Why is otr experience so hard to get.

Yea its been real hard this month! but im hoping to get something going this week and if not i will have to hit OTR again for a little while because i will not let this #### business get me again!!! plus i have a wife and 2 kids that count on me but my wife has been real supportive through this knowing that its not me not wanting to work its just me being a victim of circumstances .. I love it but i also hate it, so its give and take. Either way dont let this business get the best of you i seen how my dad delt with it all his life and ive learned alot from him of what and what not to do.
Good luck!!

 

My Bullcrap meter is goin' off !

When did you notice things were bad, after you lost your truck--0r your house--Or your wife's car??

If you bought a truck for cash, how could your lease be terminated? Did you mean your freight contract?

You were lucky to lease on with another company after owning your truck for 3 months. Most require 6mo to a year OTR experience before signing you on.

Just sayin'
Maverick

 

Heh Hand,
I feel your pain!

Nowadays, it is hard to get OTR experience, but not impossible!

Many companies will have you go with a trainer for a few weeks.
The main things to consider is your driving record, ie: speeding, accidents, etc. and your criminal record.
If you do not mind running team for a few weeks, this may be an option.
Try Western Express out of Nashville. They have decent equipment and I hear they take care of it. They require 6mo. OTR in the past three years or you have to go with a trainer, no matter how much total experience you have. They pay $375 a week while training.
Don't give up if driving is what you want to do.
Also, take everything you read on this or any other forum with a grain of salt. SOMEBODY will have something bad to say about EVERY company out there. Alot of times they are disgruntled employees that can't understand why they can't make as much in truckstops as they can on the road.
I'm not saying every complaint is crap, but if they were all true, most of the trucking companies would be out of business cause' they wouldn't beable to hire drivers. Not every driver out there is so desperate they have to work for bad companies, and I see alot of Swift, Werner, JB Hunt and others on the road everyday, and they are not remote controlled.
Hang in there, you will find the right fit!

Maverick

 

I don't think you are being 'smart' about listing your work history and explaining what went on with your previous Employers. Have you explained 'what went/was wrong as you did here, to your new prospective Employer?

Did you tell your new Recruiter, 'old company truck was crap. A/C didn't work. Boss wouldn't fix it. I gave up" Did you? Did you tell them that? If not, why not? I would explain the crap of all three former employers, tell the new folks 'you want better, so I came to you. I will be a good driver, make money, and company will make money too, blah, blah" and you should do ok.


"but the month of jan 2011 iv only done 1 load!!!" ???

Did you tell your new Application/Recruiter you only got 1 load and you can't make a living? No? Why not? You need more miles. Who don't. Good companies want good drivers who DO GOOD MILES. This is a common reason to find a better opportunity, yet you said you 'have a screwed up work history'. Have some faith, CHANGE, and get a better opportunity.

You don't have a 'screwed up work history', you have a "screwed up choices of people you work for" attitude! THAT is what is going on with you, my friend.
Why do you work for crappy companies after 1 1/2 years of being in the business? Why? Hey, if you got 1 1/2 years exp. w/CDL you can 'write your own ticket'. You can do that at 6 months, too. For you to not pursue 'greener pastures' at six months, once you got driving skills firmly in grasp speaks of your willingness to 'be a victim', it almost seems. Am I correct? Are you a 'victim' and can't 'do better'?



You write: "an oil leak which my boss knew about but said it cost too much money to fix would that be on my DAC report?"

No, ,,,hell no something like that won't be on your DAC report! How long you say you've been around trucking? 1 1/2 years and you don't know that?

With 1 1/2 yrs exp, you should be applying at the BEST companies out there. They aren't going to flinch one bit, about you leaving a company that:
1-has crappy equipment, that boss won't fix
2- 1 load in a month.

If they do flinch, you are again at the 'wrong' place to work. There are tons of companies that would take you. US Exp, Shaeffer, Crete, Martin, Knight, you name it.

Good luck in your application process! Tell us who you go with. I hope this helps.

 

Well there is always the Big Blue Screw.

 

Not realy sure if you read the whole post maybe you should re-read it again!!
My truck i have now i paid cash for, this is 2 years after i lost my first truck which was financed through GTE FED. credit union. And when i went to work hauling hoppers after only 3 months hauling rock, i ran under his authority but i paid all the insurance which was 1,685 a month through progressive because they where the only co. that would insure me with no experiance. His company was small and is down the road from my house he has about 6 trucks pulling for him and he owns the trailers.

As far as my lease..... when you "lease" on with a company which i did as of jul of last year with my new truck i worked for 6 months and then they terminated my lease with them. im not sure how i can explain it anymore than that.

As far as "knowing when things were bad".... I could not afford my truck running anymore because of 4.75 a gal deisel and slow freight so i parked my truck and got a regular job so then they came and got my truck but i was so far behind on everthing because i was trying to hold everthing to gether to long so with all my credit cards maxed out i had no choice either buy food for my family and everday needs or pay mortgage,car payment ect.... i tried to have the mortgage compnay work with me but they said there was nothing i could do. so its not like i lost my wifes car then my truck then my house ect....... All of these thing happed after i parked my truck and was working a crap job to have some income coming in.

So before you go calling BS on someone maybe you should know all the facts and also if you would like i can post a pic of my lease termination that is dated for 1/24/11 and i could also post the pic of my 04 freightliner title that is in my name that is dated last year in jul. when i purchased my truck from TSI trucksales in lakewales fl.

If theres anything else you would like to say feel free to Pm me so we dont take up anymore of this mans thread!