Free Truck Driving School

If you're just starting to explore a career in truck driving, you might be wondering where an entry-level truck driving job can take you. What if we told you that you could travel across several countries - including some across an ocean? In this series, we're introducing you to our guest video blogger Jerry Ott, also known as "Bullfrog" among his friends and peers.

Jerry has a YouTube channel and video series called Big Rig Talk where he talks about and showcases his long career on the road. In the next few posts, Jerry will be talk about his background in truck driving -- and his unique experience overseas as a truck driver in Iraq! Watch the video to get acquainted with Jerry, and check back soon for the next part of this video post series.



Jerry has been in the truck driving industry for over 25 years. He started out with driving heavy tow trucks and wreckers and eventually grew tired of those vehicles and desired to drive a tractor trailer. With a little help from his family, he went to truck driving school and got his Class A endorsement on his drivers license. As a Canadian, his drivers license holds everything relating to his truck driving privileges including the Class A, Z air brakes endorsement, and medical card. In Canada, there is no such thing as a "Commercial Driver's License", and the drivers license can be upgraded or downgraded at any time by the Ministry of Transportation.

In 1993, Jerry got the opportunity to do "cross-border" truck driving and has been doing it ever since. He's been to every province in Canada except Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland, and all the lower 48 United States, many times over. He's hauled every kind of trailer, from reefer to flatbed. He's driven over two million miles, accident-free! He believes one of the things that makes truck driving jobs so great is the travel - you're essentially a paid tourist.

Jerry currently works with flatbed trucks on a semi-dedicated lane. He's home every weekend, but his routes somewhat vary between different customers which he prefers since it mixes up his routine. While he's on a dedicated route with plenty of home time now, he started out like all other new truck drivers start out: by paying their dues and spending a couple of years out on the road. But Jerry thinks new truckers shouldn't be discouraged - there's a lot of opportunity out there, and the trucks they'll be getting placed in these days are very comfortable and well-equipped.

Jerry is a great example of how approaching an entry-level truck driving job with hard work and a positive attitude can open up a wealth of opportunities from extensive travel, great benefits, and the perfect position for you.

Check back soon to learn more about Jerry's experience driving a truck overseas in Iraq. If you have any questions for Jerry, leave a comment and he'll answer them in a future video.

2011 was a big year for the trucking industry. With the truck driver shortage, the many FMCSA updates, and the increased attention to distracted driving, the trucking industry had a busy year.

Being a truck driver definitely comes with benefits, like good pay, job security, and the ability to travel, but potential drivers have to be ready for change. From the route your drive and the loads you carry, to the rules and laws that dictate what drivers can and cannot do, change is inevitable.

Driver Solutions covered many of the most important trucking stories in 2011 and tried to provide trucking industry and CDL training information to the many aspiring truck drivers out there. Though we wrote hundreds of posts over the past year, here are some of the highlights of 2011:

FMCSA Rulings

• U.S. Dept of Transportation – Final Hours-of-Service Rule
• Final Ruling on Hand-Held Cell Phone Ban for Truckers
• The New CSA 2010 Program

Safety

• Sleepy? Keep Your Eyes Open and Mind Focused with These Helpful Tips
• CDL Training for Safe Driving
• How to Drive Safely on Unsafe Bridges

Truck Driver Lifestyle

• Wanted: 140,000 Truck Drivers for 2011
• Over 40 Tips for Truck Drivers with No Experience
• 3 Reasons Your First Year as a Truck Driver Will Make or Break You
• 2011 Truck Driver Appreciation Contest Winners
• Truck Driving School – CDL Training Students Sing Christmas Song
• Get a Free Truck Driver Survival Guide
• Find a Truck Driving Job: Is 2012 Going to Be Your Year?

With the additional industry attention on safety and a continuing driver shortage, 2012 seems like a great time to get a career in truck driving started.

If you ready to get more information on the Driver Solutions CDL training program, go ahead and complete our secure online application. This will give you an opportunity to schedule a time to speak with a Driver Agent about your options in the trucking industry for 2012.

Are you considering truck driver school?  It's officially the holiday season and we want to make sure you have all of the free CDL training information you need to be successful.

Driver Solutions has put together a quick list of some popular posts with advice and tips to help you with the process of becoming a truck driver. 

Check out these 3 resources below:

• Top 5 Reasons to Start Trucking School During the Holidays
• 7 Winter Driving Tips for Truck Drivers
• The 9 Best Gift Ideas for Truck Drivers

Finding a truck driver school doesn't have to be hard with the help of Driver Solutions.  Getting the education and training you need to successfully start a new career is the first step toward finding some job stability.

As we all know,finding a stable job in today’s economy isn’t easy.  In fact, you’d be hard pressed to find an industry as stable as truck driving.  If you’re ready to bring home a steady paycheck, we invite you to get started by completing our secure online application.  Submitting your application will let you schedule a time to speak with a Driver Agent to discuss your trucking career options.

If you are thinking about starting a trucking career, it’s vital that you have the right tools to help you learn and find success. The first thing you need to do is look for an effective training program that can teach you the skills and information needed to earn your CDL.

The best CDL training schools should have trainers with several years experience in the trucking industry, and should provide opportunities for students to learn rules and regulations in a classroom as well as get hands on driving experience.

Another great way to learn is from other drivers' experiences. We’ve put together a few quick links to some of the most helpful interviews of students that have gone through the Driver Solutions company-paid CDL training program.

Check out these articles and interviews to get some great tips on what to expect from trucking driving school:

•    Making Friends at Truck Driving School
•    Tips on Passing the Pre-trip Inspection
•    3 Part Interview with a USA Truck Driver
•    Getting a CDL License at Truck Driving School
•    Trucking School – It’s What You Make It

Driver Solutions is devoted to providing drivers with the right tools to start a successful career in the trucking industry. Our hassle-free training program offers an environment that fosters learning, allowing you to get your CDL and find great opportunities for your career.

If you’re ready to jump into the driver’s seat, take a few minutes to complete our online driver application and learn more about your trucking career options.

As an aspiring truck driver, you should check out these FREE CDL training resources to help you become familiar with the industry:


Tips for New Truck Drivers - Get several CDL training school and OTR tips you can follow. These tips will help you prepare for your CDL exam and help you obtain your license quickly.

Looking for a Class A Truck Driver Job - There are many employment opportunities in the industry today. One of the opportunities many aspiring drivers want to get into is a company sponsored training program. Knowing how to take full advantage of these opportunities will be very helpful in your career. 

My Wonderful Experience at Truck Driving Training School. Be inspired by a story of a Driver Solutions graduate. Learn how truck driving has given him another chance for a better future not only for himself but also for his family.

Join us on Facebook and stay connected with us on Twitter to know more about our programs, promos and contests.

One of the biggest challenges for inexperienced drivers working their first truck driving job is saving money.  Let's face it, everyone wants to save money and truck drivers are no different. 

So, how do you make it happen while working a trucking job that has you out on the road for weeks at a time?

Luckily, Driver Solutions was able to connect with Mike and Vicki Simons via Twitter and they agreed to do a blog post to help out inexperienced drivers.  Check it out below!

Money Saving Tips for Inexperienced Truck Drivers

By: Vicki Simons

Truck-Drivers-Money-Saving-Tips.com

My husband Mike and I graduated from truck driver training school and started work in the trucking industry in the early 1990's. Those were in the days before Internet access, cell phones and many of the technological wonders that many truckers now rely upon were readily available. I will share with you in this article some money saving tips for new trucking school graduates and inexperienced truck drivers, especially those who will be driving a commercial motor vehicle regionally or long haul.

There were two items that we took with us from our very first trip as a husband and wife professional truck driving team:

• a portable toilet and
• a device in which to keep food cold.

If we were starting out today, not only would we have these items with us, but we would also add an inverter and at least one appliance in which to cook food.

Let's look at these choices in greater detail.

A Portable Toilet

We consider having an in-truck portable toilet to be indispensable for health reasons. Put quite simply, not every place where a truck driver can park has a publicly accessible restroom.

We have used our units over the years to hold not only bodily waste but also waste water from brushing our teeth and cleaning dishes after meals. Unfortunately, not all trucking companies allow portable toilets in their trucks. So before you invest in one, check to make sure that your company of choice allows them.

Food is Expensive on the Road

One of the biggest expenses that new-out-of-school company drivers will have is food. Sure, you can eat out a lot, but it is expensive. Some truck stops not only have their own restaurants but also fast food offerings, either from onsite fast food restaurants or refrigerated cases of premade foods. It is much healthier for your body and your wallet if you prepare your own food and recipes from healthy, nutritious ingredients.

In order to have a well-rounded diet and save money, we chose to take perishable foods with us. Among them are a variety of meats, dairy products, fruits, vegetables and breads. Some of these foodstuffs require being kept cold. The three main types of food cooling devices used by truckers are:

• compact refrigerators (with compressors),
• thermoelectric coolers, and
• ice chests.

We have tried them all. Each has its pros and cons.

You can cook many, many meals in just one or two appliances. When it comes to meal preparation, we describe on our site the different types of appliances we have used to cook food in our trucks over the years. We prefer to use a hot pot for cooking and rewarming many foods. A crock pot comes in handy for cooking food while you travel down the road. You just need to make sure that you brace the appliance so that it won't tip over when you go around curves or brake suddenly.

For a while when he was by himself in the truck, Mike used a microwave oven for warming small items. Larger meal preparations of saucy type foods can sometimes be done in an electric skillet. With the right equipment, you can cook just about anything -- including Thanksgiving dinner -- in your truck.

But to run most household cooking appliances, you need power…

Powering Your Equipment with an Inverter

Unless one is fortunate enough to hire on with a company whose trucks are equipped with auxiliary power units (APUs), many company-issued commercial motor vehicles have only DC-powered 12-volt cigarette lighter outlets as a means by which drivers can get power. As you may know, most household appliances run off AC (alternating current) not DC (direct current) electricity. The solution for inverting power from DC to AC is an inverter.

The two types of inverters most often used by truckers are:

• the cigarette lighter plug in type (which, depending on the model, can deliver up to about 175 watts of power) and
• the battery-connected kind (which, depending on the truck's configuration and model of unit, can deliver between 200 and 3000 watts of power).

Your trucking company may place a cap on the maximum amount of power that a battery-connected inverter can draw from its trucks' batteries. One of the trucking companies Mike drove for allowed nothing more than a cigarette lighter style inverter while a different company placed a 1500-watt cap on a battery-connected unit.

You can run many household appliances with 1500 watts of power or less. Some drivers require an inverter to power laptop computers, recharge cell phones and run their CPAP machines while they sleep.

Bear in mind that you can run simultaneously only those appliances that will not draw more power than the inverter can deliver. In our case, sometimes we had to run just one cooking appliance at a time so as not to overload the inverter. It was a small price to pay in time to save big money.

Consider the math: if you had to pay an average of $8 plus tax and tip for lunch and an average of $10 plus tax and tip for dinner at a truck stop -- five days a week -- you would be shelling out some serious cash. How much less expensive it could be to eat in your truck with options greatly expanded when you can cook your meals by inverter power.

The charge in your truck's batteries will determine the length of time that you can draw power through a battery-connected inverter. If you use your inverter while the engine is not running, the power will draw down faster than if it is running. Given the price of diesel these days, your company may require you to limit your idling time. Again, check with your prospective company before buying an inverter.

Watch Out for Traps

One of the reasons why we started our website, Truck-Drivers-Money-Saving-Tips.com, was to warn other drivers about traps, particularly certain inferior products that are marketed and sold to truck drivers. Many of these are what we call "cheaply made but expensive to buy." One red flag that we have learned to watch out for is a very short warranty period (like a 90-day limited warranty). If a product is worth its salt, it will have a one-year warranty of some kind.

When you buy items from a truck stop, be aware of its return policy. Some chains may allow returns for up to 30 days or may only allow an exchange for other merchandise (as in "no returns for cash"). This can be a trap. Assume that you bought a product from a truck stop that had a 30-day return policy and it broke on the 31st day. You're flat out of luck. So be on your guard.

What to Pack in Your Truck

When you train with a trainer, you may be asked to take a minimum of things with you. You may be given a list of what to bring and what not to bring. When you get out on your own, your options may expand greatly. We provide some guidance about what we have taken out with us on the road in the form of three different packing lists -- job-related, food and equipment, and personal -- all of which are available as free downloads from our site.

That's Just the Beginning

There is so much more that we'd like to be able to tell you. Drop by our site and get lots of money saving tips for professional truck drivers. After a while, we hope you'll share some of your own. We're especially looking for product reviews, service reviews and reviews on truck stops and truck parts.

We wish you great success in your new career, safe travels and lots of money saving opportunities on the road.

-----

Through Truck-Drivers-Money-Saving-Tips.com, Vicki Simons and her husband Mike provide real world tips that help professional truck drivers save hard-earned money and personal reporting about products and services for use on the road. They have developed their unique website as a place to share the tips they have learned through the years and where other professional drivers can do the same. For more information, visit http://www.truck-drivers-money-saving-tips.com/.

Copyright © 2011. All Rights Reserved. NKBJ InfoNet, LLC. Printed on Driver Solutions' website with permission.

The quality of your CDL training can only be as valuable and relevant as how it was taught to you.  This is the reason Driver Solutions works with only the best i best truck driving schools available

Here are some qualities you'll find with the CDL instructors:

• Helpful - These educators are willing to lend a hand on anything related to your training.
• Stern, but not strict - Instructors are firm but kind when it comes to enforcing the rules and regulations of trucking school.
• Attentive - The trainers have a keen eye for details. This is essential to notice what the students are doing right or wrong at critical moments while driving.

Below is a video that shows you what more to expect from your CDL instructors.



Sign up for free updates on trucking (see upper right of this blog) or fill out our online driver application to get started.

Any new type of training will take time to get used to. It's widely known that at the start, the adjustment period is often the most challenging for new student truck drivers. That being said, below are some links to articles that will help make truck driver training easier for you. 

Below are 3 articles that cover some of the important aspects of your truck driver training. The list below includes: a preview of what the Driver Solutions training program entails, another blog post touching on the importance of CDL training, and finally, a first hand experience recounted by a student truck driver. He shares how trucking changed his life after being discharged from the Army due to medical reasons.

• Your First Step To A Great Truck Driving Career
• The Way To Become A Successful Truck Driver
• My Wonderful Experience At Truck Driver Training School

If you want to create a positive change in your career, just fill out our online driver application form today. 

For more free updates on CDL training, sign up now to receive our emails (see upper right of this blog)!

Recent statistics show that by the end of 2011, the trucking industry might have a shortage of 150,000 truck drivers. A staggering 400,000 could be the deficit by 2012. This was based on the additional 11,200 entry level truck driving jobs truck companies opened in February (as per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Trucking is an opportunity for you to earn up to $40,000 in your first year. Additional benefits include getting to travel all over the country, insurance coverage, retirement, and vacation time. Now, it is definitely a lifestyle change for many people.  Starting off, you'll likely be out on the road for 12-15 days at a time or more. This is also the reason that truck drivers are special people. Living out on the road longer periods of time isn't for everyone and those that love it say trucking is "in their blood." 

So, you may be wondering how to enter the trucking industry. The best route is to enroll in a school that can help you acquire the Commercial Driver's License (CDL) you will need to drive professionally.  This is where Driver Solutions comes into play.  With our company paid CDL training program, you can start CDL training without the upfront costs most other programs require.

For more information, sign up for free updates through email (see the upper right corner of this blog) or complete our online driver application form.

Below is part 3 of the Driver Solutions Driver Agent Blog Series.  To view parts 1 and 2 check the previous 2 posts.

Q: What are some things that trucking school students can do to prepare before they begin CDL training?

A: The most important thing they can do is study eGears.  eGears is an online CDL training tool that will prepare them for their permit test and trucking school.  We give all of our students free access to eGears and it's important they take advantage of it. 

It's also a good idea to plan a budget and make sure they know what they are getting into.  Training will last around 3 weeks and during that time they are going to be away from home and paying for things like meals and license fees.  The trucking company sponsoring their training will cover most other expenses, but they still need to plan on not having a paycheck during that time. 

Having the proper documentation is also a necessity to get started with their training.  We review everything each student will need on an individual level over the phone and they need to make sure they bring everything we need out to training. 


Q: What is the most important thing for students to remember to get the most out of their training?

A: Treat CDL training like you are going to school and listen to your instructors.  CDL training is like going to school and you need to take it seriously.  The information you learn will not only help you earn a good paycheck, but it will also keep you and the other motorists on the road safe.  There is a lot involved in learning how to drive a big rig and they need to be ready for 3 weeks of truck driver training. 

If you've been thinking about getting into a career in truck driving and would like to work with a Driver Agent to get things started, feel free to complete our online application by clicking on the button below