This is discouraging, is there any hope for me?

Well I'd rather take three year's than nothing at all. At least you have a chance to get your CDL. Try some local companies. It wouldn't hurt anything to "try". You can either gain or stay the same but you can't loose anything from it. Hang in there bud. You'll get your cahnce. Just mind your P's and Q's. Good luck!

 

Why 6 months and why 10 grand. Isn't both to much to invest? I ask because I know there is a lot of 3 weeks achool for 3k or less.

 

Hey New Driver, i can speak on Opi's behalf here since him and i attended the same school, its roughly $8,700 for 6 months, i think his may be higher concidering he is on the weekends only, and 6 months worth of trainning looks a hell of a lot better then 3 weeks, or 2 months, if i owned my own company i would pick the 6mother hands down,

 

What a scam school! Both schools that we were considering went over my ex with a fine tooth comb. They said they didn't want him to waste his time and money in school just to find out that a company wouldn't hire him with his record. They were very up front about what companies wouldn't touch him and which ones he stood a chance with.

 

Soon, between Swift and Werner, I think you're making the right choice going with Swift. Tough it out for at least 6 months, after you're in your own truck (time spent with a trainer won't count) and you can start talking to other companies.

As for local around here, I haven't found any like you describe. That's what has me going back to OTR, I've been away from it too long, so I'm considered 'No experience'. I went to apply for a couple of local jobs and that was what I was told. One company, that requires 1 year exp. told me to come talk to them after 6 months with someone else, then they'd count my prior experience as well.

Also, for you and opi, consider that driving local won't count as experience with most OTR companies. It doesn't matter if it's dump, cement, or even semis, they won't consider it.

Good luck guys.

 

JimF,

My husband went to work for Celadon. He drove "local" hauling coal in a dump for nine years, then scrap steel and steel coils in a dump for one year. They considered that experienced. The reason they considered it experienced is because they ran three states or more. They mostly ran Indiana and Illinois. That was the bulk of the runs. However, the senior drivers usually got the runs to Ohio, Kentucky, and Michigan when they had them. So technically he was regional and still home every night. It depends on exactly how long one runs with a local company and how many states they run to. All the companies that he talked with when he started looking for an OTR job said they consider a three state running area to be regional.

 

the above post was not a little harsh,I was thinking he was being too nice!!

 

I am intrested in getting my CDL but i just got a speeding ticket in Dec 2007 for 60 in a 40. My license was not suspended and I got lawyer to reduce the charges to improper equipment. I still had to pay a fine so how will this effect me in getting a job with a good company ? I Also have 3 other tickets from 2004 -2005 time range but all were improper equipment and a fine.

 

those are questions for company recruiters, best thing to do is call up the "Fab 5" (horrible 5 described earlier) and see if they will hire you, after that if they will hire you move up to the better training companies, work your way up the quality scale till you get your first no and then take the best company that said yes.