10 plus years local experience going OTR for first time

So my story is a little unique, I have had my CDL since 2010
I stayed local intentionally because i had a young family and my father was OTR and its not easy on anyone the driver and the family.
Started out hauling linen at night for hospitals the company hired me straight out of school had a supervisor ride with me to show me my "route" for a week and i was on my own lol
After i got some experience and saw the company was a dead end (no benefits at all management stated hospitals never close and neither do we so no holidays , vacations etc.) and most of the drivers they had were basically un-hirable anywhere else. I stayed a year
I began to haul Beer to Gas stations being the new guy i was put on a route that was a 2 1/2 drive from our warehouse before i even started my deliveries for the day. So everyday was a 3am start time and getting off at or 5pm IF the day went smoothly. i gave it a year and a buddy got me a job hauling rental equipment on flatbeds.
i spent the last 13 years working for the same company , driving into industrial facilities and makeshift construction sites with everything from small welding machines to oversize cranes , dozers , excavators etc.
Back in 2019 they asked me to take a promotion and dispatch our drivers which i agreed to, i spent the last six years dispatching trucks and looking out for the drivers i dispatched. being a dispatcher and actually having your drivers respect you is a huge accomplishment and for the drivers to see me come out the office every few weeks and jump in a truck and make deliveries as well when needed goes a long way.
My wife and i talked about going OTR as almost a "retirement" plan once the kids graduate.
well the youngest graduates this year and the wife is ready to go on the road.
should i look into mega carriers like i am a new driver ? or should i go straight for an experienced carrier ? We live in Louisiana but would like to do a lot of western runs just to see the desert and mountains nothing but swamp and water here lol

thanks

 

How long since you have driven? What is the title your company puts on your job. If the next company thinks you haven't done CDL driving in 3 years or more you are likely going to be treated like you just came out of CDL school. I ask because you can claim anything, but if your job at the last company is Dispatcher, don't expect much credit for driving unless you provide proof. I did 3 years OTR, then did 18 years regional, home-daily, driving for 18 years. When I started applying to OTR positions I was treated as someone with past OTR experience and a steady job history but not as an an OTR driver. Prime, for example, was going to put me with a trainer for 40,000 miles before I could go solo. I switched to tankers, went through tanker training in a classroom for a week and then rode with an experienced tanker driver for 10 days before going solo.

Since my job used day cabs, didn't regularly go to more than 7 states in a month, and I went home daily, I just got credit for having a current CDL. There is no harm in applying with every company in the country. You don't have to know now how each of them will treat your application to apply for a job. You don't have to guess right about how they respond to just apply. Just apply.

I picked my tanker job because it was 48 state & Canada OTR and used it to go see the Pacific Northwest, since I had lots of OTR experience everywhere but the PNW. Once I saw I liked the Rocky Mtns and Intermountain West, I got a job in Boise, ID and used my time to pick the spots in the region to retire to.

 

Is your wife going to also drive with a cdl or is she just going to be your passenger?
Seems you were running "regional", not local. That's a good sign for you.
Be sure to note on your applications that you were also a fill-in driver, in addition to being a dispatcher.

 

Did you retire in Idaho?

 

With all that flatbed experience, Melton Truck Lines will probably hire you. Runs 48 states.
Premiere OTR Flatbed Trucking Company - Melton Truck Lines
Melton Truck Lines is a premiere over the road trucking company based out of Tulsa, Oklahoma and is one of the largest flatbed trucking carriers in North America.

 

Six years as a dispatcher probably means you'll need a refresher course.
On your applications add that you were also a fill-in driver in addition to being a dispatcher.

 

KLLM Transport has refresher course and you're in the hiring area. Wife can ride with you.
KLLM Driving Academy - KLLM Transport Services
We offer refresher courses to students around the country who have a CDL-A but no recent experience.

 

This is a good coast-to-coast reefer outfit. Probably hire you since you have a current DOT physical, CDL and were a fill-in driver.
Wife can go with you.
Restore Program – Drive Freymiller

 

Truck Driving Jobs in Salt Lake City, Utah | Pride Transport (Also hires drivers from Louisiana)
Have A CDL and Need Training?
If you just got your Class A CDL or, maybe you’ve been away from the industry for a while, Pride Transport has got you covered. Pride offers paid training and refresher courses to help you secure the best truck driving jobs hiring now.. Our programs are custom tailored to each drivers' needs. So whether you’re new or returning, we have what every driver needs to get behind the wheel quickly and, most importantly, safely.

 

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