In So Cal

Good luck without going through a school.

What should you be looking forward to?
Probably going to school so someone will hire you.

 

So says the company driver who knows no better.... I didnt go to a school.. Had a local job driving a non-cdl straight truck, and was offered help from my boss to get my class B license so I could step up to a bigger truck. Well, I got my class A permit, and when test day came, our maintenance guy met me at the DMV, and showed up in a class A truck, with a big ol grin on his face, told me to have fun! until this point, I had backed that daycab and 28' pup around the yard a few times, and that was it. I left the DMV that day with my class A license, and a promotion for a class B truck. When things died down at that job, i was in the same position as the OP... I had my license, no experience, and wanted to get rollin in a big truck. The BS that I got from all the mega carriers told me that I didnt want to work for them, so, I sought out small companies. Best experience builder EVER was driving for a small O/O. Forget the mega carriers, if you've got the drive to get your class A on your own, you're better off driving truck for an O/O and not a mega carrier.

 

Well, I got on with a small O/O..2 trucks... I learned FAST how to read between the lines, and seeing how he ran his business, I just decided that whatever he said do, I'd be better off doing the opposite. Fast forward a few years, I banked all the money he was paying me under the table, bought my own truck, and applied what I learned (to do the opposite of him), and I've become EXTREMELY successful in everything so far. We became friends, I still speak to him once or twice a week. He continues to struggle week after week, while I couldnt be better. Its all about how you interpret things, and just because one company does it, doesent mean its "proper".

 

Just start putting in Apps. Someone will hire you. They train you even after you go to school, so it shouldn't be that big of a deal. As far as which one to go with, that is basically a crap shoot.

 

In Long Beach,on signal Hill,is a company called PSC(Phillips Petroleum services) Most of their drivers were field equipment operators before getting a CDL.I worked for them before I moved to Vegas.I went through a trucking temp agency, to do it making $15.00 an hour, but the overtime was tremendous.you'll need a hazmat and tanker endorsement to work there, but the temp agency has other companies they hire out to also.The agency was Workers .com at 5115-a Atlantic blvd. 562-423-4442.
Another place to try is Coca Cola ent. they hire people without much OTR experience also.
Good Luck han.