4 1/2 years OTR, now looking for local in So-Cal area.

Ashleys Furniture in Colton.Ca
KAG West (Gasoline Tankers) Great Pay

Anyone of the Freight Company's
Yellow/Roadway
ABF
ConWay
Estes
Saia

Local Lumber companys
Home Depot
Squires
Barr Lumber

Apex in High Desert

There are so many out there you just need to see what fits for you.

Good Luck!

 

Schneider in Fontana has local gigs if I am correct. I know they run intermodal as well.

 

Hey Sub , You may want to check out "SCULLEY" , in Fontana Ca. , also , from what I've seen and heard , they sound like a fair company , with from what I've seen , later model rigs . In addition , they are not OTR , only local Ca. , if I'm not mistaken , and I don't think Iam . Can't hurt to check em out . Hope this was of some help . "RED" , THE "VOODOOBILLYMAN"

 

Try "Rain for Rent" http://www.rainforrent.com/company/careers.htm

My brother-in-law is a salesman there and he tells me they are always looking for competent drivers.

 

UPS Freight - I talk to drivers coming into our yard at least once a week - they're happy. They're getting the miles and they're making some money. That's out of Mira Loma, Stockton and Pomona. I dunno where Victorville is, I ain't from CA. UPS Freight has a dedicated fleet serving our company - I guess UPS Freight on the east coast isn't doing so great. It isn't local work , but these guys say they are home every other night.

If you're set on a local job - Saia is purportedly the LTL company to go to. So I've heard from drivers deserting many of the other LTL companies. Construction companies - if any of them are doing anything out there - looking for belly dump drivers and end dump drivers - a lot of them have their own trucks. Belly dumps are easy - well sort of - end dumps are also easy - unless you're not very smart and start lifting that thing up on an angle.

Some waste companies pay very well and have great benefits. Not semi's but I'll take hourly wages over OTR in this day and age any day. Actually, I take that back. In large cities, those waste companies use semi's with garbage scowl trailers to haul from transfer stations to landfills. I was going to hire on with one of them a while back, before I went to Ferguson, but I found Ferguson and never looked back.

Of course, I will tout Ferguson - if you can talk your way into it, you can make some good money there. Otherwise, the starting pay here is $15 per hour, dunno about CA. The waterworks division is what you would want to look into for driving a semi.

The other deal going is grocery chains. They all have their own fleets of trucks, many of them are union, and most of them pay very well after you've done your initial hazing time (that's what I call it) and start making good money.

Get out the paper and start looking. I found a job in the paper that was paying 75k per year for hauling goods to various commissaries (that would be prison commissaries, but for that kind of money, who cares). I was beaten out by 2 guys that had more time out there than me. I can say I have driven 24 years, but others can say they have driven 30 years - we have a guy that has driven 53 years! That's no joke!!

I'll tell ya a little secret (probably not so secretive, but in case you don't know): There are MANY local companies that will use temporary agencies ONLY to find new drivers. I mean, good companies - it's a simple thing to figure out. You get paid next to nothing, and get no benefits, while they are figuring out whether they want you as their next full-time driver. You might work at a place for months before an offer is finally given to you. The thing about it is - these companies can "fire" you easily - we don't have any work tomorrow, don't come. And then, you never hear from them again. My company - our local main branch anyway - uses this method almost exclusively to hire new drivers - the only exception is if drivers give a recommendation on someone. They usually go through several drivers before they find someone that is actually willing to work.

That's the other thing. Many OTR's coming off the road and wanting to go local don't want to work. Well, if you're going to do a LTL, you can expect physical labor. If you work at our company, you can expect to not only drive trucks, but pull orders and load your own truck as well. You will be required to learn the product, read the orders and eventually be able to pull an order without having to ask questions. It's a totally different driver's lifestyle, and for many, it isn't very appealing. I find it awesome - you have actual, mental challenges every day and you get to do some physical labor and keep the gut down while you're at it.

Whatever you end up doing, good luck!

 

I second the temp agency comment. Up here in WY, Halliburton and Schlumberger (Slumbersjay....close enough sounding, lol) both go through temp agencies. And boy do they pay good, dang.