family man just starting a new carear in my late 30's who do i go to for a 1st job

Get out and pound the street and door with the major ltl players. Take a dock job and graduate up to a driving position. Any job with an LTL carrier will be better than OTR even if you clean toilets all day.

Good luck to you.

 

Don't worry about the driving job. A dock job will pay MORE with better benefits than any OTR job you'll ever find. You're not in a great part of the country either for an OTR position.

Just my 2 cents.

 

All I can say as someone who is looking at making a career change at about the same age in life is... Don't take the first thing that is offered with out thoroughly checking out the company and position. It looks bad if you hop from job to job.

Good luck on your new career path. I hope that you find it rewarding and beneficial to your family.

 

going otr isnt as horrid as all that lol... dock job IS probably better option for a family man, but it kinda depends on what your longer term plans are. if you are fairly well put together phyisically, one of the better paying jobs around ME for drivers is working for one of the two large foodservice warehouses. but you need experience, and you have to be willing and able to unload 45k pounds worth of produst by the time youve done all the stops. those guys work 4 days a week and make over 60k to start, GREAT benefits, retirement, and ownership in the company at one of the two. its a darn physical job, but if you can handle it the rewards are pretty good as well.

 

If you work the docks, will you have job satisfaction & lose the itch to drive? Probably not.
LTL & local jobs can be had by new drivers, ususally by walkin applications & Careerbuilder.
Don't wait too long before using your CDL.
Consider getting your tanker/hazmat endorsements; this will open doors for good paying local jobs.
Worst case, take what you can get, even if Werner, for 6 months experience, then move on.
Some quality companies like Marten Transport, have good regional jobs,check their regional maps, but require 6 months OTR experience; sometimes will take a new driver if they like the CDL school attended.
As pokerman67 said, those food service or grocery warehouse drivers make good money, but it's hard work. I've done most all of it during my career.
Check these companies regional maps & see if any fit your wants & needs.
CLICK HERE for a list of trucking companies that hire new drivers

 

Werner isn't a career change. It's peeing in the wind. I think you'd be better off spending $3,500 at the Old Dominion driving school. Even if it was 90 grand it would be better than working for these worthless truckload outfits looking for the next lollipop behind the wheel.
You can do all the reading you want but I think you'll figure out all truckload outfits suck big time. Not only the pay but the home time, vacation, benefits, environment, respect Etc. etc. etc.

 

That's messy!