Carrier (and other) advice....

- Yes you will still need a passport. They require something more official than just your drivers license to prove you are who you say you are.

- As far as endorsements you can get your hazmat, which if you do that you'll get a discount when applying for your TWIC, tankers, doubles-triples, just for the sake of being extremely hire-able.

 

You can just get a Passport Card.

Guess it's a little cheaper than a regular Passport.
http://travel.state.gov/content/passports/english/passports/information/card.html

 

A few years ago when I drove for Roehl, they had me get a Passport Card. Very easy at the local post office and it gets you into Canada and on cruise ships. Just can't fly out of the country with it.

 

For Cruises Passports are not required if you Start and End in a US Port.

Went on a Cruise last year, and we did not have/get Passports for my Wife and Daughter...I already had one.

 

Here's some more companies for your area ignore any "experience required" and apply anyway:

Reddaway
UPS Freight
UPS Flatbed
McKesson
Halvor Lines
Melton Truck Lines
System Transport
TWT Refrigerated Services
Navajo Express
Indian River Transport
Oak Harbor Freight Lines
Pride Transport
Southern Refrigerated Transport
Super Service
Leavitt's Freight Service
ABF Freight System
KKW Trucking

As you can see, you live in an excellent area for many choices of trucking jobs.
Get hazmat and tanker endorsements plus a passport.

 

On the sides of some Swift trailers it says "best in class" you just mentioned them plus some of their freaky underdogs. Better to go with a company that can (for example ) feed you while your in training.

Prime is a good training company.

 

Like the world of technology, our industry is changing faster and faster each year. Good training yesterday might not be as great today. Poor training yesterday might be great training today and it ultimately all boils down to the trainer and trainee and their ability to work together and that can be done at most of the training carriers with some trial and error in pairing. If you go with Prime or ANY of the lease or lease purchase Operator companies, make sure that in addition to the safe driving training your trainer is a profitable Operator and can help train you in the business aspect of being an Independent Contractor vs a Company Driver, because you might opt for becoming an Independent Operator of some type and there is a WORLD of difference in financial management being Independent than a company employee and if you don't get the fundamentals of managing money well being OTR, especially in the beginning when pay is low; either as an Independent OR a Company Driver - you're gonna be in a world of hurt before you know it, fed up with trucking and likely to bail on the career.

Just saying; The fundamentals of being a new driver in training should not only be safe driving and those skill sets, but how to keep as much of the precious little money we make those first two years in our pockets no matter which route you go. Independent OR Company.