Need some advice. Local Or OTR?

Not at all this is a wise move on your part stick it out there and pay back the school loan and then if you want something of a change try the same company but on there otr board and they do own more then one company so I think you are at a advantage working there
Good Luck

 

Welcome to the forum, have you looked into a community college for your training? Could be cheaper.

 

Tankers can be a long lasting full time job you can retire at and to be honest OTR is just not like it used to be. There are still some pretty good jobs out there for OTR but they are hard to get without some experience.

Tankers are a specialized field, even if you take it for a year just to open up other options it would be worth it. Are we talking about fuel?

Being a Carnie is kinda like following the wheat harvest, you find a way to play the cards life dealt you. But at least with driving OTR you get a free shower every time you fuel up. But unless you have the Gypsy gene pretty strong, tankers would make a better career long term.

Flip a coin!

 

Good point by "Saddle Tramp." Some community colleges do offer CDL-A training... when I first started out, I was originally slated to go through in-house training with an outfit that wanted a one year commitment to TEAM driving, but, thankfully, I talked to a driver who steered me in the right direction---I ultimately chose to pay for my training at U.S.T.D.S., then sign on with the company of my choice and only team for 6-8 weeks before going solo. Back then, the U.S.T.D.S. tuition was around $3000. In retrospect, I could have STILL gone for in-house training with a company and upgraded to solo within two months anyway, but I didn't know any better... I'm just glad I didn't get roped into team driving for a year, because it's a whole new ballgame when you're a solo driver. If you're going to a local tanker yanker outfit, teaming shouldn't be a factor; however, many OTR companies don't accept local driving experience in lieu of OTR experience. You might call around and ask which companies in your area offer in-house training... you can start with those companies listed by state on www.fleetdirectory.com (scroll downward under each state heading to see a list of companies, links to company websites, company phone numbers, etc). I'm not sure how this recession has affected in-house training programs in your area; I do know that many companies that do train only offer that training from spring to fall, as they don't want greenhorns at the wheel on slick icy roads. Okay, that's my $.02 on your situation, only throwing it out there so you have a wider range of options. The fact that you're here on this site does ya credit, and I wish ya the best of luck. "Adios!"

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