Thinking of career change

Pay for it yourself if you can foot the bill. It keeps you out of shady contractual obligations AND you can say you 'avoided the mill'.

If you must go OTR, and that's not a must - there are certainly opportunities that get you home daily right out of school - do a year to iron out the kinks.

 

You should be able to attend a local tech school in Fla at little cost to you. Thats why we have the lottery in Fl

 

If you do go OTR, you could probably bring the wife along. It would probably be good for your marriage, for her to understand the vagaries of the job. You could even get her licensed with you, and run as a team, once you get out of training... assuming, of course, that home obligations or a competing career aren't keeping her from doing it...

 

Comcar has local and regional jobs for new cdl graduates.
If you're close to Orlando or Tampa might hire on with Southeastern Freight Lines after graduation. Sometimes they run ads for driver trainees.

 

Don't Pay for your School.

RAIDER EXPRESS is an ALL AUTOMATIC FLEET
And they have their own CDL A School, no cost to you.
Free Room and Board.
http://www.raiderexpress.com

Also Melton Truck Lines, they train you on standard/manual trucks but they have Automatic....after training you can request an Automatic.
(You must have your CDL A, before applying and have attended a Certified CDL A School or have 3 months of OTR)
Their whole Fleet is moving to Automatics, because a better fuel milage they are getting.
https://meltontruck.com/cdlTruckDriverJobs/DriverJobs/index.php

 

You don't need to do Otr

Food service
Beer
Loads of trash to the dump
Hauling containers
Fuel
Drive a lube truck and pump lubes
Roll off driver
Cement truck
Drive for a local construction company

Just a few ideas. Some will be more back breaking than others. Fuel is a dirty job and food service will get you in shape.

I deliver lubes in a pump truck and haul def in a tanker. I love it, I hate sitting in the truck driving all day so it's good for me. I only do overnights once a month when I dump a trailer of def at our farthest customers.

I paid for school, I don't trust a mega and won't work for one. I like small companies.

 

Yes you can get a local job without OTR. Find a job you want and only then get your CDL. The trucking company might reimburse your CDL tuition , but they won't repay it if you've already paid cash. If you know which company you will work for & they reimburse take out student loan & use tuition reimbursement to pay the loan

Food service & soft drink & beer distribution are usually hiring, but it's hard work. You lift every thing in the trailer.

 

If you're gainfully employed in FL of all places why are you looking to work OTR? Even if you get a local job it won't pay more than $16 an hour. Can you survive on that compared to what you make now?

 

Really that's what they pay down there? I know cost of living isn't bad but ####...