Coming Back?

[Terry]

I have a rather long history of driving going back to 1997.

Most recently from 2005 - 2007. I owned a Classic XL and drove under the authority of a friend who is no longer in business. I have no idea when he went out of business, but I heard it was because of DOT issues.

I have not driven since 2007 and gave up my CDL when I moved to California in 2009. I currently do not have a CDL but I am going to get it back.

I now live in Arizona. I want to buy a truck, get my own authority. Recent verifiable experience is going to be a serious issue I think and it concerns me. I have lots of safe driving experience, but nothing I can prove.

I have a perfect driving record. 2 tickets in the last 10 years. One for not having a PUC Sticker in NY and the other for 600lbs overweight in California. I have never had an accident, DUI, Felony, etc.

I have old BOL's proving I've driven and I can even provide the MC numbers I've driven under.

What kind of obstacles do you think I am looking at trying to get insurance under my own authority? I'm not interested in leasing a truck to anyone. I need control of my truck and loads.

I started driving in 1997. I pulled a grain trailer, bull rack, flatbed, reefer, various power only trailers, box van. I have no interest in bed bugging or car hauling.

When I come back, more than likely I'll be coming back with a dry box to keep costs down.

I'm probably going to purchase a $30-$50k truck. I had a Classic XL before and it had horrible fuel consumption. I'll probably buy a money maker like a Century or Columbia with a low gear ratio. I've always liked the T600's as well, but I can't afford to pay for the PACCAR name.

 

[GAnthony]

you are going to have to prove current driving experience to an insurance company. i would suggest going back to a truck driving school and be "re-trained". then go from there. since you gave it all up in 2007, it is now (at least) 4 years since that day. most companies require 1 year experience with-in a 3 year period. you may have it easier to get what you want, since you once had it.....but then again......you won't really know. your past MC numbers, and BOL's may mean nothing more than toilet stall paper....to the insurance companies. since you cannot prove your past driving as you say, you have NO experience.

for whatever reason why "your friend" went out of business, you should have not said any more. you only assume it was because "you heard", of a DOT situation.. in effect, you are spreading a false innuendo about him...you have NO actual proof.

you do realize that you will have to be re-tested at the DMV, right..?? that means written tests, and driving tests. costs for those probably rose since you last went through it.

seriously, you are not the first person i have read about that "gave up his license, and wants it back"...

i just always question, "why did someone give up something like that in the first place, as one never knows his future and an eventual return"....that just never made any sense to me, giving up a CDL for no apparent reason, other than "i got tired of it".....gonna cost more now to get it back.

good luck, let us know how you make out.

 

[Terry]

I need to check around. My full coverage insurance (Truck, Cargo-$100k, liability) is going to cost me $7400 a year. It's affordable but seems a bit high for someone with my driving record and experience. I've also noticed that the interest rates on trucks have doubled to 14%.

Yeah, that was pretty stupid to voluntarily give up my CDL endorsement. But the laws have changed and California required that I maintain a medical card and they wanted me to completely retest. So I just dropped it. Not such a good decision in hindsight.

I certainly would never consider going to truck driving school.

Trucking « Terry M. Day, Jr

 

[GAnthony]

I need to check around. My full coverage insurance (Truck, Cargo-$100k, liability) is going to cost me $7400 a year. It's affordable but seems a bit high for someone with my driving record and experience. I've also noticed that the interest rates on trucks have doubled to 14%.

Yeah, that was pretty stupid to voluntarily give up my CDL endorsement. But the laws have changed and California required that I maintain a medical card and they wanted me to completely retest. So I just dropped it. Not such a good decision in hindsight.

I certainly would never consider going to truck driving school.

Trucking « Terry M. Day, Jr

i see by the website, you had an Air Ride Inc trailer...they were out of Swanton, OH..how do i know this...???

i worked for them doing the DHL account..back and forth to Allentown, PA....i knew of an o/o, named "Tony" (big round guy) and before DHL went belly up, Tony bought a light yellow freight shaker form them....

what years did you work for Air Ride..??

 

[Terry]

I worked for them about a year in 2005-2006. I worked out of Swanton, OH terminal. I left them when they lost the California - March AFB account. It was my main money making run and easy to do.

But, they had some drivers who couldn't seem to get from Niles, MI to Riverside, CA in the allotted time and DHL canned AirRide from the run. I did several runs GE (Gary, In) runs. I liked those. AirRide was okay, but I had issues with Dispatch that couldn't be resolved.

 

[GAnthony]

I need to check around. My full coverage insurance (Truck, Cargo-$100k, liability) is going to cost me $7400 a year. It's affordable but seems a bit high for someone with my driving record and experience. I've also noticed that the interest rates on trucks have doubled to 14%.

Yeah, that was pretty stupid to voluntarily give up my CDL endorsement. But the laws have changed and California required that I maintain a medical card and they wanted me to completely retest. So I just dropped it. Not such a good decision in hindsight.

I certainly would never consider going to truck driving school.

Trucking « Terry M. Day, Jr

well the insurance cost may coincide with what i said about no recent experience. the best way to show the insurance company you have the skills needed may very well be some sort of certified training. i'm just telling you as i have seen it.

good luck to you, inform us as to how you make out on this.

in fact, why don't you just ask the insurance agents...about re-training...????

 

[Terry]

well the insurance cost may coincide with what i said about no recent experience. the best way to show the insurance company you have the skills needed may very well be some sort of certified training. i'm just telling you as i have seen it.

good luck to you, inform us as to how you make out on this.

in fact, why don't you just ask the insurance agents...about re-training...????

I have no idea what trucking school costs. But If I pay $1000 for school to save $1000 on insurance... it's a bit of a wash. I just had a reply in another thread and there isn't much of a difference between what I was quoted and what that o/o was paying.

OOIDA said the prices for the insurance I am looking for will run between $4500 and $11000 a year. I am right in that median range.

If spending $1000 on school would lower my insurance rates by $3000, now that would be a no brainer.

One company I spoke with said that as soon as I get my CDL renewed, that she thinks I can get insurance for $550 a month.

But, you do have a point, it wouldn't hurt to ask if that would be an option.

 

[GAnthony]

refresher training (40 hours) which is one week, costs $1,000 at my school.

but since you need a truck for the road test, that might cost you more.....again, if you have the time, inquire at any school in your nearby area.

i would check and see what the insurance people say....they write the policies, not another o/o you spoke to, or OOIDA.

and be dead sure that $550 is the right price too, "she thinks" tells me, she "doesn't know"...

 

[Terry]

That is crazy!

Air-Ride Inc is completely gone. Did a USDOT number check.... Inactive
Angels Express, LLC out of Nebraska City, NE... Gone -- Inactive

The only reference I have left is a company I left on very bad terms and only worked at for 2 months.

Shocking. I didn't realize that I left Air-Ride, Inc only a few months before they went completely under. Air-Ride had some major contracts. They lost one of the ones that I was making good money off of because drivers couldn't seem to deliver on time. I never knew what the problem was. As long as you were at the California/Nevada border on I-15 by 8pm, you could deliver on time. I regularly dropped my trailer at 3 in the afternoon at March AFB.

Unless it was a weekend, I would get a load of tuna from Terminal Island the next morning and be headed back to Ohio.

 

[GAnthony]

they had a $14 million dollar lawsuit against DHL for breech of contract or something. but then i did a search that you told me of, and i see where it was only a $9 million dollar suit. Air Ride lost....so i think that court/lawyers costs, buried them. yes, they DID HAVE other accounts...

frankly, i don't feel sorry for them. as far as my DAC goes, i had Air Ride removed since they are no longer in business.

 

[wargames]

I need to check around. My full coverage insurance (Truck, Cargo-$100k, liability) is going to cost me $7400 a year. It's affordable but seems a bit high for someone with my driving record and experience. I've also noticed that the interest rates on trucks have doubled to 14%.

Yeah, that was pretty stupid to voluntarily give up my CDL endorsement. But the laws have changed and California required that I maintain a medical card and they wanted me to completely retest. So I just dropped it. Not such a good decision in hindsight.

I certainly would never consider going to truck driving school.

Trucking « Terry M. Day, Jr

I agree, Send me to a Trucking Refresher? And have some kid, tell me how to drive, is not ever going to happen. Trucking Schools, to me, are a joke. NEVER GOING TO HAPPEN. Good Luck Terry

 

[GroceryHauler]

refresher training (40 hours) which is one week, costs $1,000 at my school.

but since you need a truck for the road test, that might cost you more.....again, if you have the time, inquire at any school in your nearby area.

Wow, my school lets us come back for refreshers free of charge any time and as many times as we want. Since my truck is an automatic I go back every few months and spend a day driving a shifter just to keep my skills sharp.

 

[boone315]

Here is a question, if you have your own truck/trailer and authority, why are you worried about the experience? I have never had a broker ask me how long I have been driving, they could really give a **** as long as the load get picked up and delivered on time.

 

[GroceryHauler]

I agree, Send me to a Trucking Refresher? And have some kid, tell me how to drive, is not ever going to happen. Trucking Schools, to me, are a joke. NEVER GOING TO HAPPEN. Good Luck Terry

Schools teach enough to get your CDL and then you learn to drive when you get a job. However, they're not a joke and the idea that you're too good to learn anything from someone younger than you is a dangerous and egotistical attitude to have. I never discount anyone's ability to teach me something I didn't know before, regardless of their age or level of experience.

 

[GAnthony]

Wow, my school lets us come back for refreshers free of charge any time and as many times as we want. Since my truck is an automatic I go back every few months and spend a day driving a shifter just to keep my skills sharp.

at one time, one of my employers (my first school/teaching job) did let a student come back for free. but when there is a virtual bus loads of drivers needing work and being turned down due to lack of current experience, that school did what any business owner would do and that is "cash in" on supply and demand....

my current employer (school/teaching job) followed suit thinking why do this for free, when diesel fuel costs money, insurance costs money and an instructors time costs money...my current employer is MUCH smaller than my first one, who can absorb many costs due to thier $9,500 tuition......(and that will be going up to $11,000 i was told)

my current employer only charges $5,500 for the same course..!!!!

 

[GAnthony]

I agree, Send me to a Trucking Refresher? And have some kid, tell me how to drive, is not ever going to happen. Trucking Schools, to me, are a joke. NEVER GOING TO HAPPEN. Good Luck Terry

ah...wargames..i thought we were friends.....friends don't kick friends in the teeth...you know that teaching has been the way i make MY living, yet you see fit to denounce me and my job...did i ever do that to you..my (now) former friend...??


been nice knowing you...

take care of yourself, and the next time someone approaches you, duck, that person may be a former friend coming on over to kick you in the teeth.....

 

[wargames]

Schools teach enough to get your CDL and then you learn to drive when you get a job. However, they're not a joke and the idea that you're too good to learn anything from someone younger than you is a dangerous and egotistical attitude to have. I never discount anyone's ability to teach me something I didn't know before, regardless of their age or level of experience.

When a school turns you loose after 5 weeks of so called training, you damn right I think they suck.

 

[wargames]

ah...wargames..i thought we were friends.....friends don't kick friends in the teeth...you know that teaching has been the way i make MY living, yet you see fit to denounce me and my job...did i ever do that to you..my (now) former friend...??


been nice knowing you...

take care of yourself, and the next time someone approaches you, duck, that person may be a former friend coming on over to kick you in the teeth.....

You my friend know me better than that. I dont think some kid 21 years old, and wants to train someone, not going to happen.
Glenn, You are in no catagory of this at all. Damn, I did not read the whole post, ****, Im sorry if I offended you. I have no anger against anyone on here. If someone thinks I dont like them, Ill let them speak up on this forum openly.

 

[GAnthony]

wargames....just when i first read that from you, didn't seem to "sound right" if you know what i mean......we're cool...thanks...

"professor, would you like to play a game"...???

 

[Terry]

Here is a question, if you have your own truck/trailer and authority, why are you worried about the experience? I have never had a broker ask me how long I have been driving, they could really give a **** as long as the load get picked up and delivered on time.

It is an insurance issue. Experience is the difference between paying $11k for insurance and $5k. Of course now I know that the quote I got was right in line with what others are paying in the forum.

You are right, I've never had a broker ask me how much experience I have. Matter of fact, I've never had a broker question how I was going to do a team load as a solo.