Greetings Everyone.
I drove van for Roehl about a year, seven years ago, right out of CDL school. I was driving though Ohio one day and decided that OTR was not what I wanted to do the rest of my life, turned in my time, and drove the truck back to the terminal after completing my dispatch(s). I worked various non-trucking jobs over the past 7 years. Now I am thinking about "shining up my CDL" and getting that 2 years of recent experience often specified for local or 7/7 type jobs.
I am asking about advice on whether I should look at a 1-2 year hitch at a trainer company or try to find a smaller OTR company that would hire anyway. Or anything else you can suggest. If I have to go out with a trainer again, I'm thinking I might as well go flatbed this time. That is a piece of advice from an experienced trucker that I should have taken the last time I went out.
You might be wondering why I would want to go back OTR when I left once before. Let's just say that I am looking at it as a temporary solution right now. I also have no illusions about the job, have lower debt, am more laid back, and have learned a lot on this forum that my trainer never taught me. No longer do I suffer from any "romantic illusions" about OTR trucking that afflicted me the first time around (noob's disease). I would think about it as a two year tour of duty. No knock on Roehl here, I think they are one of the better companies to start at. One could do a lot worse.
When I talk to truckers, it seems to me that everything has gotten worse in the last seven years. Agree?
Should I look around for a local O/O who wants a few loads hauled now and then?
Thanks
Shine up the CDL / after 7 years not driving
Discussion in 'Experienced Truckers' Advice' started by vikingman, Nov 28, 2011.