Class B driver job question

^^ what he said. Most dispatch are ex drivers, at least for local companys. They often want someone who know the work and the area, might take time but there are positions out there but like ridgeline dont stay for a job, stay becuse you like it

 

To have the most amount of fun, make more than twice OTR truckers, find a good tour bus company to work for! Before I went back to driving tanks for a local company I drove tour busses for Academy out of Hoboken NJ. Stayed in the best hotels, attended many pro sporting events, transported pro and college teams, toured DC many times, traveled into Canada, etc. These are only a few examples. Made on average 2200.00 per week including the cash tips. We were paid by the hour for everything, given cash for daily food, taken care of by the tour directors, it was awesome! Now I know your saying so why are you driving trucks. Simple, when I was with the tours I would work 30 days without a full day off. If I got stuck doing daily runs I commuted over 900 miles per week. So I switched to part time and can take or refuse any job without problems. Now I make $30.00 per hour and home every night. Just one opinion good luck with your career.

 

It never hurts to have more license that you will need, better than the other way around. I started in 1992 with a CDL A, passenger, school bus, tank, hazmat, double/triples, and air brake restriction removed. I drove local buses (school and coach) Mon-Fri and light duty tow truck on the weekends for the first 3 years of my career and made good money, then I went to a auto transport company, tested in a class A truck but was hired for a class B straight truck, worked that for 6 months, was promoted into the tractor trailer and within two more years was the terminal operations manager. Just because you have a class A does not mean you are at the top of the pay scale, many local B drivers I know make more that the average OTR class A driver, but they work hard for it!

I have gone full circle, went back to driving class B for a while and am now back in a class A auto transport rig, making good money and controling my own schedule, which I like. The office thing just was not for me, I did it three different times, as an operations manager, as a safety and compliance manager, and lastly as a general manager for a small 20 truck company, none of those times was I as happy as I am behind the wheel.

One more piece of advice, if you do want to "move inside" some day, take some adult ed classes in business and management or industrial safety on you own time and own dime, this shows you are motivated to the hiring manager when it is time to fill one of those positions you will be at the top of the short list. Also, as much as most guys pick on the and hate them, JB Hunt has some good class B jobs and a track record of promoting from within, most of their safety managers and account managers have been promoted from within, I know a few of them personally. Keep in mind, the "inside" jobs have better hours but the drivers usually make a lot more than the managers do, with a lot less stress and bs!

 

Exactly, but it could lead to A work if you have A's.
I have had my A's for 4yrs but only put them to use about 3yrs ago starting off in a B truck. A tandem reel truck which led to a door opening for equipment operator job with another company. Once they found out I had my A's I asked them to start driving a B dump truck. Kicked that job in the ### so hard they quickly moved me into a Dump trailer.

It it all depends on your situation and some luck I guess.

 

We were OTR for four years and needed to come off of the road due to health issues with my father. We (my husband and I) both got local driving jobs. We loved it. We were home every night and making a good wage. Another added benefit is that it was physical work. After those four years OTR, we both put on some extra weight. In the first five months doing local delivery, I dropped 30 pounds and got down to 115 lbs. And I was eating EVERYTHING I could get ahold of. I didn't have to pay a gym to get in shape, I was GETTING paid to get in shape. The pay was good and we always got overtime. So there is definitely an up side to working local. As far as pay difference, I think it would depend on where you are and the cost of living in the area.