CDL?

[Jim Timber]

I'm looking at getting a big straight truck for hauling wood/machinery, and need a CDL to get the most use out of that equipment. Would you guys suggest doing self-study and then just take the test, or would you go through a class?

I'm not looking at getting semi endorsement, or tandems or anything. Just going over the 24.5klbs or whatever the limit is on a class D is these days. I'd like to do air brakes too.

 

[wiscwhip]

This is the type of CDL my dad had, except he had the HAZMAT endorsements and such to go with it. I think you would be fine just doing the book work and taking the test. Do you have a truck to borrow to practice with before you take the test? That might be more beneficial than a class.

 

[Honker]

I would self study. There aren't that many requirements to learn for an added class.

 

[Jim Timber]

I started reading an extensive pdf from the DMV after posting this. I'm good to go if I have farm plates on my own truck, but I will still need to get a license if I haul for anyone else (their vehicles, or taking a job driving for them). I have a buddy who's got a tree service in the metro and he's swamped. So if I could make the landfill runs for him it'd help him out greatly. For some reason it's hard finding people who can drive a stick anymore.

I can probably get vehicles down here. I'd have more trouble finding one to use up North until I can buy one. The one I want used to be a fire truck, had the box taken off, and is currently missing the driveshaft (needs to be fabricated). The current owner bought it to make into a dump truck, but the box he had was about 4' shorter than the frame, so he paused the project prior to sectioning the frame and it's sat for 9 years. I'm not sure when I'll be making that purchase. I need to call the mill and find out some more details on the aspen contracts first.

 

[wiscwhip]

The younger generation(of men at least) no longer gets exposed to driving stick shifts at a young age. You don't have near as many family farms anymore(where most kids learned to drive a stick) and they no longer use manual transmissions in the military(where most kids that didn't grow up on a farm learned to drive a stick), so they have little to no exposure with driving anything other than mommy's grocery getter or daddy's pickup truck, which comes factory stock with an automatic transmission, as manuals are pretty much special order anymore.

 

[kabic]

I would have to agree with Wiscwhip, I can barely drive a stick just because I never had to. My dad used to have a small car that was stick, I drove that to my high school job once or twice. Tried to learn on an older sisters bronco, but that was a lot harder to shift than the car.

All of my cars have been automatics.

 

[phil@thesidehill]

I would have to agree with Wiscwhip, I can barely drive a stick just because I never had to. My dad used to have a small car that was stick, I drove that to my high school job once or twice. Tried to learn on an older sisters bronco, but that was a lot harder to shift than the car.

All of my cars have been automatics.

yup....i can drive a stick if I have to...but it aint pretty. We never really had manual transmissions in my family when i was of the age to learn to drive. My dad has several little british cars tr-3, bug eyes, austin healy, etc. but that was when i was an older teen, he taught me the basics of it on the tr3, but i never got to drive it much so it never really became second nature.

 

[wiscwhip]

I learned to drive a stick at the ripe old age of 13. Learned on a 1967 International Harvester 1/2 ton pickup with a 3 on the tree shifter. Granny low 3 speed with a top end of about 63 mph and that was givin' er' all she's got captain! You could pull stumps with it and it was only 2 wheel drive!:eek:

 

[nitro27]

You can get a license (Class B) and work for others. Only TEST is your physical, visit to MVD, and some cash. Good for six consecutive months. You get to choose the months. Been doing it for years, hauling fertilizer for major MN fertilizer co. (April-Sept.) Work for a farmer and all you need is your regular license. Do that in Oct-Nov hauling beets.

 

[Jim Timber]

My first three cars, and first truck were all sticks. The thing that tripped me up on the tractor is that the range selector isn't synchronized at all, and it has to be absolutely dead stopped to change ranges or you'll hear it! (no coasting even at a crawl) On the other side, I'm used to well worn synchros that fall into mesh. The tractor's still got the burs on it, and so it's not the smoothest shifting machine I've driven, mainly because the gate is kind goofy.

The worst manual trans I've ever encountered was a `66 Bronco that someone put a lever on and removed the 3 on the tree linkage. Holy hanna was that thing STIFF.

 

[tooln]

I've had many vehicles with sticks. I taught both my girls to drive them also. Myself I was driving at age 11, by 12 I was going to the feed mill for the old man is a 66 Chevy 4 speed with a creaper granny 1st gear. No way anyone could get away with this anymore. I wish I had that truck yet today. First car I drove was my cousins 66 Impala 4 speed, wish I had that one also .