Living Far From a Terminal

I'm trying to educate myself about the industry while I wait to start CDL training in January. From reading threads here, it seems as if the best bet for experience for a newb may be to run OTR for a year or so after I get my license.

I live way down in the Four Corners area of Colorado. Relocation isn't an option at all anytime in the forseeable future. I've looked at the web sites of a few big carriers, and it seems as if their terminals are all in big cities, none of which are close to me. We do have two heavily trafficked highways that intersect here.

Can someone explain how it works when you go out on a OTR trip? Do you have to go to the company's terminal to pick up your truck, and then return it there when you're done with the whole trip (I understand you will be dropping and picking up loads back and forth along the way)? I've seen postings here about bus rides to a terminal during training - why this rather than driving your own vehicle?

I think once I can get some experience, there's local work to be found here, but it sounds as if OTR experience is a prerequisite, and I'm just thinking about how I'm going to skin that cat. And to be truthful, I'd kind of like to try OTR in any case; who know's, maybe that's how I'd like to run for a while.

 

Thanks for that rnr nik. That sounds positive. I could handle the bus trip heading out no problem. I'm the one who lives at the farm, so parking is no problem.

 

That's good to know walstib...now I know one of the things I need to ask about when I'm ready to start the job hunt. Thanks for that.

 

It's hours anywhere for me...but then SE Utah is right across the border, and it's a big, big playground...dirt bike, jeep, backpack. And a whole bunch of big mountains right up the road over here on the Colorado side. More than I'll see in my lifetime.