Preparations and planning

Hello to all newbies and wannabes!

I'm writing this blog to tell my story of becoming a Class A driver. I hope that you can benefit from my experiences as I
go from wannabe to newbie to experienced driver.

About me -

I'm a 51 year old man, divorced, living in beautiful western North Carolina. I worked as a sub contractor in the Information Technology field for over 30 years. Since 2000 I was getting laid off due to budget cuts and outsourcing about once a year and I wanted to get out of a cubicle into something stable, challenging, and outdoors.

I'm enrolled in the Sage Technical CDL course at Blue Ridge Community College in Brevard, North Carolina. It's a very
good program 150 hours of instruction which includes 44 hours of behind the wheel time one-on-one with your instructor.
The driving instructors have been-there-done-that and are very patient. I highly recommend Sage training.

Planning and preparationBecause I've been wanting to make this career change for years, I've been doing my best to prepare for the day when I finally made the decision to go for it.

The MOST IMPORTANT thing is to get your finances in order. Pay down debt, save every dime. Not having the stress of money worries will reduce the overall stress of learning a new job.

Whatever your situation, do the best you can.

Get your personal records organized

Birth certificate (you need a certified copy which you can get by writing to the county where you were born)
DMV history - get a 5 year history from them for a small fee. Take care of any outstanding tickets or warrants NOW!

Job history - write down ALL of your jobs for the last 5 years. Include company name, address,phone number, start and end dates, reason for leaving

Medical history - if you've had any surgeries, medications, etc get a doctors letter stating that you are OK to drive a truck.
Go to a drug store and check your blood pressure for free. If it's over 140, see a doctor for medication.

Criminal background - get documentation for any felonies, misdemeanors, probation, etc and prepare to write an explanation

Educational records - GED, high school diploma. If you don't have a GED you can get one through the One Stop Centers.

Personal references - some companies ask for two or three non relatives. Get them and write it down.

Drugs and alcohol - This is a highly regulated industry with random testing. If you've got a problem with either drugs
or alcohol, think really hard about getting into some other industry.



Use available resources

If your employed or especially if your unemployed, check into your states One Stop Center. You can call your states Unemployment Department for the number. They have all kinds of help. You can get CDL training paid for through the Workforce Investment Act. They have computers, phones, faxes, counselors, and more.

Check out the trucking forums and blogs

Classadrivers.com
Truck.net
pumpkindriver.com

USE THE SEARCH feature!Take the information with a grain of salt.

Talk to drivers

Go to a truck stop and ask drivers if they would give you some advice

Call trucking company terminals in your area and ask if you can visit.

Category Posted: General