Have I done the impossible?

Must not be impossible, but it is awesome!

 

That crap that you have to go OTR with a BFI company is just BS. I have yet to sleep in a truck and don't plan to any time soon. I have worked with quite a few guys that never drove OTR.
It may very well depend on the location you live and the trucking industry in that area. And you may have to start out in a straight truck, like concrete, lumber, or dump to get big truck experience.
It can be done, and yeah, maybe you have to be a bit lucky.

 

Not surprised. This way they can mold and make you before you get stuck in your ways.

 

Did you do the impossible? NO! I got my CDL in 1998, at the age of 23, no school involved(moving company I was working at trained me). I have ZERO OTR experience. I have regional experience from both the moving company I was trained at and the foodservice company I work for. I never sleep in a truck till I started with the foodservice company I am with now. And that was in 2003.

It is very possible to get hired right of trucking school by a local company. LTL is one area that does take new drivers. Knocking on doors works also.

 

Not impossible at all. If fact, I'd have to say it is one of the biggest myths about trying to get into this line of work. As long as the big box truck companies can successfully convince people that have to go to their 2 or 3 week school in order to get a CDL, and that they'll never get a local driving job without a year's experience OTR, they will be able to continue tricking people into taking their crappy paying driving jobs under contract to stay for a year. Then, while you're struggling to make ends meet driving for pennies, you'll hear another myth about how local driving jobs just don't pay as much as driving OTR...and of course since you're barely scraping by financially driving OTR, you are convinced that you can't work locally.

It's actually a pretty good scam if your business model includes finding a large, pseudo-captive work force willing to work for next to nothing....

 

Not impossible but you're lucky. And like someone above said, some bosses like the idea of being able to shape and mold you rather than get some old school guy who has seen it all and done it all twice and doesn't like to listen to anyone. We've had some pretty "qualified" people come through our door that we've passed on for that reason. AND we just hired a guy straight out of driving school. He knows how lucky he is too. So not impossible... just thank your lucky stars.

 

I never went OTR and I also drive local LTL. I wasn't hired straight out of school but after a few years driving a dump truck I got my shot.

For me the key was making a good resume. If a company see you have a nice resume, they know you're serious and that goes a long way with a lot of people.

 

very true,.

 

Depends on where you live. Try doing that in South Florida.