Looking for companies close to my area Philly burbs

Well, that would be a good enough indication for me!

I'm sure everything will work out find for you at Roehl, but even if it doesn't, what's the harm in at least trying for Prime? Jim Palmer is known for being very selective of their employees. You can find plenty of guys on here that have been turned down by JP that have a squeaky clean driving record with 0 tickets and 0 accidents and have never had any interaction with the police. Unfortunately, I cannot say the same, but I gave it a shot anyway and I'm flying out to Montana in 4 days. It's all about attitude and how you present yourself. A lot of people on here will tell you "this is just a trucking job, I'm not trying for some corporate position so I'm not gonna push myself or go out of my way." Those are the same guys sitting around the lunch counter complaining about everything and how life sucks and everything's unfair. Market yourself as a driving professional and you'll be amazed at what it will get you. Do research on the company you're applying for. Know their CSA score, know how many power units they have, know how many accidents and OOS's they've had and use that knowledge when you talk with them. I see you're a "Heavy Load" member so I'd assume you know quite a bit about the industry as a whole. Find a way to work some of that knowledge in to the conversions you have.
"Lunch Counter Truckers" are a dime a dozen. It doesn't take much to separate yourself from them but the possibilities that open up for you when you do are endless.
People appreciate "professionals", ESPECIALLY in trucking.

 

You will find that you will actually not be able to save money while OTR. Your food and miscellaneous expenses will cost more than you'll save in rent payments. I can't tell you how many times I've seen an OTR guy drop $30 on a bag of drinks and snacks while paying for fuel at the truck stop. That plus a few $1.50 cups of coffee and a $15 buffet every day will add up very, very quickly. Before you know it, you're spending $300 per week just to feed yourself on the road.

And remember - OTR pays about half of what a local job pays in most cases. Expect $600-800 per week OTR on a good week. Local / regional jobs pay $1200-2000 per week. Do the math.

 

Well of course you can spend $300 a week. You can do that at home too. I used to work at a convenience in another life and you know how many people I saw come in and drop $25- $30 every morning? Coffee, breakfast sandwich, hoagie for lunch, soda, bag of chips and 2 packs of smokes. If you live out of truck stops, of course you'll go broke. If you have half a brain you'll prepare your own food for pennies. Especially if you're riding solo. You cook a typical 3-4 serving meal and you have plenty of leftovers for another day or two to stick in your fridge. Anyone can go broke at anytime if they aren't smart about how they live. That being said, of course there are local companies thet will pay more then OTR but how many hire new drivers with no experience? And how many provide company training to get your CDL? A guy has to start somewhere and there are plenty of starter companies out there which, while OBVIOUSLY not great (that's why we call them "starter"companies) are at least good enough to get your 1-2 years experience to move on to bigger and better things.

 

I agree completely. But then again, do you think that a guy that can't manage to scrape together $1k for CDL school would be motivated and disciplined enough to follow through with cooking on a budget in the truck, day in and day out for the 1-2 years needed to make the move up from that 'training company' that's eating his soul the whole time?

 

I'm not here to argue or even debate. I honestly believe everyone has their own story, their own set of circumstances and I believe that anyone can make trucking work for them if they can be honest enough with themselves to know what they need and strong enough to make it happen. It is good for you to have pointed out the negative because a lot of people only see the good side of trucking. Especially when it has been a dream of ours, we are more likely to put our blinders on. Whether the OP is able to make it work for him or not is up to him. Personally I wish him the best as I do everyone. But to truly make trucking work for you, you need to be more than a steering wheel holder and take charge of your career. This isn't a 9-5 job where you simply show up, do your job and clock out. Those guys are the lunch counter truckers I talked about earlier that don't believe they need to push themselves or go above and beyond when required. They want everything handed to them.

 

I agree with you. But my experience with people in general would dictate that someone that doesn't have the discipline to put $1k together in one place would also not be able to survive the 'training company' and subsequent 1 year slave labor commitment ordeal...

 

Gotta get that $70 or is it $75 now? for learners permit first.
That would be like, $6.25 a month for a year! How do people come up with that kind of money?!?