local or OTR for first trucking job

The school is correct; start the applications the first day of school & submit lots of them so you can sort through the job offers.

Do both, put in applications for OTR and also local. For the local, just show up in person and ask for an application & interview. Ignore what any ad or website says about experience required and apply anyway. Many companies are hiring new CDL grads now that just a few months ago required 1 or 2 yrs. experience.

Depending on where you live in OK, there may be some good LTL jobs such as Old Dominion. Some food service jobs pay well, but it's hard work unloading that truck with multiple stops every day, but you will be home every day or every week.

Some OTR companies also have weekends at home such as Maverick.

Apply with all the tanker companies locally, and the OTR ones that hire new CDL grads.

Some other drivers will probably post some good suggestions.

Melton Truck Lines
Tyson Foods
TMC
DOT Foods
Cardinal Logistics
Schneider Bulk
Foodliner

Companies that have online applications, submit those so they have something to look at.

 

Here's Decker Truck Line; personally I wouldn't like those average 400 mile runs offered. Be lucky to get 3 of those runs in a week considering load/unload times and the 14 hour clock window every day. The divisions with the longer runs would be OK.
Really nice trucks, but that doesn't put money in your bank account running short runs.

Midwest to Canada, Southeast and South Central United States, with average length of haul of 600 miles. You’ll be home every 10-14 days, with some drivers getting home weekly, depending on their home location.
Midwest Reefer CompensationDECKER WEST REEFER - MIDWEST

Our Western Division is our only true OTR division, running 48 states. More than 70% of the runs are west of Ohio. Flexible, reliable home time.
Decker West CompensationMIDWEST FLATBED

Majority of loads are steel and wallboard hauled throughout the Central Midwestern states with average length of a haul of 400 miles. You will be home almost every weekend and most major holidays.
Midwest Flatbed CompensationSOUTHERN FLATBED

Majority of loads are steel and building products hauled throughout the southern states, with average length of haul of 400 miles. Most drivers are home three out of four weekends a month.
Southern Flatbed CompensationTEAMS

Our teams not only assist with delivering tight loads in a timely manner, but most are in a mix of dedicated freight with consistent and steady miles.
Team Compensation COMPANY DRIVER BENEFITS

[HR][/HR]​

 

I'd go with a local job. Local jobs tend to pay better then OTR jobs and you can have a life outside of just living in a truck. Most local jobs want experience but not all and when they do want experience the experience they want is doing local work not OTR.

 

I've said this before, and I'll say it again. Local is not always the shangri-la of trucking that most folks think it is. Many of the locals are going to want you to put in a 12-14 hour day, every day. If you run close to your 14 every day (plus the commute from the house to the job) you are going to have very little time for any of the normal home activities. You will likely have just enough time to grab a shower, sit down for dinner, and get to bed so you can do it again the next day. In that scenario, you can pretty much forget about going to Junior's little league game or Janie's ballet recital.

The only good thing about the local jobs is sleeping in your own bed and using your own shower/bathroom, otherwise it can be just as, if not more stressful than being out on the road.

 

Got to know your market before making that call, like voyager said you might only be able to get a 13 hour a day job local, or like myself and most other drivers i know you could only be running 9 to 12 a day live less than 15 20 min to work, overtime after 8 paid holidays, hell my biggist ##### is not enough ot but i like the job so..... gotta know your markert

 

Exactly. There are some really good local jobs. Ones that pay well, don't overwork you, treat you well, etc. On the flip side there are those that I described above. The prudent job seeker will weigh out what works best for them, what the market provides in their area, and so forth.

Just because local has not been that great for me doesn't mean it won't be for others. The best advice I can give to the thread starter is to explore ALL the options, and...if you can get to talk to some of the drivers where you are considering applying, ask them what the working conditions, company culture, daily hours on the job, equipment, etc are like, and make the best decision for YOU and YOUR family.

 

You have 2 days off each week vs OTR where you have 5 days off a month...if you even get home each month. I get 12 days PTO each year so taking a day or two off to go to a special event with the family is possible. My company will let me take a half day if I give them about 2 weeks advance (sometimes they will give it to you if you just give them one week) so I can go to some special event that way as well. Yes you normally work 12-14 hour days but there are benefits to local over otr that can't be denied.