Yeah, Covid really jacked up the real estate market in the rural areas. I just bought a house myself early this fall, and the ONLY reason I got it for what I did is because it's about 30 miles from a mediocore size town... And 60 or more from the nearest small city. I'm not complaining at all because I wanted to be out in the sticks, and it fit what we needed and wanted perfectly.
OTR not for me. How Do I get into LTL, Linehaul, FedEx, etc?
Discussion in 'LTL and Local Delivery Trucking Forum' started by sventvkg, Jan 3, 2021.
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bryan21384, jmz and sventvkg Thank this.
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@sventvkg
2 possible suggestions:
1) Apply for and work as a city transit bus driver. It is year round work with decent pay & benefits. Also, you are home every night, or every day if you work the night shift.
2) Apply to train to be a forklift operator, then go to work for a trucking company, or some other warehouse, loading & unloading trailers. You may also have to do some manual labor.
It is year round work. Most likely, the pay & benefits are decent. You will be home every night, or every day if you work the night shift.
God bless every American and their families! God bless the U.S.A.!
The absolute sheer driving force of our national economy - without truck drivers, our entire national economy would come to an absolute standstill - if not outright be dead.
Over the mountains, through the woods, into the valleys, coast to coast, from sea to shining sea - truck drivers can and do go anywhere and everywhere, every day, all year round.sventvkg Thanks this. -
Put in for as many local jobs in your area as you can. Don’t be discouraged by “experience required.” A lot of companies will train. Remember, the worst they can do is say no. If they do say no don’t get discouraged just put in elsewhere. Eventually you will find something just be patient and be flexible.
TrknBozo, Northeast Hillbilly, McUzi and 2 others Thank this. -
So if you're young, turn back now while you have a chance. Nothing destroys a mid-life career change from this profession quicker than becoming the crotchety old guy in class that stops showing up after becoming terrified of how young everyone's gotten. Try to get out of this field only to come scurrying back after the umpteenth failed attempt at something else.
On the upside, just stick out that year or two with the mega and then start firing away at the various LTL's and other local/regionals you could dig up. I mean, it's easier to make a lateral move in this field after that short amount of time than any other.Speed_Drums and Western flyer Thank this. -
I've been driving local for 4 years now and sorry to say but I don't see too many companies hiring home daily without at least 1 year experience and some even 3+ years. I'd see if your current employer has any local or regional routes. Otherwise you
bentstrider83 Thanks this. -
Anyway there are good local / regional companies out there such as Estes for example. However with these types of jobs you have to realize it’s about ‘seniority’ / work you’re way in. That’s why it’s good if you could start out young before you’re married or before you have children.
For instance I’ve been with same company for 30 years. I talk to lots of other local / regional drivers at fuel pumps, customer docks etc. I started when I was 23 years old. I wanted to quit everyday. On call not steady work, getting called at any hour of the day or night, getting the most f’ed up freight to name a few. I was married at the time but we didn’t have a life because of the un-steadiness of work and working my butt off when I did work. I remember working the dock and opening up a trailer and having to unload the most f’ed up freight I ever saw.
As the years went buy it slowly started getting a lot better. Maybe I got lucky but after a couple of years lots of drivers started retiring and I started moving up.
Today I work 8:00 - 4:30pm with some OT and have been on a ‘9 to 5’ for the last 20 years.
As far as making 6 figures, you’re right. That would take like 20 hours a week overtime depending on what your hourly wage is. But I know Estes drivers who run line haul and make $90k’ish. Again working at the likes of Estes you won’t make that from the start and running line haul won’t be home every night.
My suggestion would be work your way into UPS as a feeder driver. If I was young and just starting out that’s what I would do.TrknBozo, bentstrider83, Speed_Drums and 3 others Thank this. -
My first full year with estes on the line haul board I made 96k. I only ran extra jan-aug then I got a home daily short run. Had I stayed extra I could have easily made over 100k.
bentstrider83, Speed_Drums and jmz Thank this. -
Northeast Hillbilly and bryan21384 Thank this.
Trucking Jobs in 30 seconds
Every month 400 people find a job with the help of TruckersReport.
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