going for cdl class b NY ...anyone have cdl

is it really that quick for me to get a cdl in like a week or 2 ...from what ive seen so far i could take like a few lessons and schedule a road test ,

step 1 take & pass written test at dmv
step 2,get physical done for DOT medical card
step 3 get a few lessons like 5 and if instructor feels im ready i will take road test ..say i pass ...thats it just 5 hours of training for someone with no experience about truck driving getting a cdl

lessons are pricey from $80-175 per hour and $100-200 for truck for road test, i hope i can get the minimum amount of lessons so i wont go broke

i thought it was suppose to be like drivers ed where for only a few hundred i take a month course like in class instruction and road but those are way more pricey than i thought at over $1k


man makes me think of the possibility of so many unqualified drivers out there driving a huge truck with only 5 hours experience behind the wheel driving next to me on the highway yikes...and it could be me next time

I have a Nebraska CDL B license. I had quite a bit of driving experience before getting mine though and the company supplied the truck so I had less expense. If you can do it I would recommend a community college course because it will be cheaper in the long run and you will get much better training. 5 hours of training will not qualify you, it may get you a license but it takes a while to learn how to properly learn the truck, driving conditions, backing etc. Avoid if at all possible those CDL (mills) that want to train you for 3 weeks at $4-5000 dollars. Also get every endorsement that you are able to because you will have more opportunities if you do so. Most of the guys you see will have at least a couple years experience, usually more. I have almost 20 years myself. Make sure this is what you want to do, contrary to popular opinion not everybody can drive a truck.
It can be a very challenging but rewarding job, your attitude makes alot of difference. It is NOT LIKE DRIVING A CAR! Hopefully this helps you some, I'm going to get the address of a website where you can find out whatever you need to know about trucking. I will post it after I look it up.
It's a forum like this and you can ask questions etc. Good luck!

qip, check out classadrivers.com, you will get quite an education there. Almost anything you can think of about trucking you will find there. Also, I forgot to mention this, with the physical card. Blood pressure, diabetes, vision and mental disorders are the ones they are sticklers about. Make sure your 20/40 or better, your blood pressure you don't want much higher than 140/90. If you take insulin shots you cannot get a CDL in any state.
I have to take Alprazolam (tranquilizer) for anxiety, they are very picky about this for obvious reasons. Also, stay fit especially your knees. Truck driving is stressful on your knees if you are heavy. One last thing, if you like to drink alcohol be very careful with a CDL. The limit in Nebraska is .04 if you have a CDL whether you are in your car or a truck. If they test you at work in the morning it is .02. You do NOT want a DUI on your record, it's a hassle you don't need. If you have more questions I will help if I can.

thanks...heard that big rig interstate truckers can make as much as a quarter million a year and i was like whoa..but thats a lot of road and overtime , makes you wonder when you see those truckers they look like theyre living from paycheck to paycheck but my friends like , well the lifestyle they live of course there gonna go broke ..lots of drinking and women :devil:

My recommendation is if you want to drive OTR for a career is forget about drinking and women while you are gone. Save that for your home time. If you like driving there are lots of husband and wife teams out there. You can team for awhile and get some experience and save some money too. Then you can get a local job where you live and do family if that's what you want. OTR isn't the place for children IMO. Also, and you will see this alot on that site I mentioned, don't get into a lease period. The cards are not in your favor. You aren't going to make a quarter million a year but your first year OTR you should be able to make $40k or so.

qip said:

thanks...heard that big rig interstate truckers can make as much as a quarter million a year and i was like whoa..

Click to expand...

You have to consider that's gross pay for a very busy owner operator or team drivers. I've worked with owner ops who "made" almost 10,000 a month, but after fuel, truck maintenance, insurance, permits, etc...they only brought home 2500 or so, and that was running all the time. No days off, they didnt stop for holidays, they drove every hour they legally could.

Since you're getting a Class B, I take it you probably intend on only doing local delivery work? When I was looking for a driving job (I have a CDL myself), all the over the road and 'regional' driving was a Class A truck and trailer, all the Class B work was either dump trucks or box trucks in and around the city. There's nothing really wrong with doing either one, but it's just something to be aware of.

If you can find a buddy with a truck, I'd skip the whole school/ instructor process. Go down and get your DOT physical and medical card, then study the driving handbook. You can go down and take your written test and get a CDL Permit for whatever class you tested on that's good for one year and allows you to drive with a licensed driver. Go drive for a while, then when you feel comfortable schedule a road test and go pass it. I've worked on too many trucks that were trashed by the CDL mill 'schools' to be able to recommend you go that route unless you have to.

It's a fun job, most of the time. You wont get rich doing it, but depending on your area and the type of hauling you do, you can earn a good living.

i work for a big well known company" prefer privacy no name" and in my section theres multiple divisions and some of us workers will move from one to another for experience like one section will do truck transporting of goods & mail another handles incoming packages etc ...so recently i just did the trucking section and we drive cabovers like 16-20ft box trucks in the city ,i never drove just went along for the loading and unloading ,but some of the TIGHT areas scare me..backing into a loading dock in the middle of a crowded side street in manhattan takes skill especially when theres a car thats just a little in the way of the loading ramp entrance :tsk:,whenever i see 18 wheelers in manhattan it boggles my mind how they even fit and make turns ...anyway for me to be able to work in that section again at full capacity driving on my own i need a class b w/airbrakes ....but i was told by fellow workers in the section to get all endorsements i can incase for future i can drive anything from limos/buses,dumptrucks box trucks etc all except 18 wheelers


so as i research on cdl i was thinking of the interstate trucking although i will most likely not do it as its to much time away from home and i have a career already i did some daydreaming about what it was like working for real big bucks driving this around ..although its definitely to big for me to handle





yeah yeah you gotta be a big timer to have one of these but thats nice , a home away from home
a site with sweet looking trucks

instead of paying the ridiculous rent in the city i could live inside my truck thats bigger than an apartment

Class B?
Why stop there?
A Class A is not that much further out of reach and you will be able to do much, much more with it. :shrug:

I'll be getting mine within the next year and a half. Not sure what class it's through school. I'm at a tech school in Ohio, and it's one of my courses.

I've been driving w/ my A class license for roughly a year in NYC and it's
been a great experience as my persona and appearance does not befit a
"trucker". I'd advise going A class as you'll wind up driving school buses
for a long time(contract) and low wages imo.

If you decide to go A class, you'll take the road test after roughly ten
hours @ $90/hr. and the truck fee for the road test should be included.
Turning is easily learned. Of course the truck you'll learn on is an automatic
so you can concentrate on driving. Backing up in a straight line and
parallel parking will keep you busy for a weekend or 2. The most important
thing at the actual road test is the display of alertness!

During the road test, any obstacles/signs should be conveyed to the
instructor
Cyclist-Hazard on right! (giving advance warning that you will cross the
double yellow lines)
School zone!- 15 MPH!
Overpass! NO sign=14 Ft. clearance! I am 12'6" and good!

All movements and mirror checks(every 7 seconds) are to be greatly
exaggerated to show the instructor you're paying attention.

I could go on but those were emphasized to me in my training so I pass
it onto you. You're to be a PROFESSIONAL DRIVER and the road is your
office.

any other questions feel free to ask
and good luck w/ whatever you decide.

Does anyone have any thoughts on getting a CDL-B license for driving a straight truck? I'm in the New York City area so there isn't any shortage of trucking jobs but not sure what or who I'd want to drive for. All I know is I reallly like to drive and seem to have a good feel for it. Any thoughts from anyone on this line of work?

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