Local to OTR O/O, How hard would it be?

At first I'd say it's easy, there's the sense of adventure, what's around the next corner and all that. After a while it gets old, you get a been there done that attitude, you start to look beneath the sheets a little more and realize there's a lot of creepy people in this industry, finally you either get out or just do your thing and ignore the downside.

That is how I'd describe my 24 plus years otr. Back in the day there was more freedom of movement and respect, now we're treated like pariahs and children who can't think or do for themselves when in fact we accomplish more menatally and physically than the general public.

One more thing. An HR friend of mine admitted what I suspected, otr drivers are considered less desirable when it comes to hiring because we don't "transition" well.

 

You will have a tough time leasing on with someone without OTR experience. From a risk factor, without all season OTR experience you will be rates as someone with 3-months experience. Just is what it is.

My suggestion would be to drive company OTR before buying your own rig. Better to learn on the companies dime than when you have all the over head of an O/O. Mistakes will be much less stressful.

 

Very well put..... I have to agree. Try it out with a good company first for say 6-8 months before jumping onto the O/O world. That way, if you don't like it, you can just take your ball and go home w/o having to pay the bank for a bus ticket LOL

Since mama will be going with, it would make the transition much easier from a home stand-point, since she won't be calling you every day saying how lonely she is. But on the down side, she will get bored quite quickly I think of being on the road. Either way, keep us posted on your decision

 

With no OTR experience I would not start with getting my own authority. There is so much that you have to learn that you have not been exposed to as a local driver. If you want to jump as an O/O I would lease on with someone first.

 

It would be wise to start out as a company driver to make sure this is what you really want, making the enormous investment of a truck then finding out you don't like it is foolish. Steer clear of lease purchase deals, they rarely work in your favor, this board and others are full of horror stories of drivers getting ripped off by co's offering an easy way to ownership.

A quick anecdote; I quit the road for a while and went to work as a mechanic for a local cartage co. My boss was real interested in buying his own rig and hitting the road he came to me with questions, as much as I tried to steer him into company driving first he wouldn't listen. Long story short he bought a truck and hit the road, a few months later it was for sale.

 

This, lol. Either local or OTR, the trucking industry is like no other, that is for sure.



Why not try to be a local O/O?

 

+ 1 on the local o/o