also had four motorcoaches. So I drove school during the week and charters on the weekend. But, there aren't contracts. If you do free training with a trucking company, you are their bitch for 4-8 years whether you like it or not.
My trainer (the owner of the bus company) offered to teach me class A but I never got around to it. He only lives a couple hours away so I might look him up and get it done anyway.
Each state is a little different. In Vermont, a normal training class is around $4k, but is not required. You do need a truck for the road portion of the test
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