I recently graduated from a trucking school, and got my Class A license 1-26-08.

I'm from N.H. and I keep getting the same replies from recruiters "oh, you're from NH...sorry we don't hire from NH"...

I'm 15 minutes from the border of MA, yet that 15 minutes is really limiting me.

I'm at the point where I may actually have to respond to CR England or JB Hunt. I really don't want to get into bed with those companies after reading the countless bad press for them on these boards.

I have a cousin who said I could relocate and live with him in Jacksonville FL. There seems to be a lot more companies hiring out of FL than here in NH. I really wouldn't mind not having to drive through Boston or NYC constantly which I fear would be the case if I did land a job up here.

If I did take him up on that, would there be any big headaches for me down the road with license transferring or anything like that? I'm 39 years old, and my driving record & criminal record is crystal clear, so there are no "hidden" problems that I'm not mentioning.

Help please...

I believe all you need a physical address, so Jax would work for you.

I know what you mean! I am temporarily in Michigan right now, not by choice, but have my wifes family in Phoenix AZ and my family in New Hampshire, right on the Methuen border and I get the same answers from companies that neither zip codes are a fit. So I may just stay in MI, get my CDL here and eventually find a company later on down the road to base out of NH or AZ.
Good luck to you, find a good company and make that one work. Don't settle!

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Gary & Carley

Gettin your CDL transferred should'nt be that big of a deal since your record is clean. Being based out of Fl. would definently give you more options. The weather is a whole lot better too. If you wanted you could start down there with a local company til you get everything switched around. It would also give you time to research Fl. based companies that would fit your needs instead of jumpin into something that don't fit and then you have to leave real soon. A good solid and steady work history goes along ways in this business. I hope this helps and Good Luck, keep us posted when you can.

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Dale Earnhardt(Forever a Champion)

Alright, looks like it's a done deal. A ton of applications...same song and dance. The last 2 recruiters said yes if I lived in Jax they could have hired me. I asked the last one about any hidden hinges changing my license to FL (because you get a temp at first and they mail your regular license within a couple weeks) and he said he wouldn't even bother changing my license if he were me. He said as long as my physical address was in Jax, that's all that mattered. Of course, this was a recruiter talking...

So the move will reluctantly happen this weekend.

If I did get lucky and landed a local job down there, say I drove for them for 6 months. Would that 6 months count as OTR time for another company? I'm not a "ship jumper", but I have to believe a local company hiring a new graduate will not be the best paying job comparatively. I know it's not OTR per se, but it is experience. I ask only because 90% of the ads I see say 3/6/9 months or 1 yr OTR experience and not just "hiring experienced drivers".

I'm just a little clueless, and like to be prepared.

Do NOT listen to that recruiter !!!

Change that CDL as soon as you can. It doesn't have to be day 1, but get them changed!

There are tax issues to consider here. Your's NOT the company you hire on with.

This was a story printed a few years ago. Driver has residence in State A, CDL has address of State B.

Both states DEMANDED that taxes be paid. Of course, only one was withdrawn from his check for the year. And he owed the entire year to the second one.

I never followed up to check the outcome. But use some good judgement here.

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Team Players.....
It's hard for me to play professional team sports. On a minor league salary.

No...local driving does not count as OTR experiance.

I agree with "Danc" here, you need to get you cdl changed as soon as you can to the address where you will be livin. Having a cdl in one state and livin in another is a BIG no no in the eyes of the law. Don't let the recruiter tell you otherwise.

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Dale Earnhardt(Forever a Champion)

Well...after reading Florida's laws on how you need to change your insurance to "special" Florida insurance, I decided to contact my school. They told me that if I moved to Florida, and transferred my cdl there, then if I wanted to come back to my area I would have to retake my cdl test with the state.

Very annoying...

So I made some more calls, filled out some more apps, and ended up with Werner. That's life. Ship out to their training center next wk.

You got a lot to think about if you are going to move to improve your employment odds. Family, friends, living conditions, weather, shipping lanes, types of freight, home time, and lots of other subjects important to YOU. NH is "out there", esp. with cost of getting you back for hometime, diesel is not cheap you know. Unfortunately, Florida is not that much better. True, there is more in FL than in NH, but if you think about it, unless the company you drive for has routes that bring you back regularly, FL is "out there" also. Look for a state more centrally located, not along a coastline or on the edge of the country. When you find a company that meets your wants/needs, look to see where their terminals are located, and look for a community nearby. Remember tho, if the job with that company does not work out, is there another company nearby that will? Most importantly, live near MAJOR shipping lanes. Not all interstates are created/traveled equally. If it was me, I would look at one of the LARGER companies with LOTS of terminals, with the ability to transfer to another location if need be. NOT A PLUG by ANY means, but I looked at Averitt. Didnt go with them, but if I was a rookie...........