Newbie Flatbed?

Yes, there are many. A lot of them require you to be 23 but you should still be able to find some. Especially in your neck of the woods. Illinois is probably one of the best states to live in to be a truck driver!

Keep in mind that although the mega-carriers may not hire you, there are many other smaller companies that will. They just don't advertise like the mega-carriers so you don't here much about them. My first suggestion of where to look would be Craigslist. Also your local newspaper websites. There are also many websites on driving jobs but usually cater to just the mega-carriers.

On a side note; watch for the personal recruiters. Theses are recruiters that are in business for themselves that are kind of like an employment agent for truckers.

Good luck to you!

 

You can but you have to drive over the road and stay out for a couple of months at a time.

Most local gigs don't pay crap. They also don't usually hire newbies. If you are looking into this for the long haul (no pun intended) after you put in a year or two you can buy your own truck and train new drives. This is like team driving but you get all the money.

Reason Illinois is good for driving is because there is a ton of freight going in and out of Chicago and also all the farms out there. Plus Illinois is located right in the middle of all the freight lanes so even if you were driving over the road you would most likely get by the house all the time.

 

you can check with EW wylie out of Fargo ND. They get into Chicago a lot.

I personally won't drive for them again. But they exist.