Advice for a new guy?

Hello. This is my first formal post here on the TruckersReport. I recently self-obtained my CDL through self-study to get my permit. After that I worked an o/o that I'm friends with to pass my road test and eventually get my CDL-A. I went back to the DMV and took my tanker and doubles/triples endorsement tests. Total cost was around $60 and about a month of my free time. I am currently working for a local furniture company where I have been safely operating a 26' straight truck daily for 5 years now. Do you think this could constitute as some "trucking experience" when applying for some local jobs? Any advice on what kind of companies I should be looking for? I do not want to go OTR at this time so this is not an option. I look forward to some responses by you professionals on this forum. Thanks

 

If the furniture shop has t/t's then see if you can step up.

Sounds like you have it pretty sweet as it is. Most big companies will put you OTR, and some won't consider a 6 wheeler "practical t/t experience".

Check the Safestat (CSA2010) of any company you're looking into, it'll give you an idea of the size of the company, might also help you figure out what kind of money they're pulling in. If a company has 5 tractors, 20 trailers and 4 of them power units are sitting on the lot durring the week, they don't have much freight. On the other hand if there are 7 openings and only 3 units (and they aren't running teams) you might not get anywhere near "full time" hours/mileage.


Oh yeah,,, good luck.

 

I drove a year OTR for Swift back in 2003-2004. I worked for Lowe's from summer of 2008 until the end of this past January driving a 24' straight flatbed. I can tell you the 3 companies I talked to (Schnieder, JB Hunt, and Roehl) did not accept my flatbed experience. My year OTR was not within the past year, so that did not count either. I just finished driving school through Roehl and ... actually, I leave this afternoon... I gotta get packing!

 

Local companies are generally a different ballgame than the big OTR companies. Some locals want big experience, some want to train you their way, and minimum experience suits them better. Start applying locally, be honest about your experience and be willing to learn, you'll find something out there.

 

Yeah. U-Haul, I keep my distance!

 

Yeah someone I helped move was driving from CA to Ohio in a 26' straight truck with air brakes. Never drven anything bigger than his Tahoe. I just gritted my teeth and said nothing, but wondered how they can let someone walk outta there with no special training??

 

Most companies are going to require that you went to an accredited school before they will even consider you.

 

I'm actually considering going to a school just to get my 160 hour certificate. I just spoke to a recruiter from a large trucking company and he basically told me that without at least a full year of full-time t/t experience that they wouldn't even consider me. He said that the last year of working with an o/o doing regionals on weekends didn't count for anything.

 

if you're trying to stay local then i would imagine you can find something if someone is hiring and you show up with a good attitude and such. local companies are usually smaller outfits and want you to treat the company like its your own, because small companies can really get screwed up by just one guy doing something really stupid.