1 year otr or 6 months OTR

If its a decent local job then take it. If you dont you may regret it.

 

Take the local job. Its what you want. No reason to stay at a job you don't like just to get 6 more months of OTR experience. Most companies I've seen advertise want recent OTR experience. Say you stay local for 2-3 years and decide to go back to OTR. Your OTR experience before going local won't matter all that much.

 

Local gig, home daily, better pay! Sounds terrible...

 

How does the local job pay; hourly/weekly? How much?
Why do personal circumstances not allow you to be with a trainer?
There's some good OTR companies to work for that hire new cdl grads, but you have do ask questions on here and do some research to find them.
Is local what you really want or are you just depressed because of the lousy paychecks?

 

The bottom line is you have to eat and pay the bills. However I sense a reluctance on your part in regard to the new local job. This is my advice. Go ahead and accept the local job and give it 6 months. If things don't work out look for a company that will hire you with 6 months and work there 9 or 10 months and if that company is not working out start looking at a company that will hire you with a year experience but be forewarned though. The local job might not show up on your DAC but you will have quit 3 jobs inside an 18 months time frame. This is one reason I think you should contact your present employer and see if they can do something to help you out.

 

You still have that cat?
Go with a good OTR outfit with a pet policy.

 

Screw those "OTR experience" requirements. Trucking is so much more than OTR. If you ultimately want local, go local.

Early in my career, I was at a point in my life (and depressed, like you) where I decided I would rather quit driving than ever sleep in a truck again. I found a local opportunity and went for it. I have never looked back; it was the best decision I ever made.

If some OTR company won't hire me because I haven't slept in a truck for 10 years, so be it. But I have a feeling most would hire me in a heartbeat if I had to go that route. Maybe not; doesn't matter. There are thousands of daycabs running around my city every day to choose from.

Go fo it.