a) If you have a valid driver's license, can legally work in this country and can read English you will likely qualify at some companies.
... BUT
b) Do you have a clean driving record? Speeding tickets, accidents can disqualify you from driving commercially even if you can still drive personally.
c) Are you healthy? Sight, hearing, blood pressure, diabetes, sleep apnea are some of the issues that have different guideline if you driver commercially. It doesn't mean you can't drive, there are just stricter controls.
d) Drugs and alcohol - You will be tested when you start, and randow checks later on. Again, stricter limits for commercial drivers.
e) What experience do you have? For some companies, none is required. With others, ANY (taxi, etc) driving for hire is a plus. Some will include any expericance you have driving large personal vechicals (4x4, RV's.) Taking a CDL class might quality in lieu of experience.
a) Companies are one or the other, both kinds are out there. Most offer either full time (work available) or part time.
b) EMPLOYEE - Should be close to any other job, the company will cover the expences, either up front or reimburse you. You will be paid either per mile or per hour. Taxes should be handled the same way as any other job.
c) INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR - YOU will be responsibe for lineing up available work, transportation, taxes, health insurances, (workers comp?)
... some companies have a board/spreasheet and it is completely up to the drivers to find work off of that list.
... others have more involved dispatchers that you will need to call in to for work, they are the people that assign work based on a pre-set or their own criteria. Some may help setting up transportation and trips that fit what you prefer. Others are take it or leave it. Still others may lean on you to work more than you want BUT you are an independent contractor and you can say NO, that may put you on their bad side but most are short enough on drivers it doesn't last long.
a) If you are an independent contractor you should be able to pick runs to match your time needed off.
b) Most companies have an option for expended time off.
c) Unlike most trucking companies, neither you nor your company has monies invested in equipment that needs to be kept moving to pay the bills.
a) Employee (I don't know, but I think they would train you the same as another other company)
b) Indpendent Contractor. Almost -0-. You will need to learn from your mistakes or from what other drivers will share with you.
a) FMCSA - Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration - This is where you will find out the how to log, plus rules and regulations.
b) In general, you MAY be able to drive cars up to 10,000# vehicle wieght without logging your time. OVER 10,000# you will likely need to pass a DOT (department of Transportation) physical. OVER 26,000# you will need a commercial drivers licence (CDL.)
c) There are rules and exceptions, know the law. (drivers are more likely to tell you what they can get away with than what the law is)
d) The company wishing to bring you on as a contractor will likely test you on logging even if they do not test you for driving.
a) They will need a copy of your driving record. They may accept a copy from you or they may need your OK to request a copy direct.
a) How much do you want to work? How much you want to work changes where you should work. If you are only going to do short trips part time, then you want to work somewhere that has work close to where you live. If you want to be gone for a month at a time, then how busy the company can keep you is more important than where they are located.
b) Do you want to be an employee or contractor?
c) Do you want 'one way' or multi-leg trips? If you only want to be gone a few days before coming home, again you want to work somewhere close. A company with a single location is fine. If you plan on staying out, the bigger the company the better. You may also want to work for more than one company once you are comfortable with this style of work.
a) The only maintance the driver should be required to do is add fluids, adjust mirrors plus anything it takes to get to a safe place.
b) We are drivers, not mechanics. If you 'fix' something and it goes bad, it is now your problem.
c) It is generally not the drivers call to drive or to fix. That call is usually made by the owner of the unit.
a) As a contractor, who pays for fuel, motels, transportation? Does it vary by what you are driving? DO NOT ASSUME - just because it was paid last trip does not mean it is paid on your next trip. Ask. What is paid for can be based on the length of the trip, the customer, the route, etc.
b) Your pay will be based on who pays for what. Don't assume what you take home is better because one place is paying over $1.00 a mile and the other is paying under $.50. They are paying different rates because the companies cover different expenses.
a) Most companies will advance you a portion of the trip pay. Longer trips can run in the $1,000's of dollars.
b) Some companies pay on delivery, others pay based on the calender.
c) Some will issue a mailed check or direct deposit, others put the money on businees account (Comdata, Wex, EFS) DO NOT use these as a savings account, your company still has accesst to monies in these accounts.
a) Is there a minimum number of miles you must drive on days worked?
b) What is the minimum number of days needed to work? Most are one trip every 30-60 days. There are expenses for the company to cover you as an 'active' driver.
c) How long can a driver stay in-active (not driving) before being terminated? Some companies have exceptions for how long you can not drive if you need the spring off for farming, winter off for snowbirds, medical reasons.
a) Few companies only drive one style of vechicle. But most move new vechicles out of only limited locations.
b) Used vechicles can be anything. But your company may have a limit to how old or how many miles it has on it or they won't move it.
c) Vechicles can be stick shifts, right hand drive, oversized or require alternitave fuel.
d) Which FMSCA rules will I be using? Some companies may follow the bus rules while moving buses. All others follow the truck rules.
a) Some shippers only ship short distances if they are shipping from mutiple locations.
b) Most shippers ship nationwide but not necessarily to Canada. Few ship to Mexico directly.
c) Exports are driven to ports or staging lots near ports.
a) Seniority, last worked, etc
b) If they say to call in. CALL IN. If you want to work do not wait for them to call you.
a) Are you required to buy company clothing?
b) Does the dress code apply at pick up, delivery, always?
c) What is / is not allowed?
a) Wash
b) Scale
c) T & R - License Tabs and Registration
d) Repairs
a) Find out who, if anyone will help you. Some companies will assign someone to run with you if there are two vechicles going to a single location. Some drivers will take you under their wing. Sometimes a dispatcher or other office worker will go over your paperwork to point out mistakes or other ways to do things.
b) If you are going out solo, do not rush. Leave time to make mistakes.
c) Do not expect to make money your first couple of trips.
a) There is a lot of paperwork, logging, fueling, motels, bills of lading (BOL - this is what your company gives you, and then both the pickup and drop locations sign)
b) If you are an employee, you will need this info for your company. If you are a contactor you will need to save this for your taxes.
c) Keep your receipts. No receipt, no reimbursement. Receipts should also be kept for tax reasons.
a) The company should supply you with a log book, license plate, placards, IFTA, paperwork/book, triangles and uniforms.
b) The company may charge you a deposit or outright for these items.
a) Find out before you leave if you will need any state based permits. Most states require that you have the permit before crossing the state line, others only you can buy once you are in the state.
b) How can you get permits? At your office, from an outside company or do you need to make the calls directly to the state (where allowed)
c) If tolls are not reimbursed by the company, you may want to avoid the tolls if it's cost effective.
a) Your company may give you just a few sheets of paper or a book with needed paperwork.
b) Know where the informantion is in your book. Some scales want the book open to the correct page, they do not want you holding up the line while you look.
c) Book mark your most needed pages. They will likely be IFTA, registration and insurance.
a) There will be signs that says who needs to cross the scale.
b) Unless your company has told you otherwise, no matter what you call what you are driving IT IS A TRUCK for scale purposes.
c) Watch the lights and the signs. Do not follow the drivers ahead of you even if they are your co-drivers. These lights and signs are vechicle spectific.
d) If you are called in, bring in your BOL, permits and your book.
e) Most scale house officers will be polite as long as you are. Your best answers are yes and no unless they ask you for more information. The less you say the less they will question you. Most times they will only ask a limited number of questions unless it turns into an inspection.
f) Most inspections, either roadside or at the scale, will be a check of your paperwork, your license and your vechicle lights.
g) As long as you run legal and you are driving a new vehicle the only thing you should lose is time.
a) Most accidents / damage are drivers hitting fixed objects. Pay attention.
b) If you are involved in an accident with another person, you will most likely be sent to take a drug test IMMEDIATELY
c) Take pictures. Lots of pictures, 20-30 pictures.
d) Record any details as soon as possible. Write down everything you can think of, anything the other driver may say.
a) Some companies deduct an 'escrow' amount from your check up to a set amount. If you are in an accident they will use money from that account to pay for damages.
b) Other companies do not have an escrow amount, but they instead will take the money to cover your accident from your current settelment.
c) If you have money in a Comdata/EFS account, the company may take that money also. DO NOT leave excess money in those accounts.
a) After you start, these test can either be random or because of an incident.
b) Because they are random, you may be tested more than once during a year and another driver not at all.
c) The company can have you tested any time you are available for work. If you live near the company office, they may test you before you leave on a trip. Otherwise they will call you on your trip and have you stop at the closest clinic.
d) The only time you can refuse is if you are not available to work. Otherwise refusal is grounds for immediate termination.
f) The limits on drugs and alcohol are different for commercial drivers than for the general public.
a) If you don't already own a tow vechicle, don't purchase one until you know you will keep this job long enough for it to pay to have one.
b) Also by waiting you will learn more about which vechicle will work best for what you move.
c) Some companies and / or their customers do not allow towning.
d) Limits. Carriers that do allow towing may have limits on the weight of your car or not allow tow dollies (flat towing only)
a) Plus - Your cost of your return trips are fixed.
b) Plus - Remote deliveries are not an issue.
c) Minus - Extra investment if it is not your main vehicle, extra wear and tare even if it isn't.
d) Minus - Limited to runs that are towable.
a) Generally you can not do a complete trip in a foreign country. At least either the pickup or delivery must be in your home country.
b) Even with a passport, you may not be able to enter the country based on prior convicts or CHARGES, and even if you have entered that country previously.
c) You will go through costoms both directions. Be prepared.
d) You may be charged a fee, payable at the border booth. Have cash.
e) At the border, do not change lines once you have picked a line no matter how slow it is going.
f) At the border, answer their questions and only their questions. The longer you talk the longer you are likely to stay there.
a) Your phone plan may not include foreign calls or your phone may not have service at all
b) Your credit cards may have different restrictions in a foreign country.
c) Carry cash. But some places will not take foreign currency
a) Start with one. You may even want to start with one that you don't plan in staying with just to learn how.
b) Add companies one at a time.
c) All companies will require you to work a minimum amount of days per month.
d) What is permissible or required at one company may not be at the other company.