Going back OTR from local

Go to a small company

 

The OP mentioned the incredible tight spaces and low bridges in congested areas of Baton Rouge LA and New Orleans LA.

This alone would probably be far more stressful than being back on OTR driving.

The OP also mentioned that he is single and has no kids. Therefore, he will be able to be out for extended periods of time, without the worries of a wife and children.

HOPEFULLY, the OP does NOT have any parental eldercare responsibilities to worry about while being out on the road.

God bless every American and their families! God bless the U.S.A.!

 

Even if you move from one local company to another you still have to ride with a trainer for a few weeks. We hire guys with lots of experience under their belt and we don't let them out by themselves without being trained first and then get tested and ok'd by the a safety guy before we let him loose. You're not being taught how to drive per se but you're being taught how to do things our way.

 

You're right. It's about liability; the new company already knows he can drive; that's why they hired him. If he's involved in an incident later, the lawyers will chime in that the new company didn't properly train him, so the company safety man will show his record of training to counter that.

 

Why would you go back to otr after driving locally for 4 years? Are you bored? With 4 yrs experience, you shouldnt have any problem finding the grass that is greener locally. OTR is over rated imo. Leave that to the people who cant get anything else.

 

I ran into the same issue. I went local for two and a half years pulling doubles and doing local pick up and delivery. When I wanted to go back otr they all said I didn't have any recent otr experience. Running from ga to nc and back didn't count because I didn't sleep in the truck. I went around and around with a few of them but it boils down to an insurance issue these days which explains why I kept getting the same response from so many places. Some refused me. Some wanted me to go out with a trainer which I refused to do. It's not like I haven't been driving a truck. I was bumping more docks in a day than some guys do in a week.

I went back to the company I left when I went local. They didn't have a problem at all taking me back and I was working for them the next week.

My advise to anyone who wants to go local... Make up your mind wether it's for you before you've been there too long. Most otr companies are looking for a min of six months otr experience in the last two years to be cleared by insurance to take you back.

 

I went back otr because I dealt with less a holes and made better money otr. Local I was paid $25 per hour or .52 mile on Linehaul. I never made close to what I was making otr (regional home every weekend). When freight slowed down I was making crap local. Other local places wanted to pay me $12-15 an hour. No thanks!! My first check back otr was for three days worth of running and I made more than I did local for the last six months prior.

 

Btw, pulling vans is not the only kind of trucking. You might have to run with a trainer to show you how the job is done for a few days but it i

There are other kinds of trucking besides van that pay better. I just cant believe you would make more running otr. But if you do then thats great.

 

sounds like your talking to wrong company's they don't want to count your exp.so they can start you on low end of pay scale.One year Otr and 4years local should be good at a lot of company's