Transistion Time

if you work at the space center, then you are (i would think) primarily not on ANY roads in that state other then the "roads on the site"..???

if so, you do not have ANY experience. however, you can always try the private sector with in immediate area. if this isn't any good results producing, then you may very well have to go to a trucking school for perhaps no more than a 40 hour refresher course, then get hired on by a company, and go OTR if this is what you want.

try as many local companies as you can, you may get lucky. but if not, then you know what you will have to do as i said earlier.

good luck to you, let us know how you make out with this...

 

Rerun gave it to you strait. Local might produce some results. If not a refresher course through a driving school would most likely give you some opportunity with smaller companies, fleet owners in lease operations and maybe owner/operators. Insurance is the big problem. A full driver-training course would open all doors, but frankly some of those doors aren't that attractive.

You really need to feel out the industry and the companies before investing to insure you pick the least expensive and correct method of entry. You seem to understand the industry somewhat. Still I'm going to give you my standard copy and paste spill. Some of it may be helpful and some you probably know, so take it for what it's worth.

You need to research and find out what the important questions are. You can make an above average living but you will make sacrifices that other jobs don't require. I want new people entering to find out what's going on and make a plan.

Read the "good companies" and "bad companies" section on this forum and get an idea of what company you want to work for and what kind of trailer you want to pull. Don't just go to school and then try to figure out where to go.

You need to look at your driving record and criminal record. Many don't take this into consideration and find out they can't get a job after school. The school likely won't mention this because they want your money.

I don't know your financial situation. Don't take training from a company if you can afford it or get it with financial aid. You will be their slave for up to year. If you leave they will trash you DAC and credit record.

Just know that most training and trucking company recruiters will do nothing but lie to you. They will let you talk about what you want and then tell you what you want to hear. Trucking is about moving freight to make money for the company. Your home time, family, paycheck and everything else comes second.

It is not like any other job. Local is usually backbreaking delivery work 10+ hours a day, 6 days a week. Often you unload dozens of times a day or you are a salesman. In my area most dump truck jobs pay less than a good factory job. Regional is lots of loading and unloading time, fewer miles than OTR and not as hard as local but will wear on you and push your HOS limits. OTR is out 3 - 5 weeks with 3 - 4 days home, less manual labor and more miles.

You'll probably have to pay your dues before you get the gravy job. Weekends off, if you are lucky enough to get something like that starting out, may be home Thursday afternoon and leave Saturday night or home Friday night and leave Sunday afternoon. Loads deliver on Monday early and you leave in time to get them there. Often your home time will be in the middle of the week.

Regardless of your driving choice, after school you will go through company training. This can be six weeks to three months with little or no home time. The first phase is usually $400 a week and the second phase is $500-550 a week. Some pay less. One company pays 12 CPM for training.