Dont go OTR if you have a CDL

and the reason for the school after 20 years but being out of driving for 3 years is the insurance companies. they dictate who drives what equipment. i believe that is driven by the amount of steering wheel holders that are out there now from the CDL mills.

the company here that handles covenent and usxpress' students is roadmaster, and they claim they can do it in 15 days. we all know how those kids turn out on the road. i live in chattanooga so i see it every day. a big fat joke.

i have a friend that drove for almost 20 years. he went through a nasty divorce and had to sell his 2 trucks. he was forced to get a desk job. he inquired about going back out OTR after the divorce was clear last year, and was told that it did not matter that he was a certified million mile safe driver. he was considered a newbie because he has been out of it for 4 years. how sad. he might be rusty, but forgetting how to drive? i seriously doubt that one.

 

Yup, absolutely correct!

I am almost positive that these mega carriers give these insurance companies multi million dollar kick backs to create rules/regs that benefit the mega carrier; it's getting increasingly difficult to count any other type of driving as experience.

These "insurance" stipulations almost force people to sign on with a big carrier a one point or another in their career.

 

Question. Since I drive in 4-5 different states, I am technically considered OTR right? Even if I am home every night right?

 

You might be considered "regional".

 

Okay. That might have been what I meant. Well, also when you fill out an application, it usually doesn't ask if it was OTR or not, just what states you drove in.. so they might just assume.

 

hah, your location is GREAT U4EA!

 

Hahaha - thanks! It's always warm.

 

Here are some official numbers that show Rail transports more ton-miles than OTR trucks (intercity on the table) and is growing faster (at least as far as I can tell from the trend). The only reason I post this is because I think the original poster (typhoid36) was unfairly bashed when he suggested that rail moved more freight than OTR trucks. Some statistics include local trucks with the OTR trucking, so its like I I said, it depends on how you count (value -- miles -- weight), and who is doing the counting. I really don't care, but statistics can often be manipulated to show what you want.

http://www.bts.gov/publications/national_transportation_statistics/html/table_01_46a.html

 

I've ran into the same problem, got my CDL in 07, worked for a local soft drink company doing delivery from side load trailer. Logged a few miles in 53ft trailer on bulk delivery. Had to quit that job due to some family issues out of state. Anyway, I talked to several trucking companies and none would touch me becuase of my "lack of experience" which my reply was, "I drive a tractor-tailer all day around one of the most busiest areas of Florida, and you say I have no experience?" So needless to say here I am in CDL school. At least I went to my local Technical College for school and not a 5000-6000 cdl mill.

 

I know what you, I delivered beer with tractor trailer in San Francisco no accidents no tickets not even a parking ticket and I have no experience have to go to school what a joke. I also have thousands of miles delivering boats up and down the coast without sinking one lol.