Hmm.. which road to take?

If you want OTR only go with option A...But you'll make lots more money , be at home with your family , have a better schedule , less stress , and an all around better trucking life with option B. Now days the tanker end of the business is one of the best to be in. It's all in the eyes of the beholder...some really love OTR...some really love local..it's what You enjoy the most that matters.

 

I am surprised that you would be offered a job hauling fuel with no driving experience. If OTR is want you want to do out of the gate, there are some smaller type companies in Omaha, and within 150 miles of there that have decent reputations, and some of them do have trainers that they could put you with.

 

Every trucking company is basically ruled by the FMCSA. The FMCSA has been cracking down on Companies and drivers....

When you sign on for long haul.....for get about home....Home is the next exit. To make good money a driver running all 48 must stay out a min of 4 and up to 8 weeks. If being away from home bugs you, don't do OTR. The ones that claim home every week are regional short haul. and you might get home 2- three times a month if you live near a lane they run.

After a year you should be able to hire on driving a day cab for a local logistical company. Be home everyday or night with the luxury of your nice bed and big screen cable tv.

 

I believe I have heard that driving locally does not count if you are trying to get a OTR hauling job.

 

If everything is apples to apples I would go for the tanker job. As long as they are not a fly by night outfit and have decent benefits.

 

I have a friend who was hauling fuel. He enjoyed and it was very profitable. reason he quit was the days started getting much longer than he was used to as fuel prices went up. stations started to more often get less than a trailer load of fuel. meant he spent a lot of his day slinging hoses and pumping less than full loads. more trips back to the main station. that said he did love it and was home every day.

I was offered a similar opportunity with no exp. the catch with that one was the neighborhood where they wanted me to drive. It was a place I drove everyday for work anyway so I didn't mind but most folks wouldn't touch the route because of that.

Look for the catch before signing on.

At the end of the day are you most interested in being paid to drive or are you wanting to try and "see the country from a truck"? if it's just about driving, I would take the fuel. If OTR is what you want go that route.

local fuel won't count OTR as you're not trip planning, watching hours, away from home, "managing on your own" it will count as time driving but not verifiable OTR experience.