Need advice on LTL driving jobs like ABF, UPS, Fedex, and other local jobs.

Good plan, except UPS hires from within, meaning warehouse workers move up to the driving positions.
ABF is Teamsters union so you will be on union pay scale with union benefits.
Old Dominion is one of the best LTL outfits around and some terminals hire new cdl grads. Old Dominion sometimes sends recruiters to cdl schools in search of new drivers.

 

They may hire like that during Christmas rush, etc. then lay you off until the next holiday season.
ABF is rough too getting started. Usually have to work the docks first and sometimes be on call waiting for a phone call to come to work.
Old Dominion would be steady good income year round.
How about hauling milk, Western Dairy Transport hires new cdl grads.

 

You can make about 60K driving for Tyson Foods.
Try ABF and Old Dominion first is you really want LTL.
Averitt Express may have LTL near you.

City Driver
Averitt Express - North Little Rock, AR
Drivers must have Class A CDL with Hazmat & Tanker endorsements (tanker required for portable totes). Recent graduates from CDL training school.

 

Central Freight Lines is also LTL.

Start submitting job applications during the first week of cdl school.
Ignore any -experience required- on websites and apply anyway. Many companies are bending their own hiring rules these days due to a shortage of high quality applicants.

 

Have you work for a union before? Start off at the bottom and then move up. I use to work at a small warehouse with only 8 drivers. Turnover rate is low lol nobody wants to leave their spot. So we seen helpers come and go.

But if your goal is ltl and it happen to be union, just wait it out.

I would love to go back to that union job, but starting at the bottom again doesn't pay enough

 

It appears your goal is to work for UPS. UPS has two separate divisions, UPS ground and UPS Freight. UPS gound is virtually impossible to get in. Package delivery van drivers get first choice as far as their feedr driver position. And they train them inhouse from beginning to end. Only when no delivery drivers apply for the position is when they hire off the street. Their seasonal driver position , you need 2 years experience to be qualified, and you have to pass a road test. Just because you worked seasonal doesn't you'll get a full time position if one opens up. You have to reapply for that position again if one is available.

As far as UPS Freight, you need 2 years experience as well. LTL work is not an easy job. It's very stressful, especially their P&D division. There's a lot of city driving involved and their will be some tight places that even experienced drivers will have problems backing into. Most local companies do not have any training as far as driving is concerned. You are required to have experience when applying. That's why local jobs will say "2 years experience required". Their are a few local jobs, such as Mclane foodservice, that has apprenticeship, and I think ABF has one as well. I personally don't think someone fresh out of school should do LTL work, because of some of the tight turns and various places you have to back into in some cities. Even though you may not want to hear this, I think going OTR is best when starting out. Learn how to shift gears first, how to pull a loaded trailer, how to drive in bad weather, log books or elogs, weigh stations, practice backing, making turns, how to route your run, and so on and so forth.

Learn the fundamentals and basics of trucking, and know how to drive a truck first, before you tackle local city driving.