Regional/Local vs OTR for NEWBIE

Standby... Chinatown will be here shortly to guide you in the rite direction!

 

Being a family man, you need good paychecks. You can start your new career making a thousand a week with proper planning. Attend a CDL school, community college CDL schools are cheap, and get all the endorsements, TWIC, passport. Make sure the school is 160 hrs. or longer for more employment options. Shorter schools are OK, but they limit your options. Local jobs are available for new CDL graduates, but you have to be aggressive searching for them. One good company for that is Southeastern Freight Lines which has entry level CDL grad programs at many terminals. The easy money with big paychecks for local work is in tankers hauling fuel/chemicals. You can make big money with food service companies also, but most require 12 months driving experience; companies such as Golden State Foods and Blue Line Food Service and several others. Tankers are easy money and you won't ruin your back.

Here's some good tanker companies that hire new CDL grads for OTR and regional. Most hazmat/tanker drivers make a grand + a week.

Tidewater Transit
Superior Carriers
Trimac
CTL Transportation
Schneider Bulk
SVTN

 

Try the "Trucking Schools" thread. May be something on there about CDS.

 

Averitt is regional, you'll get home every week with the option to stay out longer.
They take noobs and put them in training at $600 a week
After that you'll start at .37CPM

Or you can go with linehaul, ABF.. you WILL get home more often than regional/OTR
They will PAY for you to get your CDL and train you.
https://www.abf.jobs/JobDetail.asp?code=DTCD&type=DRVR

You have to sign a two year contract with them but if I could have a life do over.. I would do it.
They are union and pay for your health, dental and vision and have pension.

The pay is in contract... from what I found out is this:

Non-CDL Qualified Employees (excluding mechanics):
First day: 70% of top rate
1 year: 75% of top rate
2 year: 80% of top rate
3 year: 90% of top rate
4 year: 100% of top rate
1. General Wage Adjustments
a. Effective (date i forgot) period following ratification:
-7.0% on all hourly and mileage rates
b. Effective July 1, 2014:
+2.0% on all hourly and mileage rates
c. Effective July 1, 2015:
+2.0%% on all hourly and mileage rates
d. Effective July 1, 2016:
+2.0% on all hourly and mileage rates
e. Effective July 1, 2017:
+2.5% on all hourly and mileage rates
NMFA doubles rate is .62150 per mile - 7%=.57779

You also get hourly pay ($20.38 the first year, $24....After that) for breakdown, delay time while at a terminal where they have yard guys that drop & hook for you.
You will work any time of the day any day of the week. Usually right back out on your 10 hours off. Depends on terminal but if you're at a bigger (break bulk) terminal you'll usually run out and back. One layover in a hotel the company pays for. If they keep you in the hotel for more than 14 hours you get clock time ($20.38/hr for laying in a hotel)
Then back to your home terminal. Go home and go back out 10 hours later if they're bus

 

Ask the school which companies recruit from there. A 160 hr. school is best for more options. A shorter school is OK but the options are more limited as to companies. When you start the applications it's important to ignore "experience required" and apply anyway. Many companies bend their hiring rules if an application looks good.

 

When you get to school and start applying don't ask yourself what the norm is. Ask yourself who fits your needs. You don't have to settle if you do your homework. Keep your options open. I had lots of them and I'm sure you will too with all the jobs that are open.