Essential Information for New Drivers

If you are running OTR, home in or near OK should not be hard for Swift to manage, if they have a terminal in the area, and I suspect they do. Ask them. Also, most OTR companies will allow drivers to take home time in parts of the US which are not their home terminal, provided they have freight moving through/to/from the area you want to take home time at.

Again, I do not know how Swift manages their home time for drivers, but I strongly doubt you will have issues if you are hired OTR.

 

I clicked on a thread from here and the dates are from 2013 would like updated information. Seems like a lot has changed in the last 7 years.

 

So, I’m 42, spent 20 years in law enforcement and always loved not being stuck in a cubicle all day, every day. I’m finished with law enforcement, and never plan to go back, especially with the crap they have to deal with now a days. I’ve always thought that driving a truck would be a good fit for me. I love to travel, and the thought of not being stuck in a building all day appeals to me. There is a CDL school an hour from me. The biggest issue is my family. I have 4 kids and my wife is not crazy about the idea. It seems she would rather have me hone every night and be unhappy than for me to give this a shot. How have some of you managed driving and keeping a family together? Sorry for the novel, but something has to give in my life.

 

Have you considered CDL B work? Dump trucks, box trucks, cement trucks, etc. Most of those jobs are local, and would still keep you out of a cubicle. As a 20 year police veteran, I suspect you know your town/city pretty well too, which can be a major plus for employers looking for a CDL B driver.

 

Always be open to new ideas

 

Dont be afraid to ask for help it definitely will save your pride asking vs screwing it up

 

It’s definitely going to be hard on the family hopefully they can stick with you

 

I'm sure you've noticed that many have said it's not easy on the family, which it's not. There's work around the house that she can't do and I'm not home enough to get it done. But all in all it's working for us. As some said about a class b, but you can also usually find class a jobs that let you get home every night. May want to talk to some of them and see if they offer help getting your cdl. Good luck.

 

Hi Everyone, just found this forum. Very helpful group of people on here. I've been a carpenter/framing contractor for 40 years. Finally had enough of it...too hard to find hardworking help. I've been self employed and incorporated since April 1999. Learned a lot about being self-employed. I am thankful, though, that job has kept me in good physical shape. Always, always wanted to drive trucks, just never could find the time to learn, sometimes due to cost, and other times due to work.. But I'm mid-way through a CDL course near my home outside of Toronto, Canada.
I want to drive otr. I wonder if anyone on here is from Canada, and If I might be directed toward a carrier in my area, who would hire someone with no experience. I can be away for days, or weeks, or months. My house is empty...single, and my kids are out and on their own. Don't need to be anywhere. Will look into buying a truck, as soon as the opportunity comes along. Thanks