Does local exist

Chompi nailed it on the door nail. Another thing to consider is most mega carriers like Central Refrigerated and Swift may require six months just to prove yourself before getting dedicated. Some carriers like Werner may not. If you tell us where you are located, we members could help you out. I will say it is wise to prove yourself doing OTR as the company knows you are responsible and can make deliveries on time. In addition, they know that you know how to do your job. Just a thought.

KH

 

Check out the local food-service companies like Sysco, US Foods, etc.
Also beer and beverage companies like Pepsi, Coke, Miller, House of LaRose, etc.
Right now, there's a beverage co. near me looking for a casual relief driver...you would basically fill-in for summer-time vacations but there's some older guys getting ready to retire so you'd 1st in line for a full-time position.
The LTL's occasionally hire apprentice drivers.

With the economy the way it's been...this probably isn't the best time to be looking to get a local job...lots of competition for these jobs.
You may have to go over-the-road for awhile and keep checking for something local to open up.
But in the meantime, you'd be gaining valuable experience and a paycheck.

 

xP2iNc3x I live in south jersey and im going to school soon. What company around here will take you out of school for local? I would love to land a gig like that!

 

I was actually the opposite....Local was my only viable option because I waited more than 6 months after school to look for jobs(due to unexpected circumstances). OTR companies wouldn't hire me because it had been so long since school but got a local gig fairly easy.

 

I see a lot of mixed answers, some folks able to get local fresh out of school, some who had to pay their dues.. Me personally I will definitely do 3-5 OTR.. I'm young, single, no family in the picture until I'm 27-29.. Now seems like the perfect time for me to just get some OTR time in and hopefully use that experience to land me a local job in the future.

I'd rather just pay my dues and have the experience that tells employers I'm reliable and know how to do my job.

 

I started local right out of school, check with some local companies before you fork out the money for school. Local work can be very hard to find, even for experienced drivers, but not impossible. If you don't have it setup before going to school chances are you would have to do OTR.

 

I got hired on with Schneider right out of school, finished their week long training, and was about to go out with a trainer for another 2 weeks when the trainer said something I didn't like.

I told them I would not be going out with them and I went and got a job at a local dump truck outfit. I'll be home every night and make more money than OTR. After doing some checking I found that with a good hourly rate you get paid more anyway so dump truck or tractor don't matter to me, money and the comforts of home matter to me.

 

Sounds like you got lucky, kind of. You don't need a class a to drive a dump truck. Might have saved you $6000. That's one reason I tell people it is hard to get a local gig right out of school. A lot of them pay all that money figuring they will and when they don't they are S.O.L. Now their only option is over the road or a different carrier. Unless you are towing a trailer you need a class b for a dump truck. You can take the test at the DMV. Just study up on airbrakes and its a breeze!

 

Don't matter that there are other drivers out there with more experience, I started local and some local companies won't hire otr guys. I heard this first hand from a recruiter from one company. Like one Guy said u have to make phone calls and keep your record clean, all records.