Best way to gain port experience?

Hi, 27 year old driver with 2.5 years local experience with flatbed and dry van. I'd like to start running to the port as an hourly driver but most carriers want port experience. What's the best way to get experience? There are some companies paying a minimum of $18 an hour with overtime after 8 hours to run the port. I'd also need to obtain my TWIC card. I'm only making $7XX a week at this current gig and it's just not doing it for me.

Thanks

 

I'm in North Orange County CA close to Long Beach

 

Okay, my appointment for my TWIC card is on Friday. How long does it usually take to get it afterwards? I have a clean background if that'll speed things up...

Can somebody recommend a decent company in LA/OC that'll train for the port?

Ultimately I'm planning on getting my own truck to run the ports but I want to feel it out first and get a better understanding on how it all works and if it's worthwhile becoming an owner/op. I've got the cash to get a nice used truck right now but I want to get the nicest truck I can so I'm still saving.

 

Thanks for the heads up. I see NRT advertising on Craigslist but they're only paying $16.50 starting when other companies are paying $18-$21 to start. Just a matter of finding one who will train; I know it can't be that hard but I guess I could understand companies wanting to spend their time running rather than training.

Right now I work for a natural stone importer and they're a multi-million dollar international company but they don't want to pay any over time to us even though we're local drivers. It's close to home and they made it sound like a chill place to work but come to find out they run it like WalMart and there's no room for growth at all. Even if I worked 14 hours a day I still don't have the same earning potential as running the ports with overtime after 8 hrs. Right now I'm only making around $7xx a week and before at the temp agency I was making at least $1200 a week..... something definitely wrong with that picture. I should've known better but I guess you live and you learn.