I guess this as good a place as any to start.

First off let me thank y'all for a a lot of information on here about things I never thought about and second I think some of you got into the wrong business....you should be doing stand up or writing books, never fails that I can get a good laugh out of the comments on here. Okay about me now. I drove for UPS for 15 years (package) and made enough money to move back to Florida like I had always wanted and work in a race car fab shop like I had always wanted to do. After about a year of this I really miss driving and want to try otr for a few years to learn another side of the trucking industry. I have a current med card hut no CDL and I didn't know if I should go to a school or just jump on with a mega carrier to get training and a job (expectations are low so I'm realistic there)? I'm not picky with who I would start with because I'm guessing that pretty much any entry level job is gonna have crap pay, crap home time, crap trucks, and won't give a #### about driving a package car 15 years accident free. I'm kind of hoping it can be a get out of it what you put in situation after some time. I had to be the low man on the seniority list and drive crap routes in crap trucks with no power steering that couldn't do more than 30mph up 202 for years so I understand it ain't gonna be all roses and rainbow unicorn farts in the beginning. I'm in Brandon FL (Tampa area) if anyone might have any direction they can point me in.

 

I don't have one yet. There are a few schools around me that offer them. Pinellas county does one, there's Tampa truck driving school, and there is one in Lakeland that I can't remember the name of at the moment. There may be more that I'm not aware of tho. Looking at these schools they seem to be driver Mills for the mega carriers and full of the dregs of Tampa that have no others skills or are unhireable anywhere else. Now I have no proof of that and no experience with these schools other than checking them out and I'm sure there are some great people that used them the impression I got was kinda rough. I'm gonna call a few of the juice and fruit haulers out in Plant City like @MagnumaMoose suggested being as how that is like 15mns away from me. I'm as super open to any and all suggestions still because I know nothing about any of this. You guys are quick with the helpful posts...thanks! @MrEd I can pay for schooling up front, I just didn't know if it was easier to eat it for a year with a mega to get my foot in the door.

 

Yea, I was your typical ups guy. I had air brakes but was only tagged at 24,000lbs so I didn't need a CDL, just the med card for being over 20k. I guess on the upside I am used to pre tripping with air brakes so at least that won't be new to me.