Time for me to make some real money :)

[Luminatorz34]

well, the time has come for me to make some real money, instead of pissing around...i leave for cdl training the 16th at kirkwood in cedar rapids. do training for 2 weeks then take right off in a truck with a trainer for 28 days...from there on ill be team driving with another truck driver and set up the rest of my life. ive been waiting since about february to become a truck driver, but had to wait till june 27th of this year for my last speeding ticket to fall off, but enough calls from me, got crst's safety director to give me the approval and start truck driving...ill start out at 22 cents a mile but will averag about 3200 miles a week. yeah its alotta driving but it will be worth it in the end...after i drive for crst for about 1 year to a year and a half i can go drive for my step dad's company..i would have just jumped right into his company but i couldnt get insured until 2 years experience or 200,000 miles experience...but once i get onto my step dads company he will be giving me a truck and trailer to drive, with intentions of actually giving me the company in the next 3 years. ill be set for life at the prime age of around 25-26 :) im thrilled right now..this is enough to not make me feel like a worthless peice of shit anymore

[sLoWnStEaDy]

congrats man!! I peeped that shit on your myspace "status" a few minutes ago

I was planning to be an OTR driver but having a son put a QUICK end to that... Still planning to get my CDL-A but will have to do some local driving... My mothers boyfriend made $150K~ last year and was home every single night before 8pm and never worked a weekend... I actualy just looked through the paper today and seen a few drivers wanted making .30+ mile with no experience needed...

How much are you paying for the training if you don;t mind me asking? I already know how to drive a semi as for the last 10 years my mom was married to a truck driver. Her current B.F. is a truck driver as well... Mainly only driven Dead Heads but i spent a good 20+ hours in the parking lot moving trailers around one wekend. semi-automatics are goofy things to drive...

[Luminatorz34]

well im not exactly sure as to how much im paid during my 2 week training period. but do know for the 28 days of additional training with a trainer i get paid just a flat rate of 50 bucks a day or 350/week...but after the 28 days is up then i will be on my own with a team member and we will both be at the same experience level and both at 22 cents a mile for a month then get bumped up to 24 cents a mile for another 2 months then 33 cents a mile for about 6 months then ill be at 34 cents a mile...its not the greatest pay but is deffinatly more than i have ever made beofre....team drivers average around 6500 miles a week but we split the miles so it will come around 3250 miles each driver. so take the 3250 and multiply that by the cents per mile and thats what u could make a week before taxes and shit...but after i get this done and go onto my step dad is when ill make some real monies. i can get loads from him for anywhere around $2/mi to $5/mi so yeah id be sitting pretty

[DustinsDuster]

sissy shifts are kindof goofy, but i am used to mine. around town driving, theyre not bad. it would such shifting so much running around downtown.

the bits of advice i would give: get very good at backing; some of the instructors are sticklers about it. also, do everything you can possibly do to MEMORIZE the entire pre-trip inspection. there are 85 separate things you need to point out to the instructor. and check your mirrors like youre watching a tennis match. seriously.

congrats on the job oppertunity.

[Luminatorz34]

my 2weeks training at k'wood will help me with all of that dustin. they basically train me to get my cdl then im good to go

[lil krumm]

sissy shifts are kindof goofy, but i am used to mine. around town driving, theyre not bad. it would such shifting so much running around downtown.

the bits of advice i would give: get very good at backing; some of the instructors are sticklers about it. also, do everything you can possibly do to MEMORIZE the entire pre-trip inspection. there are 85 separate things you need to point out to the instructor. and check your mirrors like youre watching a tennis match. seriously.

congrats on the job oppertunity.

dustin pretty much hit that right on the head. when i took my test the lady riding with me wanted me looking in my mirrors more than the road infront of me. i still need to go back and get my A but just gotta wait till were caught up on jobs.

[Malibu]

I totally agree with Dustin the Pre-trip and the backing are what sucked the most. When I got my Class A I got points taken off during the driving portion for pulling up to close to the car in front of me, so watch out for that. I didn't take a course about driving, I just went in and took the test so if i can do that it must not be too hard. Good luck with the new career, it takes a certain kind of person to be away from home all the time especially if you have gf/wife etc.

Aaron

[Snowman]

I went through Kirkwoods Class A training. They do a good job. Like Dustin said, memorize your pre-trip, and passing the test at kirkwood is easy. Wha'ts gonna be hard is when you get out to the 28 days of real training. At kirkwood, they have markers on the ground that they get you to memorize how much to turn the wheel and when to back into the spot. It's kinda shady if you ask me. Other than that, remember that they have clutch brakes, and not to push the clutch all the way in when you shift, and kirkwood will make you double shift, no floating gears either.

I was just like you, so excited that I had my life planned out, and I wouldn't have to worry about money ever again, cause honestly, once you have a class A, you can always find a job. It was a great feeling, then I found out I'm diabetic, now I can't drive anymore. Pretty shitty situation. Anyway, I went through kirkwoods 4 week course, then went on for one month of training with a driver. Then I got my own truck, and went to work. I was at Transport America. I can't begin to tell you how much I miss it. The open road, the freedom, the challenge of backing into a tight spot, and nailing it, seeing big cities. I've been to every state east of the rockies except 2. Just drive safe, and ALWAYS make sure you have room to make a turn, even if that means someone else might end up giving you the finger, they have no idea what it's like to drive a truck. Always check the kingpin and the tandems. Sorry for the long entry, I get carried away.

Wally

[Luminatorz34]

yeah im stoked to go drive..i havent seen much of this country at all. and id kinda like too...my fiancee also wants to do some traveling too..but that will happen when i get onto my step dads company. i do 2 weeks training to get my cdl thru kirkwood, then crst will put me on a 28day training program for them, then im on my own with a team memeber they choose for me

[lil krumm]

i plan on gettin me A just so i can pull the skid loader with the dump truck, but its great to know that if i dont like landscaping i could drive a truck the rest of my life if needed.

[Luminatorz34]

out of curiousity kent...why would you need a class a to drive a dump truck and pull a trailer? i thought dump trucks were only class b, with air brake endorsement?

[Snowman]

I think it's due to weight and length. If you've noticed, dump trucks trailers are rather long so that the drivers can see what they're doing when backing them up.

[Luminatorz34]

hmm i dunno either...i just know the guys around here driving dump trucks are on class b. cuz i was looking into that, but for 9.50/hr i said fuck that..ill bite the bullet for a lil while and drive my ass of with a class a get experience then do whatever i want

[ZEE]

Class B can only pull a trailer if it's under 10,000 lbs. Over 10,000 lbs and you have to have a Class A. Has nothing to do with length. It's all about the weight.

[Domestic Disturbance]

so does that mean if someone is pulling my car they need a class a?

[ZEE]

Not unless that someone is using a truck with a gvwr of 26,000 lbs or more. http://www.dot.state.ia.us/mvd/ods/cdl/cdlnut.pdf

[lil krumm]

Class B can only pull a trailer if it's under 10,000 lbs. Over 10,000 lbs and you have to have a Class A. Has nothing to do with length. It's all about the weight.

and that why i need my A. heavy ass trailer plus mini track hoe or skid loader puts me over that.

and 9.50/hr to drive a dump truck is rediculously low. where is that at? most i know are at 16-18/hr...