Rookie choosing a company

Being a rookie I doubt you will find anything that will get you home every weekend unless you find something local.

OTR the norm is going to be out for three to four weeks at a time.

 

Look into the big LTL carriers. Maybe you can find a dock position and work up from there. Better than OTR any day.

 

I would personally look into doing something else. You are going to be very upset and out a lot of money when you find out you are going to be gone for 4-6 weeks at a time. This is not a career for guys with families and lots of young ones. I have been doing this a long time and trust me when I tell you, do not believe the recruiters! As far as getting a regional or local job, well guess what you, me and every other driver out there is standing in line waiting for one. Sorry if this comes across as harsh but I really don't want to see you waste your time and money when you could be spending it providing for your family. You are going to be in a much bigger hole then now once you find out what it's like out there and end up quitting in a month. Please re-think. Oh yeah, welcome to the forum.

 

Good Luck !!!!!

Now days almost all the companies treat you like family.




































Manson Family mostly !!!!

 

I"m not trying to start an argument,but my 1st job was regional flatbed,& I think if you look hard you could find one.Maybe call companies first & see whats out there before going to school.Good luck. PS- I am almost certain this WILL NOT work with the mega companies

 

schneider is an ok company to start with. they will let recent graduates run regional. i ran south east regional they at least will get u home for a 34 hour restart

 

welcome to the forum. Yeah you should make some calls do some research on the companies. Getting home often as a new guy in otr is hard to do....not impossible but difficult. One of the other posts mentioned finding a LTL company and working your way up off the docks...not a bad idea. When I went to school a guy in my class had been sent by his employer to get a CDL and take one of the routes from a retiring driver...he was actually getting paid by the company to attend the school and got the schooling paid for by the employer. So there are ways to get around being OTR....and with kids OTR is very hard on both you and your family. Good luck man

 

Yup. I started with R&L right out of the chute. Hired on as a driver/dock worker. Never once had to work the dock. They put me with another guy for 2 days to learn the system, and turned me loose. I don't know if R&L is down your way kohala, but Conway I'm sure is. They have the same program,as does ABF I believe. Start pestering them now to find out whats required (it'll be Haz Mat and doubles/triples) before you even start school. I sent e mails right to the terminal manager once I found out who he was. I finished school, and had the job waiting.

Good luck buddy,and with 4 "youngins" at home, I would strongly suggest you try this route, because as been pointed out, OTR as a new guy is going to have you out for a lot longer than a week at a pop 95% of the time.

 

There are some flatbed companies that will get you home every week depending on where you live. Maverick, pgt, and tmc. Look at their web sites at the hiring area.