Howdy y’all

I just registered today and this is my first post. I’ve been reading this site a lot for a few months now. I’m 41 y/o and live in the Sacramento, CA area. I’m not from here and can’t wait to escape in a few months to Oregon. I’ve been in healthcare for about 14 years and am about to make a change to professional driving. Not because I have to but rather I want to.

I just scheduled my CDL permit test for 3 weeks from now. I’ve been studying the DMV manual and the Barron’s Study guide. I also just bought the CDL PASS app today and it looks awesome.

Once I get my permit, I plan on doing the 2-week school at Abylex in Sacramento, CA. As soon as I’m done and get my CDL, I’ll be moving to Oregon and seeking a driver position. I’ve don a to of research and would like to do LTL Line Haul. These are the companies I’d like to try for:

Old Dominion
ABF Freight
UPS Freight
Fedex
Estes
Oak Harbor
Saia
XPO
YRC

Any thoughts or advice are greatly appreciated! It seems there’s some really helpful folks on here.

-Brian

 

Thanks @Chinatown you are all over this board helping people. Cheers to you for that!

It’s between a few general areas in Oregon (Klamath Falls, Roseburg/Grants Pass, Coos Bay, Corvallis/Albany, and Bend) depending on what job I can get at the time we move. We (me, wife, kids) love Oregon. I’ve been all over OR many times. We’re from far Northern CA originally but are done with this state’s nonsense - housing, taxes, importing people daily by-the-ton from wherevertheheck, etc. We considered places like Idaho, Kentucky, and West VA but OR keeps up a short drive from family in Northern CA.

Looking back, I wish I’d done this 20 years ago. Some folks on here might think it’s nuts but I’m leaving a career working 13.5 hr shifts 3-nights per week and making 95k/yr. The same gig would pay around 60-65k/yr in the areas in OR that I listed. The cost of housing here is twice of those areas though. Money isn’t everything to me and I’m burnt on patient-care big time. And just healthcare in general. It really should be renamed Disease Management For Profit. But I digress. I’ve worked graveyard for 13 years now so the LTL Linehaul sounds like a great fit. And I really, really like being alone. I also enjoy earning my keep.

Thanks again. I’m looking forward to many more discussions on here.

 

Thank you! Yeah, I’ve seen a few things on this board about them. Based off this board I think Old Dominion and Estes are the two I’ll lean towards hardest.

 

Thank you @Cali kid ! Yeah I realize the change required and welcome it. There is sanity in staying busy.