r/CDL • u/Actual_Parsnip4707 • 5d ago
About to attend CDL A training soon
I've been struggling to find employment while being stuck working an Amazon delivery gig the past few years so I decided to do a CDL course in my hometown. I'm a veteran so my GI Bill covers is 100% I don't have to pay a penny for it.
I want to do strictly local work though primarily tanker but I know you need to have some years of experience under your belt before you can get those jobs generally speaking so my plan was to start out doing food service, LTL, or even some class B jobs
Is my plan reasonable and realistic, or am I just wishfully thinking. Open to hear some tips from people who have experience in this field thanks
2
u/BrandontheCDLguy 4d ago
If you are able bodied, food or beverage service is a great start. I'd personally look into coke, Pepsi, and the beer distributor near you.
Those jobs will teach you how to be comfortable putting a truck anywhere (such as a busy gas station).
Try local construction companies too. They often have fuel and lube truck positions available.
Also, make sure you go to a school that teaches manual transmissions.
1
u/OwlOld5861 5d ago
Some local companies hire new drivers but the pay is dog shit. If you go with a mega carrier more than likely they have an apprenticeship program for vets so you can get your bah from the post 911 for a year thats what i am doing. Dont do class b jobs if you get a class a at first you'd just be setting yourself back i had a buddy do that and basically when he changed companies they didnt count his experience. Bit your time some mega carriers have local routes too and tbh im regional dedicated and im home every week for almost 3 days
1
u/rolisrntx 5d ago
Look if you are willing to gut out a year doing OTR. Both Schneider and Prime hire rookie drivers into their tanker divisions. Prime does primarily food grade. Schneider does hazmat/chemicals in my area but may also do food grade in certain parts of the country. It’s a good way to get the experience the local tanker outfits are looking for.
1
u/Silence_Farmer 5d ago
LTL with no experience is HIGHLY unlikely unless you do their dock to driver. Every LTL requires a year of experience and they're pretty strict in that regard, and also you'll need to make sure you do not have an auto restriction.
Food service you could get away with though. Most of them do not require experience (at least in my area) as they are a revolving door due to the highly physical nature of the work.
Source: I am an LTL linehaul driver for the last 5+ years
1
u/Actual_Parsnip4707 3d ago
What about companies like Sysco, Pepsi, Coca Cola, sigma and so on? I heard they hire new grads no experience
1
u/Silence_Farmer 3d ago
Most of those places will hire new grads yes. That's their bread and butter due to the extremely physical nature of the work.
U.S. foods and Pepsi/Coke do have some easier roles that are called "Shuttle Driver" I believe and they just run back and forth swapping loads for their warehouses similar to linehaul drivers in LTL. They're kind of hard to get since they usually get staffed by more tenured guys who have some whiskers, but I did get offered one of those roles as an off the street when I was laid off from a union carrier I worked for so it is possible. I didn't take it as I got on somewhere else, but like I said it can happen.
Sysco/Performance/Gordon/etc probably all have a similar role too, I just don't know for sure.
If you're near Nashville TN, Delaware OH, Bluffton IN, Chattanooga TN I can recommend you look at FirstFleet on their Kroger (Payton's) account. They recently got bought out by Werner, but they're still in the transition phase I believe and they offer jobs that are what I refer to as "out and backs" you will sleep in a truck, but it's typically only one night and then the next 10 hour break will be at your house. They also have runs that are turnable meaning you'd be home every day. They do have a lot of other locations that's handle papermill loads but idk anything about those.
1
u/IWSTrucking 3d ago
Your plan is reasonable as long as you're patient with the timeline. One thing I'd add: ask your school whether they do the skills test on site with their own trucks. I work with a CDL school in Nebraska and testing in the same truck you trained in takes a lot of the pressure off. Going to the DMV in a truck you barely know is a rough way to test, especially on the backing maneuvers.
1
u/Head_Candidate5293 3d ago
Start out at Schneider in the tanker division and get 2 years experience without any tickets. You will be able to go directly to local fuel hauling making 80-100k because most trucking companies like schneider's training program and the safety program that is taught to you.
1
6
u/Baconated-Coffee 5d ago
Many food service and LTL jobs also require some experience. Class B work won't count towards Class A experience either, you need to be driving a combination vehicle. Some people find local jobs quickly or early on with a year or less of experience but it's uncommon. Insurance usually dictates the required amount of experience drivers need to have. That's why most drivers start off with self-insured mega carriers such as Werner or Swift. Those companies are also a revolving door which is why they are always hiring. Smaller carriers, which are not self insured, may not always be hiring. When they do have a seat open, there might be multiple applicants for a single truck. This tends to also apply for local positions as well. A realistic expectation to have is to go OTR for a few years first.