12 Months, Now What???

Here's a specialty casket; yes the guy is dead & this is his funeral.

Newscom

The body of David Morales Colón was placed on his motorcycle in a peculiar "viewing ceremony" that his family requested after he was shot in San Juan, Puerto Rico in May, 2012.

 

I'd say stay away from livestock,those trailers stink,you have "special" rules for livestock..i,e..you can not take your 10 hr break while loaded...pigs need a water spray every few hours in the heat,DOT ,& calif AG looks real close at your bills...things that can be a real pain in the butt...

 

Well, if your nostrils are already "pre seared" then running cows might be alright for you.

 

Here's a couple of good company will terminals in many states:

Foodliner
Bulkmatic

 

Thats where the .oney is driver. ..slot guys dont mess with tanks because they say its like driving a a bomb......its real easy bit you get paid #### good money

 

I'll go one better... never hauled caskets, but I did haul human remains. Not very far.. just from various points around New Orleans to a central collection point, where I presume OTR drivers took them from there. Not really something I'm gleeful about in any way, though.
OP.... probably would've helped if you'd gone flatbed instead of van. Even if you found a job which didn't involve load securement, you're looking at industries which will share a lot in common with construction... I haven't been in mining, but I have been in construction, and a lot of these companies try to avoid highway drivers as much as possible, because the type of driving they do can be much different than the exclusively on-highway driving an OTR driver is accustomed to... but, at the same time, when you look at the pool of available drivers seeking the job, most of them are going to be OTR drivers, so your hand gets forced there. But if you have a basic idea of how to secure equipment, or even just a willingness to get out of the truck and do some labor tasks, it can go a long way.

 

At least you never had to put up with live loads or live unloads...

 

Congratulations!
Well done.
I'm thinkin' that you're already aware that it's a challengin' effort to accomplish that.

This is the first anniversary of your Big truck truckin' career --- y'all just met, hardly know each other, --- can you trust your new career well enough to follow where it leads? I hope you plan on providin' some guidance along the way. Careers have been known to come to dead-ends, road-blocks, stone-walls and even over the edge.
Other than that, it sounds like y'all are in for an exciting adventure. New career, new home, and possibly a new lease on life.

That coulda been me, --- except I wasn't in West Virginia the other night. Findin' a "niche" worked for me. I drove for a company that handled the trade shows, special events and photo shoots for a major motorcycle manufacturer as well as transportin' high-dollar freight requirin' pad wrappin' and/or otherwise special handlin' of sensitive freight, sometimes valued over a million bucks, --- often to places most Big truck truck drivers will never see.
The thing about niche companies is that they usually require more than one-year of experience.

You might change your mind about "enjoying" transportin' cattle the first time a few of your load are down and you have to climb in amoung 'em all to git-em-up on their feet again. Especially toward the end of the run when the stock trailer really could use a washout.
Bull haulers want to get their load to market ASAP --- before they lose any, or too much, weight. Bull haulers are known to run fast and hard. Some receive citations for various infractions that show up on their CSA scorecard. It's possible cattle haulin' companies terminate drivers to prevent the company from bein' subjected to government intervention. Explore/Research this option very thoroughly. Unless you're a quick learner with experience and/or an aptitude for livestock, I'm not sure one-year OTR experience will be adequate.

Define, "more frequently".

I'm unable to offer guidance concerning companies, but I'd be inclined to make note of what a poster mentioned in an earlier post in this thread.

Credit Chinatown: "Pick a state with no personal income taxes; there are 7 of them. On your list WY and SD are two of them".

The more you know about what'cher lookin' for,
The less likely you'll pass it by without recognizin' it.

Other than that, I wish y'all well and the best of success. :smt045