"You have to drive OTR 1 Year before anyone will hire you-Myth or Fact?

Companies will hire guys with no experience for local/regional work. Apply everywhere then call & more importantly show up in person to talk to the hiring manager.

 

Not really a myth because many idiot companies still say that, but stupid as it gets either way. I'm about at 2 yrs now and I've had some fun with people calling about jobs. I called one ad from craigslist that was for a city driver and they wanted 1yr OTR experience so I called. This is more or less how it went

ME: I just want to confirm the experience for the City driver position, you want 1 yr OTR for a city position?
THEM: Yes
ME: I have a little over a year CITY experience in the area you operate, that isn't sufficient?
THEM: I'm sorry but we really want the OTR experience.
ME: OK, just to clarify, I have a year of CITY experience which is what you want, but you want me to have a year of OTR which isn't even what you do, so you'd rather hire somebody that DOESN'T have experience doing what you do vs. me that does? That makes sense to you guys?
THEM: Ummmmmmm, never really thought about that. I can ask the owner if you like.
ME: No thanks, somethings apparently very wrong over there, I'll pass.
THEM: (silence)

haha

It really is idiotic sometimes.

 

not always true, but it would be better for the driver. your opportunity might be better, better money,company,equipment, and so on and so on

 

I'm curious. Who made the determination that driving OTR is the crap time in a truck driving career, and that "local/regional" is where it's at?

I'm sure for many this may make sense, but for a lot, seeing new places every week and seeing all great sights this great nation has to offer in all of the seasons is as good as it gets.

(Yes, I know there is a lot of crap to deal with in OTR, too, but there is good and crap in all trucking segments)

 

Most local or regional companies won't hiring you with less than 2 yes otr.. paying your dues otr is the myth part. The real reason is 2 yrs otr experience is what most companies use for cheap insurance.. anything less than 2 yrs for a driving experience makes insurance double.

 

I did 5 weeks with a trainer at Swift right out of trucking school. I decided that OTR just wasn't for me and hopped off the truck before I even finished training. Went and applied at a few local places and was hired by Pepsi as a delivery driver. Did that for about a year and then in a moment of stupidity, I went back to Swift. This time, however, I was running on the Wal-Mart dedicated account out of the Los Lunas, NM DC. Did that for all of 3 months and then hired on again locally with a construction company driving a bobtail tank wagon and delivered fuel to all the equipment on various job sites. Was laid off there after 2 years and then picked up a gig with another construction company in town transporting their heavy equipment. After 4 years with them, I was recently laid off...again.

So the "mandatory" 1-year OTR is complete and utter BS. Though, the fact that you need 1 to 2 years of driving experience to get into some of the "better" jobs does still hold somewhat true. I interviewed with a mail contractor here in town a couple days ago and they require a minimum of 3-years verifiable experience. Doesn't have to be OTR, just driving experience....their contract rate is $26.50 per hour....so having some experience definitely does open some doors, but it's not always a requirement.

 

I was offered a local flatbed job (construction supplies) with a fresh CDL and zero exp. And I know a few guys who got local jobs with less than 1 year exp.

I was lazy tho, just went and did a year OTR pulling tankers rather than knock on doors to find a local job that was a good fit. Funny thing is, now that I could get a good local job, Im fine doing an avg 3 tens in the truck per week and being off weekends and holidays. Most local jobs are too many hours,, and/or having to work weekends and holidays.

 

I've never slept in a truck. Delivered milk locally right out of trucking school. Yeah they told us in school we'd have to go OTR for a year. But I refused to accept that. Been doing local tanker for past ten years. I make more than most OTR drivers.

 

I don't get it either.As long as you have a yr exp it shouldn't matter where you got the exp.

 

Unfortunately, to some people and companies, it does matter. Several years ago, at least 6 years ago, I applied for one of the fuel tanker places around here. They had this big sign on the fence that said something to the effect of "1 yr. exp. req'd - Immediate hire!" so I went in and filled out a 10 page application. At this point, I already had about 2.5 years driving experience as well as having my hazmat & tanker endorsements, so I figured it was all but guaranteed that I would be hired. I handed my application to the manager and he looks at my current employer and says "Don't they run single axle tractors over there?" I told him that yes, they do. He looks at me, totally straight faced and says "Sorry, bro. You have to have at least a year driving a double axle tractor." /facepalm