Local driving opportunities for new grads?

One thing people aren't saying is the more home time the less cash so if you are ok with that. Then he probably shouldn't have a problem finding work. Those local companies they mentioned lot of manual labor involved so you know if your husband is interested in that type of work. They are always hiring for a reason. Also you learn very little in trucking school. Trying to go local will put him more at risk of an accident, and companies seem to get rid of rookies faster then the old timers if they have had incidents. Also hard to get another gig after even minor accidents. So he should know his level, and you will have to be very patient with him if he does have to go OTR for a while. The stress on the road is hard enough without having somebody at home who isn't supportive of what you are trying to do for the family.

 

I am new to class A trucking but I have had my class B for over 23yrs. The best advice that I can give to another new driver is that they truly understand the basic terminology in trucking. 95% of trucking companies do not care about the driver, because there are thousands of other butts waiting to fill that seat. How many other industries need recruiters to fill their positions? I have been on this earth for 45yrs. and have had every job known to mankind, and have only spoken to recruiters for the military and trucking. When it comes time for your husband to choose a company I recommend that he not procrastinate on a position, because a lot of Co. will only honor schooling for a short period of time. I missed a position with Conway because I was out of school too long. No Co. can or will guarantee you scheduled home time unless you get dedicated or route, but these positions still have weather, traffic and breakdowns. Murphy's law is in effect 24/7 in the trucking industry, and no run is an easy run. Choosing what the Co. has to offer is just as important as the Co. itself. I will try to explain the differences between the terminology that a recruiter will tell you and what it actually means.
1. Home weekends actually means that you will be home sometime on the weekend, but just long enough to complete your 34Hr. restart. (you will sleep away the better part of this)
2. Drop and hook, actually means you will drop a trailer and hope the hook is ready, because if it is not, you are waiting and not getting paid.
3. We offer detention and retention actually means that you better hope there are no stipulations with that certain customer that will render no pay. For example, my Co. says that if you wait at a shipper or receiver longer than 2hrs. you will receive $15 an hour. Here's the catch, this is only for a scheduled appointment, not an open appointment; furthermore, 2 of our biggest accounts that I spend 90% of my time servicing do not pay this fee. (It is common for me to sit in excess of 10-15hrs. a week with no pay)
4. You can take the truck home, but you are responsible for anything that may happen. Someone stole an employees tarps, chains and binders. ($840.00 out of his pay)
5. Electronic logs will run you out of drive time almost every time you are trying to get home. I live 3hrs. from my terminal and for 6 consecutive weeks my dispatcher has ran me out of time on Fri. evening. This means I usually sit at the terminal until Sat. morning and then drive 3hrs. home. (Weekend over before it started)
If home time is extremely important to you and your husband, I hate to say it but he definitely chose the wrong career path. If you guys can deal with it for a couple of years, he may be able to find a local gig that pays well. It seems to me that the hiring requirements for smaller Co. are more stringent than the larger Co. Another thing that you should take into consideration if you are trying to budget your income is the hours of service that your husband will have to abide buy. A good rule of thumb for Mileage is 50 miles for every 1 Hr. Most trucks are governed at 65 and some at 62. I get 34cpm average 2k Mi. a week and usually work between 70 and 80 hrs. to achieve this. On a bad week I make equivalent to a $9hr. employee and a good week is closer to $11
I hope this helps, good luck to you and your husband and remember he will need a lot of support from you and your family.

 

I'm liking this chim chim cat. You know your stuff bro.

 

Something else to consider. Not all weeks are going to pay the same, regardless of OTR employer.
Most local employers are going to pay hourly, on a bi weekly basis.
Consistently paying the same, based on the number of hours worked. Many, also pay overtime.
You will never see that in any OTR employer.

 

I'm currently in school for my CDL A. I'm looking to go OTR. I have no family ties so home-time is not an issue. I have several pre-hires. Is there any advice you could give? Do you know anything about Schneider National, U.S. Express, or Western Express?

 

http://www.thetruckersreport.com/tr...hneider/241312-schneider-out-14-home-7-a.html

 

Try the bulk division. They might hire you to run out of Keasbey. I would ask about that.

 

TruckWifey...There are local opportunities as some others have said, these can change of course by where you're located. Companies like Coke, Pepsi, Bud, Miller, etc...may have opportunities in your local area, but he should keep in mind that these are a little more labor intensive. Swift, CoreMark, Sysco and many other companies that do local store deliveries are also available and also are a little more labor intensive. While some of these companies will hire someone with little to no experience, like any other job, he may be competing against people with 1+ years of driving experience and may be over looked.

The pay when you start out in this industry is pretty bad...especially if you look at it from an hourly rate, but after a year more local opportunities will be available for him and his hourly breakdown will improve. OTR driving is definitely hard on marriage and family life, but time away also makes the heart grow fonder. Check your local craigslist posts in transportation jobs...this will give you an idea of local opportunities, as well as what type of experience those positions will require. Also Coke, Pepsi, Dr Pepper, Frito Lay all have job search sites that you can filter to your area and field of work.

Best of luck to both of you.

 

McElroy promises drivers that they will be home every weekend for 2 full days.