Starting out for rookies

To clarify, are you saying that you've been a police officer for the last 20 years, AND you've been driving a semi fulltime at the same time?

 

No that would not possable. Still take loads on days off in winter and run my dumps and low boy for my business in summer. I still like driving I ran for big R and CF on days off for over 5 years as casual almost every day off. Does that explain things better.

 

as a new driver, is passport just as good as a FAST card?

 

yes its just not as FAST lol




American Trucker

 

Yea i hear you bud.The area I live in has so many realy good local trucking jobs...but they all say must have experience. One year experience seems like the magic number. i have a wife and childdren but relise i may have to suck it up, and do a year otr, it will be hard for the year, but it the the long run it will pay off.
Goodluck to ya

 

Our instructor said to apply anyway. If they really want one year, they can only say no. It is not like you have a FIRE on your record....

Mikeeee

 

I meen yeah its worth applying, but usualy they say one year because there insurance carrier won't insure somebody without at least a year experience. I walked into a place that hauls loads slate, u don't even need a class a, just class b, its a big dump truck basical,(tri axle) the guy said i would love to hire you, but my insurance won't cover somebody with out at least two years cdl driving experience.

 

Once a driver has a year or two OTR under his belt, how much can he reasonably expect to make driving local?

 

Well in my area the local jobs that do require that year or two otr experience, pay better, than otr jobs, for the most part.

 

It can be very hard to find a local driving job without any experience, or even with less than six months as a first seat driver. If you are like me, and live in a small town, that makes it even harder. If you're close to a major city, your options are alot more available. Best advice i can give is take 1 year over-the-road. That one year will go by faster than you think. You never know, you might like being on the road. If you do decide to go OTR, find a company that does NOT require a contract, or a 1 year contract to pay for your schooling. Anything longer than 1 year, you 'could' be setting yourself to hate trucking. You will get low pay, horrible loads, however you may get alot of miles, but that is because the company is making more money per mile from your low cpm.(cent per mile)