Slim pickins for local jobs with little experience..

Been applying for about 3 weeks and have had 3 interviews on scores of applications. There are tons of jobs advertised constantly but they all seem to require experience. Dudes like me seem to be shut out. I’ve applied to every job I’ve seen that I remotely fit on every job board. Will NOT do OTR. Many companies are hitting me up and it’s not on the docket. Any ideas? Need tractor trailer experience to move up so straight truck jobs are a waste of time.

 

Where you at? I turned down 3 local jobs in my little Colorado town, because I'm retired. They can't find anyone to work. No experience is a nail in the gears. With insurance today, employers just can't take a chance on someone not qualified. Maybe a dock job and work into driving.

 

As I understand it, getting into trucking typically requires 1 year OTR, it's like a rite of passage in this indstry. Otherwise your almost gonna have to know somebody who can pull some strings. If your in a rural area, you can likely get into Ag stuff without experience.

 

local isn't always all its cracked up to be. Pretty long days, and simply home to sleep. I'd be open to at least a regional job. Hard to be so picky just starting out

 

To counter a couple of common falsehoods stated here about local driving...

I don’t know of any local driving jobs that require OTR experience. Some local jobs simply require experience driving a tractor-trailer and some will hire right out of trucking school with a shiny new cdl.

Local working hours are generally shorter than OTR. Typically 10-12 hour shifts, which leaves plenty of time every day to be home with the family and sleep in your own bed.

 

I took a warehouse job at a beer distributor and worked in the warehouse for a month. The boss let me practice with the trucks after my shift was over.

My kid sister took an airport job with FedEx. I gave her $1200 to get her CDL at the community college. While in school, FedEx picked up the schooling tab, gave her a$3000 sign on bonus and trained her. She runs local for them from 5am to noon.

 

OP, glad you've got standards. Too many don't and look at the state of the industry.

 

You’ll sleep in your own bed that’s true. But work a 16 hour day one day, not including the drive to work. Then come back in for a 12 hour day. Then a 10. Then a 14. Between commute time and trying to get enough sleep and ready for the next day, you don’t always have ample time at home.

 

I worked 2870.5 hours last year. And that was with 3 weeks off. That doesn’t leave much time to do much. That comes out to 59.8 hours a week at work. Not including roughly 20-45 minute commute depending on traffic.