Ok here is my story: I learned to drive a truck by watching drivers and talking to drivers. I obtained my 1st permit and started to actually drive with friends and friends of friends. On my 3rd permit i finally went and enrolled in a 40 hour course at Key Power in Pembroke Pines, Fl at the tune of $1995.00 and passed with flying colors. That was in May 2007. Since then i have been otr with friends off and on and picked up alot about driving and learned alot of necessary things. Just recently i was asked to take a load of watermelon to Syracuse,NY and i did it solo. I had never drove in the mountains before this trip. i ended up dropping the melons in NY, sitting in PA for 4 days and then deadheading 400 miles west on i-80 in Dubois to load and go back to mass... then to jersey empty to load and go to VA... then empty to Long Island to make it back to FLA. all solo and never drove solo out of florida but once to atlanta and back. I know im still a rookie and dont know everything and i wouldnt mind going out with a trainer but the prices for the refresher courses are rediculous and i cant use any of my experience because it was not recorded with w-2 or safety dept. I live in south florida. any suggestions welcomed.

Is the problem that you can't renew your CDL without the refresher course? If so, fill out applications at the major OTR carriers in what they'll call a 'pre-qualification screening,' if you pass, (and you likely will if you have a pulse), they will often reimburse the needed refresher course.

If your CDL is free and clear, I don't really see why you can't work. I'm not familiar with that part of Florida, but you ought to be able to find some O/O with a few trucks who will take your word for it. He'll still road test ya' I'm sure, but you should still be able to work with no exp, OTR or Local.

If you really want a pretty nice orientation, I suggest a big carrier. My first gig was with Watkins Shepard and though they pretty much paid the industry's minimum, it was a good company. I didn't mind driving a volvo either. Only big time maintenance on that beast that I ever saw was replacing a few blown tires and the time I tore the passenger side steps off the fuel tank idling up a narrow scale ramp. Opps! (Sorry maintenance, my bad)