Year of experience required

I did foodservice in my 40's and within 3 mos. had muscles bulging where I didn't know I had muscles. Even my wife was impressed.
I wore a belt to protect my back. The company furnished the belt, but can also buy them online. Walmart online shopping has them, but so do many other companies.
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I wore one like this, when unloading:

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Some of the drivers wore one like this:

 

I ran ramps and was a trainer, ~5yrs. I was doing back-to-back loads, chasing the money (production-based pay), and just trying to help cover loads.

Look, your body is like a fuse; it has certain lifespan. The harder you are on yourself, the quicker you get to the end. At the time, I was looking at how great of shape I was in. I didn’t realize how quickly those 40K+ loads would wear out my body. I had five surgeries (2010) and still suffer everyday. I would never tell someone to pursue it, especially seeing how badly the OG’s in the place were suffering.

You asked about dedicated regional. Yes. You can find those gigs. I’m not familiar with your area. However, where I’m from in the midwest, auto plants are scattered about. I load and haul car parts one day (IL > OH) and return to my first supplier the next day (OH > IL). My schedule is late Sunday afternoon to early Saturday morning one week. Late Monday afternoon to early Friday morning the next week. My load days alternate with another driver, so we each have a long week (M/W/F load days) and short week (T/Th load days). It’s a pretty good gig, because I have a set schedule, doing the same thing, traveling the same roads, with zero dock hassle/waiting. I found this job through a FB advert that popped up on my feed. I was looking everywhere but there, so be sure and expand your search tools to include every possible place a job listing could be found.

 

Look at some YouTube videos on proper lifting techniques, plus the belt, and you'll be ok.

 

@dave01282000 --

Yet another option that you might want to consider--before you leave your present employer.......

After you get 12-15 month's experience under your belt--you then become a "prime" candidate (yes, pun intended ) to swap divisions...and go over into Prime's tanker fleet.

Truth be told--your current employer is GREAT PLACE to pick up that skill set.

Also--if you're concerned about more home time--it's my understanding that Prime's tanker fleet does most of their runs/lanes in the northeast, anyway.

Thus--you may get to go "by the house" more than once a week while doing tanker.

If you're so "in love" with reefer duty, that you don't really care...well, that's one thing.

But having some serious tanker experience as part of your CDL resume (even if it's all food-grade)--will open A LOT more doors for you, later on down the road (again--pun intended ).

And going into what could later turn into a nasty recession--that's something to indeed think about.

Suggestion: before you leave Prime--consider switching over to tanker duty after February, 2023--and run there FOR AT LEAST ONE YEAR.

Longer...is of course...even better.

Most carriers that look for tanker duty will want to see at least one year's experience of "bulk" transport.

If you do 2 years of tanker, and then pick up that hazmat endorsement--you can almost write your own ticket in the tanker world.

After you give the tanker world an honest try--my math says, that later on....you'll be glad you did.

--Lual

 

Yeah stick to those OTR-Regional companies where you basically have to lease, team, or train to break 60k a year running a tight clock...

...lol


I'll be nice: Prime is probably the only company with a lease program where you won't get nuked by layover... BUT... I've only seen what internet-truckers show which statistically speaking is probably 99.9% BS

 

And, they put newbs in pretty nice equipment, with a nice home shop, and nice home accommodations. There are a whole lot worse out here.

 

resumes never hurt, i always took mine, and the hiring person would take it with the application.

 

I've never been asked for a resume. Only one time I was asked to see my DD-214 and found out later he wasn't supposed to asked to see it. He was just curious to compare his DD-214 to mine.