I'm 47, have driven luxury motor coaches/prison buses on and off since I was 34 with a class B/passenger/air brake endorsed license.
Due to circumstances beyond my control it looks as the prison and travel industries will no longer be a viable place to make a living until probably long after I'm ready to retire, SO...
How realistic would it be to expect to be able to get a class A and drive OTR for a year and then get on somewhere decent working either local, dedicated or as a last choice regional? I see lots of local/dedicated/regional jobs where the only requirement is 1 year OTR, but is it true? Will they really hire some guy who's got just 365 days of experience to his name, or would that guy just lose out to guys with much more experience?
I can suck up a year's worth of abuse, that's not a problem, but I can't make a lifestyle out of it. I would need to be able to find something local before too much time went by, even if it didn't pay much.
For what it's worth I'm a decent catch as far as most employers are concerned. Great credit rating, veteran, no felony convictions, dogs love me, minty fresh breath...the whole package.
Okay, go ahead and tell me I'm an idiot for even considering this idea and that I should try going back to high school and starting over, I'm ready for it...
Reality check, please. Is this a realistic expectation?
Discussion in 'The Welcome Wagon' started by barstowcowboy, Jul 18, 2020.
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Xray4, homeskillet, Rideandrepair and 2 others Thank this.
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Howdy, pard'ner, welcome aboard. My advice? Stay with the stagecoach. Here in Colorado, bus drivers are highly sought after, and I'd expect in most other areas, as well. Might be a tad touchy with the virus and the public, but this too will pass, and with the failures, bus travel will be more important than ever. Tell you what, if I was to do it all over again, it would be a stagecoach. DON'T do the trucking thing. It will be starting at the bottom, and as far as I'm concerned, you already have the qualifications for one of the best jobs on the road.
TripleSix and Cattleman84 Thank this. -
Your plan is very doable, but with your experience, have you considered driving for the transit authorities in your region?
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If you have the means, I say get your class A and see what you can find.
There are absolutely local jobs out there that don’t require experience. This whole “you have to do a year otr to pay your dues” thing is a myth.
Problem is, all those years driving bus won’t really do you any good as experience, as far as the insurance companies are concerned. I don’t agree with it, but that’s the way it is.
But like I said, there are still local jobs available that don’t require experience. You just have to be patient and diligent and you can find something. The company I work for is one of them. Sure, they’d prefer you have experience, but it’s a small enough operation that they can make exceptions for the right person.
See my post here about local driving and what I do,
Favorite Type of TruckingChinatown Thanks this. -
i find it hard to believe, there is no work for a prison bus driver.
unless for one reason or another, all the prisons just closed down, and set everyone free.
since you are a prison bus driver, are you employed by say the Sheriff's Dept?
the prison dept?
isn't that type of job a city, state, or county job?
can't you move up and into any one of those dept's and make a good pension?Rideandrepair Thanks this. -
Slight pay increase to $90K to $110K year.
So yea, it's doable.Rideandrepair and Wasted Thyme Thank this. -
I've joined team cowboy because of his minty fresh breath!
bryan21384, Kyle G. and Chinatown Thank this. -
Last edited: Jul 18, 2020
650cat425, Rideandrepair, MACK E-6 and 2 others Thank this. -
Which city do you live in or near.
Local jobs may be available right out of cdl school.
Do you live in Barstow, CA?
Some companies will bend their rules a little since you have some experience in the past.Last edited: Jul 18, 2020
Rideandrepair Thanks this. -
Here's a local job out of Hesperia. I'm assuming you're in Barstow.
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(CDL IS NOT REQUIRED TO APPLY!)
Robertson’s is seeking highly motivated individuals for employment!
*Please APPLY ONLINE at Employment - Robertson's or in person at a location near you.*
Local Drivers:
- Not Licensed? No Problem - We will Train! No experience necessary, PAID TRAINING, full benefits, holiday pay & 401K.
- Must be at least 23 years of age & Ready to work days or nights
- All applications MUST be submitted with an K4 ( DMV printout form) that is current within 30 days. (ONLINE VERSION NOT ACCEPTED)
Trucking Jobs in 30 seconds
Every month 400 people find a job with the help of TruckersReport.
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