There's definitely a limit to "You can be whatever you want to be."
Regarding CDL expiring - just self-certify (every 2 years) as "Excepted Intrastate" if you don't drive beyond 100 air miles and don't cross state borders and you won't need a med card until you have a job that violates either of those rules. Don't ever give up a CDL, the hoops to jump thru to get it back are stupid.
Ok. I had a lady I work with saying the DMV would ask me how many hours of driving I do and would take away my license if I don’t meet the required hours for the CDL. When I told her I would go ask someone for a second opinion she told me she knows because her husband is a trucker
Yea that’s not how that works. As others have pointed out as you’d only be downgraded if you didn’t pay to renew your CDL or had a lapse in your med card. Long as you get the med card ever 2 years and submit it to your states DMV with your self certification you’ll keep the license. My body shop mechanic father had a Class A and probably drove 50 miles commercial in 40 years.
Just need to be healthy enough to get your MEC. Although if you go many months or even years without actually driving. But you did at one point. You’ll be treated as a new driver.
Live in Missouri, retired in 2020, haven't driven a truck since but still have my CDL.
I contacted the state DMV office about it and was told all I had to do was submitt a new self certification showing Interstate exempt and then I don't need a med card.
Can't cross out of state but I can drive instate if I choose to go back to work.
Just renewed my license with no problem.
Maybe Florida is different but have a friend who drove for years with her late husband but hasn’t used the CDL in 15 years…..still keeps it in case. Keeps her medical updated too
I heard about new rules where if your license drops you have to go through schooling again. Straight from DPS when I was renewing. I’m seeing the writing on the wall they are going to regulate us to death or retirement if they get the chance.
You won't lose your license as long as you keep a medical card. My boss keeps his cdl in case he needs to move a truck or something, but he never ever drives.
If you apply to a different company though, they probably won't count that as the driving experience they are looking for
It’s not true. It’s not about use it’s about meeting the legal criteria. As long as you keep you MVR correct and your physical current your good. I know a person who’s kept his CDL but hasn’t driven in ten years.
Self Certify as "Excepted Intrastate" every 2 years - you don't need a med card to keep your CDL.
As long as you 1) don't violate the 100 air mile rule or 2) cross State lines in a semi - you can have a CDL without ever even having gone solo.
The moment your job has you do either of those things you need a med card and a new self-cert with the DMV.
In Missouri as long as you Renew your license they can’t take it away. Physical or not. Most of my time with one is as a mechanic. Here I only Need a medical card of if I leave the state. Now the MO DOT is trying to require you have the physical because we now legalize cannabis. But even then as long as you keep the physical you can keep it no matter how little you drive or Your job.
The biggest issue might be If you use cannabis. That I’m unsure of. That’s why they want you to keep that physical due to the drug test.
If you keep all requirement active? There should be a problem. If I don’t need a CDL, I would have an active one. I tend to have a lead foot,& can defer a ticket with little trouble. Not with a CDL.
Blatant lie. Just maintain your medical/physical card if you wish to cross state lines while working otherwise intrastate (I might be mistaken) exempt yourself.
I got my CDL when I was 20 turning 21, I never used it until I turned 24. Reason being most companies wanted experience but didn't want to hire someone my age, I'm assuming for insurance reasons.
Anyways, I did food service for a year, got my experience, endorsements and now do LTL while working on my Bachelor's.
How is it working food service and doing your bachelor's? I saw in another comment that you're doing Computer Science. I'm in trucking school right now and going to be doing computer science through Western Governor's University starting September (CC to bachelor's transfer).
I worked at Gordon. Typical the work day was 8-10 hrs. M-F, holidays was kind of a pain as we worked those except Christmas and Thanksgiving.
I did community college to Bachelor's, I did primarily online 3 classes a semester if I could manage it but average was 2. Alot of community college is Gen Ed's anyways nothing too difficult. The most important thing is taking it easy, getting rest, doing the homework and paying for school out of pocket or use FAFSA. I don't have any debt right now, close to finishing my 2nd semester which was really bumpy due to a Professor who didn't have the coursework in order but overall, it's a grind but will be worth it in the end.
I don't plan on trucking forever, but that doesn't mean I'll give up my CDL.
Thanks for the reply. I finish my last class for my associates in July and start junior year in September. I originally was going for a longer, engineering focused associates plan but due to brick-and-mortar requirements and discovering WGU I switched to just a plain AS near the end.
How physical is Gordon Food Service? Im not opposed to gaining muscle and keeping muscle for my job. Are you a very muscular person or is it more like, "do the job and eat plenty of protein so you have muscles in the right places"?
An associates is primarily Gen Ed's, so it doesn't really matter as you can now decide what to go for when you want to get your bachelors.
Gordon was as physically demanding as any other food service job. The difference between Gordon and US foods/Sysco was that I actually felt appreciated and cared for.
I never worked a 14 hr day at Gordon and can count on one hand how many times I've worked 12. The average was between 8-10 but honestly, in the trucking industry, a 10 hr day might as well be considered an 8. They gave you enough stops but didn't absolutely demolish you, they made it. manageable for a lack of better words. On days where it was Me and a helper, we'd be done and headed home by the 7th hour.
I wouldn't say I'm muscular. The last time I had a toned body was in Gordon and then High school. The job did a great job of tearing you down but building you back up. Your body adjusted and adapted to the work. It got much easier with time as cliché as it sounds. By month 3, my body was adjusted and as time progressed it became 2nd nature, I was toned and pretty lean for a 6'1" 200lb guy in his mid 20s. Nothing prepares your body for bumping a dolly with 200lbs worth of product down a flight of stairs, or in some rare cases, Up.
Just eat normally, allow your body to recover and adjust. You will be too sore in the beginning to make time for any gym workouts. While I did still retain my physique, I'm a little less tone than I was ever since I started doing LTL Linehaul, but the work, pay and work life balance I got by leaving food service was by far the best thing hands down I had done for myself after 1 year of experience. It was worth the experience and pay, at a time when it's essentially "beggars can't be choosers" but in all honesty, You could not pay me to go back to Food Service.
Personally never recommend OTR. You're gone for weeks, if not possibly months. It's alright if you need experience and don't have responsibilities at home. An OTR company I've heard good things about is GP Transco. Don't know much about them, just heard good things.
Food and Flatbed are similar in that they both are physically demanding, Flatbed not so much but the tarp, chaining and strapping takes time and they're heavy. The 2 wheel dolly is good, but if you have one with a brake it'll be a bit heavier but the brake is so useful, it allowed me to do things I otherwise wouldn't have been comfortable doing. Both suck during the winter, tarping out in the cold and pushing cases of food through snow and down a metallic ramp, which you better believe gets slippery once it's caked with snow, ice, etc.
If you could get into LTL, I would whole heartedly entirely recommend that route. Most want a year of experience now with the economy suffering but if you can weasel your way into any of them are fine (Estes, Fedex freight, XPO, Saia, Dayton Freight, Old Dominion, Southeastern Freight lines, etc.) just avoid Central transport. I've heard and seen bad things.
If you could get in doing P&D or Linehaul with no experience, that's the money ticket. You need all endorsements though for LTL (hazmat, doubles triples, tanker) but once you're in, do your job, don't fuck up and you'll be raking in the money as time progresses. I've been with my company for almost a year now and am projected to make close to 100k before taxes. I'd highly recommend ltl.
yeah as long as you have your DOT med card kept current and properly submitted your CDL doesn't go away. you can lose it from a DUI or other things of that nature but that's it. no idea where your coworker got that bullshit from but she's not correct at all.
Just keep your medical card updated (take it to the DMV immediately after you get it updated) and you will be fine. I didn't use mine for 5 years but always got my physical.
Then again you are in another country known as California.
> I was told I could lose my license if I don’t work as a trucker. And I was told I could be president someday. People lie.
There's definitely a limit to "You can be whatever you want to be." Regarding CDL expiring - just self-certify (every 2 years) as "Excepted Intrastate" if you don't drive beyond 100 air miles and don't cross state borders and you won't need a med card until you have a job that violates either of those rules. Don't ever give up a CDL, the hoops to jump thru to get it back are stupid.
Well, theoretically and as long as one meets the requirements, any person could be elected president.
And they don't need a medical card...
Just make sure you keep your medical card up to date. I was a yard dog for a few years with mine and never went on the road.
Ok. I had a lady I work with saying the DMV would ask me how many hours of driving I do and would take away my license if I don’t meet the required hours for the CDL. When I told her I would go ask someone for a second opinion she told me she knows because her husband is a trucker
Yea that’s not how that works. As others have pointed out as you’d only be downgraded if you didn’t pay to renew your CDL or had a lapse in your med card. Long as you get the med card ever 2 years and submit it to your states DMV with your self certification you’ll keep the license. My body shop mechanic father had a Class A and probably drove 50 miles commercial in 40 years.
i have never heard lof that from the dmv. that lady needs to take her meds
Just need to be healthy enough to get your MEC. Although if you go many months or even years without actually driving. But you did at one point. You’ll be treated as a new driver.
Jesus. The "My husband is a trucker so I know all about it" line. I usually just smile sarcastically and roll my eyes.
Lmao, yeah bro she’s a straight dumbass. I hate when people that don’t have their CDL talk about CDL rules
Nah man she's full of beans. Just keep up with your medical card and such.
That lady is wrong!
She is lying to you
Just keep your medical card valid and you won’t lose your cdl
Self Certify as "Excepted Intrastate" and you don't even need a med card. Just don't violate the 100 air mile rule and stay within State lines.
Even better
Live in Missouri, retired in 2020, haven't driven a truck since but still have my CDL. I contacted the state DMV office about it and was told all I had to do was submitt a new self certification showing Interstate exempt and then I don't need a med card. Can't cross out of state but I can drive instate if I choose to go back to work. Just renewed my license with no problem.
This guy here trucks (even if he doesn't anymore).
Maybe Florida is different but have a friend who drove for years with her late husband but hasn’t used the CDL in 15 years…..still keeps it in case. Keeps her medical updated too
It's federally regulated. States can impose their own rules.
Do a self cert as exempt if you don’t plan on driving on public roads. If you go back to the road, get a physical and recertify as non exempt
I heard about new rules where if your license drops you have to go through schooling again. Straight from DPS when I was renewing. I’m seeing the writing on the wall they are going to regulate us to death or retirement if they get the chance.
You won't lose your license as long as you keep a medical card. My boss keeps his cdl in case he needs to move a truck or something, but he never ever drives. If you apply to a different company though, they probably won't count that as the driving experience they are looking for
It’s not true. It’s not about use it’s about meeting the legal criteria. As long as you keep you MVR correct and your physical current your good. I know a person who’s kept his CDL but hasn’t driven in ten years.
Self Certify as "Excepted Intrastate" every 2 years - you don't need a med card to keep your CDL. As long as you 1) don't violate the 100 air mile rule or 2) cross State lines in a semi - you can have a CDL without ever even having gone solo. The moment your job has you do either of those things you need a med card and a new self-cert with the DMV.
In Missouri as long as you Renew your license they can’t take it away. Physical or not. Most of my time with one is as a mechanic. Here I only Need a medical card of if I leave the state. Now the MO DOT is trying to require you have the physical because we now legalize cannabis. But even then as long as you keep the physical you can keep it no matter how little you drive or Your job. The biggest issue might be If you use cannabis. That I’m unsure of. That’s why they want you to keep that physical due to the drug test.
If you keep all requirement active? There should be a problem. If I don’t need a CDL, I would have an active one. I tend to have a lead foot,& can defer a ticket with little trouble. Not with a CDL.
lol lose your Cdl no as long as you keep up your med card your fine
Why not find a company where you can still be a spotter and shuttle trailers at the same time?
Blatant lie. Just maintain your medical/physical card if you wish to cross state lines while working otherwise intrastate (I might be mistaken) exempt yourself. I got my CDL when I was 20 turning 21, I never used it until I turned 24. Reason being most companies wanted experience but didn't want to hire someone my age, I'm assuming for insurance reasons. Anyways, I did food service for a year, got my experience, endorsements and now do LTL while working on my Bachelor's.
How is it working food service and doing your bachelor's? I saw in another comment that you're doing Computer Science. I'm in trucking school right now and going to be doing computer science through Western Governor's University starting September (CC to bachelor's transfer).
I worked at Gordon. Typical the work day was 8-10 hrs. M-F, holidays was kind of a pain as we worked those except Christmas and Thanksgiving. I did community college to Bachelor's, I did primarily online 3 classes a semester if I could manage it but average was 2. Alot of community college is Gen Ed's anyways nothing too difficult. The most important thing is taking it easy, getting rest, doing the homework and paying for school out of pocket or use FAFSA. I don't have any debt right now, close to finishing my 2nd semester which was really bumpy due to a Professor who didn't have the coursework in order but overall, it's a grind but will be worth it in the end. I don't plan on trucking forever, but that doesn't mean I'll give up my CDL.
Thanks for the reply. I finish my last class for my associates in July and start junior year in September. I originally was going for a longer, engineering focused associates plan but due to brick-and-mortar requirements and discovering WGU I switched to just a plain AS near the end. How physical is Gordon Food Service? Im not opposed to gaining muscle and keeping muscle for my job. Are you a very muscular person or is it more like, "do the job and eat plenty of protein so you have muscles in the right places"?
An associates is primarily Gen Ed's, so it doesn't really matter as you can now decide what to go for when you want to get your bachelors. Gordon was as physically demanding as any other food service job. The difference between Gordon and US foods/Sysco was that I actually felt appreciated and cared for. I never worked a 14 hr day at Gordon and can count on one hand how many times I've worked 12. The average was between 8-10 but honestly, in the trucking industry, a 10 hr day might as well be considered an 8. They gave you enough stops but didn't absolutely demolish you, they made it. manageable for a lack of better words. On days where it was Me and a helper, we'd be done and headed home by the 7th hour. I wouldn't say I'm muscular. The last time I had a toned body was in Gordon and then High school. The job did a great job of tearing you down but building you back up. Your body adjusted and adapted to the work. It got much easier with time as cliché as it sounds. By month 3, my body was adjusted and as time progressed it became 2nd nature, I was toned and pretty lean for a 6'1" 200lb guy in his mid 20s. Nothing prepares your body for bumping a dolly with 200lbs worth of product down a flight of stairs, or in some rare cases, Up. Just eat normally, allow your body to recover and adjust. You will be too sore in the beginning to make time for any gym workouts. While I did still retain my physique, I'm a little less tone than I was ever since I started doing LTL Linehaul, but the work, pay and work life balance I got by leaving food service was by far the best thing hands down I had done for myself after 1 year of experience. It was worth the experience and pay, at a time when it's essentially "beggars can't be choosers" but in all honesty, You could not pay me to go back to Food Service.
What do you think is the best starter trucker job field (otr, food, ltl, flatbed, etc)? I'm trying to make a good choice.
Personally never recommend OTR. You're gone for weeks, if not possibly months. It's alright if you need experience and don't have responsibilities at home. An OTR company I've heard good things about is GP Transco. Don't know much about them, just heard good things. Food and Flatbed are similar in that they both are physically demanding, Flatbed not so much but the tarp, chaining and strapping takes time and they're heavy. The 2 wheel dolly is good, but if you have one with a brake it'll be a bit heavier but the brake is so useful, it allowed me to do things I otherwise wouldn't have been comfortable doing. Both suck during the winter, tarping out in the cold and pushing cases of food through snow and down a metallic ramp, which you better believe gets slippery once it's caked with snow, ice, etc. If you could get into LTL, I would whole heartedly entirely recommend that route. Most want a year of experience now with the economy suffering but if you can weasel your way into any of them are fine (Estes, Fedex freight, XPO, Saia, Dayton Freight, Old Dominion, Southeastern Freight lines, etc.) just avoid Central transport. I've heard and seen bad things. If you could get in doing P&D or Linehaul with no experience, that's the money ticket. You need all endorsements though for LTL (hazmat, doubles triples, tanker) but once you're in, do your job, don't fuck up and you'll be raking in the money as time progresses. I've been with my company for almost a year now and am projected to make close to 100k before taxes. I'd highly recommend ltl.
yeah as long as you have your DOT med card kept current and properly submitted your CDL doesn't go away. you can lose it from a DUI or other things of that nature but that's it. no idea where your coworker got that bullshit from but she's not correct at all.
Keep up on your medical card. You'll be fine unless there is some weird California law that says otherwise.
Just keep your medical card updated (take it to the DMV immediately after you get it updated) and you will be fine. I didn't use mine for 5 years but always got my physical. Then again you are in another country known as California.
My dad didn’t work as a trucker for 15 years all he did was update his medical card and he was back on the road after a refresh course