Training

Plenty, plenty of OTR training companies will take you. I would recommend Schneider Bulk, they are paying for school now if you do a year it's free. Firespock, a member here, is doing that. Ask him, he's a helpful guy. I was with Schneider Bulk for a long time, I would recommend them to any newbie, great place to start plus you will already have chemical experience.

 

littleduck, Chinatown is correct about this. If all your experience is local, with no interstate work, then that won't count as experience when you apply for an OTR job. You'd be at square one. If that "local" job entails interstate travel, it may qualify as OTR for some companies.

If you want to go OTR, then call a few target companies to find out what might qualify as experience they'd accept. I would also recommend you go in person to their local terminal, have a look around, talk to the local recruiter, and talk to the drivers. Visit a few companies this way to become informed.

I took a path similar to yours when I got back into trucking last year. My brother was an O/O, but in his case he was OTR. I took the DMV tests on my own, using his truck, then drove with him three months. The three months experience was accepted in lieu of school by Swift, and they required I fulfill the complete training program after that.

Talk to the companies you want to go with for OTR and find out what they'll accept for experience instead of school.

 

Best advice on this forum. Sadly few will heed the warning.

 

I know fed ex ground, they run contractors, they will consider 1 year local ok and count it for over the road, hope this helps.