can a 2 1/2 yr rock hauler make it otr ?

You can make it OTR, but you're probably going to miss the daily driver job.
Which companies are you applying for? If your driving experience is verifiable, consider the smaller 'mom and pop' companies - it's what I had to do. Even though I had a CDL since 02, my local experience hauling lowboys, Landolls, end dumps, components of mobile asphalt and concrete plants, etc. didn't count in the eyes of the big OTR carriers, even though my experience is verifiable, even though a lot of the loads I pulled were heavier than their whole trucks were allowed to gross, even though I had considerably more experience behind a wheel than their six month "veteran" drivers. I kind of expect you'll run into some of the same problems which I did.

 

Basically, I started out OTR in 02, and that ended when I was called up from the Guard in 03. I got back towards the end of 04, and I've been driving - just not OTR, aside from a couple months pulling containers immediately after I got back. I ran locally hauling the stuff I listed above from the beginning of 05 to October of 07, then again from June of 09 until I moved to CO in Nov 2010 - between Oct 07 and Jun of 09, I was driving trucks in South and southern Africa.
Roehl told me my local driving experience wasn't worth anything, and I needed six months recent OTR time for them to consider me an experienced driver. TMC told me they'd hire me if I took a 40 hour refresher course - I was willing to do this, until I found out the $2500 price tag that went with it. Western Express told me they were concerned that my experience hauling freight was a bit lighter than they'd like.
So, basically, they wanted me to jump through hoops, when all I really needed was an hour of relearning the logbooks, and some practice rolling up tarps. I found my current job with a small fleet owner on Craigslist.

 

how would you like someone with 90 days experience "training" you?

 

Well, all of life is a gamble. But you pretty much get out of it what you put into it. Sounds like you are gonna do OK!

 

best of luck and yeah you'll do much better.......be safe

 

Good luck,but did you check with any of the LTL companies? You may make more OTR with one of the big companies than where your at now but there is no telling how long you will be gone at a time,your road expenses lying over not beeing paid for it and a few other things. At least LTL your back home every day or you are put up in a motel at your destination,and you usually do your time off at home.

 

Heck, tell em you been 2 years working with the Stones.... you know, the ROCK group.