OTR not for me. How Do I get into LTL, Linehaul, FedEx, etc?

Yeah, Covid really jacked up the real estate market in the rural areas. I just bought a house myself early this fall, and the ONLY reason I got it for what I did is because it's about 30 miles from a mediocore size town... And 60 or more from the nearest small city. I'm not complaining at all because I wanted to be out in the sticks, and it fit what we needed and wanted perfectly.

 

OD hires linehaul with no experience at my location. Like I said it depends on driver availability. We have been running the dock to driver classes after a few year hiatus. Those drivers are combo for one year after graduating from the class.

 

I applied in Lakeland, FL

 

@sventvkg
2 possible suggestions:
1) Apply for and work as a city transit bus driver. It is year round work with decent pay & benefits. Also, you are home every night, or every day if you work the night shift.
2) Apply to train to be a forklift operator, then go to work for a trucking company, or some other warehouse, loading & unloading trailers. You may also have to do some manual labor.
It is year round work. Most likely, the pay & benefits are decent. You will be home every night, or every day if you work the night shift.

God bless every American and their families! God bless the U.S.A.!

The absolute sheer driving force of our national economy - without truck drivers, our entire national economy would come to an absolute standstill - if not outright be dead.

Over the mountains, through the woods, into the valleys, coast to coast, from sea to shining sea - truck drivers can and do go anywhere and everywhere, every day, all year round.

 

Put in for as many local jobs in your area as you can. Don’t be discouraged by “experience required.” A lot of companies will train. Remember, the worst they can do is say no. If they do say no don’t get discouraged just put in elsewhere. Eventually you will find something just be patient and be flexible.

 

Kind of a loner profession and I've gotten used to that. But I've kind of gotten used to this station in life after toiling away at and failing academics for the past, 20 years. Little-to-no friends is easy to deal with in this line of work. But when you're out there trying to gun for another career and notice everyone in all your classes are 10-20 years younger than you, that gets a little demoralizing and stomach churning.

So if you're young, turn back now while you have a chance. Nothing destroys a mid-life career change from this profession quicker than becoming the crotchety old guy in class that stops showing up after becoming terrified of how young everyone's gotten. Try to get out of this field only to come scurrying back after the umpteenth failed attempt at something else.

On the upside, just stick out that year or two with the mega and then start firing away at the various LTL's and other local/regionals you could dig up. I mean, it's easier to make a lateral move in this field after that short amount of time than any other.

 

I've been driving local for 4 years now and sorry to say but I don't see too many companies hiring home daily without at least 1 year experience and some even 3+ years. I'd see if your current employer has any local or regional routes. Otherwise you

 

I’ve been a local driver for 30 years and it’s not like it used to be when I first started.

Anyway there are good local / regional companies out there such as Estes for example. However with these types of jobs you have to realize it’s about ‘seniority’ / work you’re way in. That’s why it’s good if you could start out young before you’re married or before you have children.

For instance I’ve been with same company for 30 years. I talk to lots of other local / regional drivers at fuel pumps, customer docks etc. I started when I was 23 years old. I wanted to quit everyday. On call not steady work, getting called at any hour of the day or night, getting the most f’ed up freight to name a few. I was married at the time but we didn’t have a life because of the un-steadiness of work and working my butt off when I did work. I remember working the dock and opening up a trailer and having to unload the most f’ed up freight I ever saw.

As the years went buy it slowly started getting a lot better. Maybe I got lucky but after a couple of years lots of drivers started retiring and I started moving up.

Today I work 8:00 - 4:30pm with some OT and have been on a ‘9 to 5’ for the last 20 years.

As far as making 6 figures, you’re right. That would take like 20 hours a week overtime depending on what your hourly wage is. But I know Estes drivers who run line haul and make $90k’ish. Again working at the likes of Estes you won’t make that from the start and running line haul won’t be home every night.

My suggestion would be work your way into UPS as a feeder driver. If I was young and just starting out that’s what I would do.

 

My first full year with estes on the line haul board I made 96k. I only ran extra jan-aug then I got a home daily short run. Had I stayed extra I could have easily made over 100k.

 

Looks like song lyrics.