Please advise - I'm being terribly indecisive

The out and back is called linehaul bay & bay ect.. most of those are bid runs. Try anyway. Worst they can say is no.

 

make you a top ten list of whats most important to you. maybe find a company that has regional runs but will allow you to go otr if you want. lots of time out = find company that has driver comforts. once you get your list of companies, go to fmcsa.org to research them. see what their safety records like. you do not want to drive for someone who is a target for DOT. get ahold of chinatown, he is great resource. good luck to you

 

Is your $800 gross or take home?

 

Maverick is picky with their hiring process. I think they only accept like 15% of people who summit an app.

There's job out there that do one run a day and turn around and go home. Schneider had that here in Chicago but it was a dedicated position and pay was ok. Boring but easy. Also ltl, linehaul and mail haulers do the same thing but most required experience. You would probably look into dedicated position if you want an easy run.

As for city drivers, it is a challenge and not everybody is up for it. But the money is good. Maybe once you feel comfortable you can try it, you earn no less than a grand a week doing city delivery.

 

@Chinatown

 

https://search.yahoo.com/local/s;_y...ville,+SC&loc=woeid:2414583&fr=yset_ie_syc_tb

 

Consider this, and for the life I cannot understand why OTR companies do not understand this themselves.

Piloting a rig down an interstate is a piece of cake. So, here you are with a CDL hot off the press, you just drove 450 miles of interstate and now are coming into a totally unfamiliar, major city. Now you are expected to locate your delivery destination and navigate traffic from hell and all of the idiots and suicidal maniacs that entails, safely and on time. You are accustomed to the interstate cruise, but now you have to actually DRIVE.

A local position will get you incomparable experience DRIVING amongst the idiots and suicidal maniacs on a daily and near constant basis, it will keep you on your toes. You still will see plenty of HWY/Freeway driving. You will become a better driver sooner, or not.

The difference is obvious, think seriously about how you will feel after that interstate cruise and then having to navigate through unfamiliar city traffic vs. being accustomed to the city idiocy and accustomed to the local road system and traffic patterns.

 

I would honestly recommend running regional flatbed based on where you live... Chinatown will have recommendations when he logs on.
Why would running local screw up your driving record though? If you are driving defensively it doesn't matter where you are, and you'll be familiar with the area. For example I run local around Dallas/Fort Worth and find it to be far less stressful than running OTR. Why? I don't have to hope a parking spot is open at the end of my shift, or worry about finding a safe place to park before/after a 300am appt in some major city in the NE. Knowing the local routes, and having a dedicated customer base makes daily life easy but a bit boring.
You complain about the 10-14hr shifts + commute, but you'll be working the same shifts as an OTR driver but without a constant schedule. Benefit of being local is being able to shower every night, save a ton of money by being able to cook your own meals every day, and just a better quality of life in my opinion.
As for the commute, unless you own your home you can always just find a apartment closer to your work location.