New to trucking, needing help

[Dobber]

I have been driving a TT for about 9 months now for a beverage company, it's a side loader trailer. I pull it with a International single axle day cab.... Driving about 1100 miles in 4 days , home every night... I am really trying to go OTR and eventually becoming an owner operator.... My problem is that I don't have any OTR experience.... I drive daily on the interstate and in town, but no over night stays.... All of the trucking jobs that I have checked on say that I have to get into there company training CDL program.... The problem is that when you do that you don't make any money.... Any suggestions, company's that age good for new drivers???? I have my goals set and I will not give up but I can not afford to start out OTR for nothing in pay..... Please help.....

Thank You... And Be Safe,
Dobber

[Cluggy619]

I have been driving a TT for about 9 months now for a beverage company, it's a side loader trailer. I pull it with a International single axle day cab.... Driving about 1100 miles in 4 days , home every night... I am really trying to go OTR and eventually becoming an owner operator.... My problem is that I don't have any OTR experience.... I drive daily on the interstate and in town, but no over night stays.... All of the trucking jobs that I have checked on say that I have to get into there company training CDL program.... The problem is that when you do that you don't make any money.... Any suggestions, company's that age good for new drivers???? I have my goals set and I will not give up but I can not afford to start out OTR for nothing in pay..... Please help.....

Thank You... And Be Safe,
Dobber

First, let me say this. JB Hunt Sucks...I don't like them.

Now with that said, you might want to contact sheepdancer.....he is a recruiter for JB Hunt. They will take you to go OTR without the training class....at least, they did with me. However, try to get on a dedicated account of some kind.....their OTR program is not the best in the world, which is what I got on.

One more thing....I don't like sheepdancer either, but he will give it to you straight.

Good luck.

[Dobber]

Thanks for the reply... this Sheepdancer is he a member of this message board or how can I get up with him??

Thanks

[Dobber]

I have been driving a TT for about 9 months now for a beverage company, it's a side loader trailer. I pull it with a International single axle day cab.... Driving about 1100 miles in 4 days , home every night... I am really trying to go OTR and eventually becoming an owner operator.... My problem is that I don't have any OTR experience.... I drive daily on the interstate and in town, but no over night stays.... All of the trucking jobs that I have checked on say that I have to get into there company training CDL program.... The problem is that when you do that you don't make any money.... Any suggestions, company's that age good for new drivers???? I have my goals set and I will not give up but I can not afford to start out OTR for nothing in pay..... Please help.....

Thank You... And Be Safe,
Dobber

Come ON folks... can you offer me ANY HELP WITH THIS????? PLEASE....

[Skywalker]

Sheepdancer is a recruiter, and yes...he is on this forum. Look him up and send him a PM or email.

Unfortunately...you are caught between the proverbial rock and a hard spot.
Companies and their insurance carriers want drivers with OTR experience, or the driver has to go through training....but if you shake enough trees, something may fall out that you like. BOL 8)

[Cluggy619]

Sheepdancer is a recruiter, and yes...he is on this forum. Look him up and send him a PM or email.

Unfortunately...you are caught between the proverbial rock and a hard spot.
Companies and their insurance carriers want drivers with OTR experience, or the driver has to go through training....but if you shake enough trees, something may fall out that you like. BOL 8)

To where i normally agree ith the old man (sorry skywalker), JB Hunt will hire you with 3 months of T/T, where most companies won't. The only time I've ever been OTR was with JB. Everything else was local.

Hope this helps. Contact Sheepdancer.

Good luck.

[AlexJ81]

When I talked to JB they would hire with 3 months TT experience BUT the trailer you pull had to be at least 45'. Most of the bay trailers that I've seen are about half that.

[BlaZiN]

Ive been searching alot into trucking companies and the best pay rate that i found for new drivers is U.S. Express. You might check into them. They pay the most even for recent graduates. 450 to start out till u get your own truck.

[inmate1577]

Stick with what you got. Unless you dont like being home except maybe 4 days a month. But if you go OTR, prepare for a big shock.

[Dobber]

I am trying to get up with Sheepdancer now, but because I have not posted over 50 post as of now, the board will not allow me to send him a PM... Can someone PM him and as him to PM me so I can exchange some info.. Thanks for any help!!!!

Dobber

[Sheepdancer]

Ok...Im back.
Unfortunately, we dont count sidebay trailers are experience. So your three months would have to be in another type of trailer.
sorry

[Dobber]

Ok...Im back.
Unfortunately, we dont count sidebay trailers are experience. So your three months would have to be in another type of trailer.
sorry

Thanks Sundance for the reply post.... Just a question for you, Why do they not count a side loader?? I travel the same roads, I go through the same two weigh stations ( Daily ) that the other truck go through daily, I keep the same log books that other trucks keep, I have the same Cert. that it takes to drive the other trucks, I have the same DOT cards that they have, the only difference is that I have to go in a lot tighter places than they do.... Most of them back to a loading dock, I have to get in and around parking lots.. My trailer has 14 bay doors on it, eight tires, and is approx. 45 feet long.... So really, whats the difference other than a few feet... I am not always in a side loader, I also pull a bulk trailer as well, and do all of the same things as wrote above... I drive down the interstate HY 95, down city street, and country roads... I work 14-15 hours a day and thats approx. 7 hours a day and unloading 700 cases of product, taking it in the store with a hand truck, getting it checked in, and placing it on the shelf. Out of that 7 hours 3.5 hours of it is all interstate 95 driving, the rest is city, and country 2 lane HW driving... Two weigh stations daily at exit 153 North and South on Interstate 95.... So what can a person do to reach there goals. I am thankful that you replyed.... Not trying to beat you up over your reply, I just really dont understand the thinking...

Thanks for your time, have a good day...

[Sheepdancer]

believe me, Ive asked that question many times and I wish I had a good answer for you why they dont accept sidebay trailers. The best answer Ive ever gotten out of someone is "because they are not backing up and bumping docks". That sounds like a pretty good reason, until you bring up the fact that we accept flatbed as experience....They arent bumping docks either.
So the best thing I can tell you is "I dont really know why" It doesnt make sense to me either. No one will ever accuse the insurance companies of having logic and making sense.

[Dobber]

Just as as figured, no real answer other than someone sitting behind a desk in an insurance company saying what will or will not be allowed... Thanks you again for your HONEST reply.... You could have been alot more political or just BS the answer, but you were honest.... Thank you!! I will not give up... I will get it together one day.... I can not afford to go in the driver trainer program... They really don't pay anything... Most start out around 350.00 a week, have seen one or two as high as 500.00 a week... By the time insurance and taxes are paid what would I have left?? Nothing.... So I am still looking.. My goal is to become an owner O/O, just have the troubles getting started...lol....

Enjoy the holiday..

[unkut2003]

Hmm.... see I worked at Coke for 51/2 years driving various combos, like sideloaders, '48 Pups w/ liftgate, and '53 vans. When I left Coke and went job searching EVERY company I applied at took my experience. I guess its because I wasn't stuck in a sideloader ALL THE TIME??? But I do understand their concern because theres a MAJOR difference between a sideloader and a '53!!!!

[Dobber]

I agree, there are some differences, but to me it's not that big of a difference.. See I was a trucker about 15 years ago, did that for a few years and then got into law enforcement... So I have driven the log, wide, tall, heavy trailers and tankers... Now I mostly do drive the side loaders but also pull a bulk trailer, just not as much now.... Some difference yes, mojor differences, I dont see them... I am required to have the same things that other truckers are required to have.. I guess the big difference would be the OTR, getting used to sleeping in the truck, but backing to a dock would be easy compared to some of the parking lots I have to drive around in.. You remember Im sure.. Thanks for the reply, stay safe and take care...

[golfhobo]

Dobber: Exactly WHERE in NC do you live?? I "MIGHT" can help you. I didn't know if I could PM you because of this STUPID rule about no PM's under 50 posts! [ WHY would a trucking forum set up for NEW drivers not allow PM's until you're an OLD driver??? ]

I hear your frustration, Man!! Sounds like you HAVE the experience needed, only a few too many years ago! But, keep the faith..... not ALL companies pay "trainee" wages to start. MINE didn't! Well.... I got 2 cents less per mile than I did when I finished a 4 week training period, but that was STILL better than the companies you referred to.

If you don't mind posting it, give me your email. We'll take this off the board.

Hobo

[Ridge Runner]

Dobber: Exactly WHERE in NC do you live?? I "MIGHT" can help you. I didn't know if I could PM you because of this STUPID rule about no PM's under 50 posts! [ WHY would a trucking forum set up for NEW drivers not allow PM's until you're an OLD driver??? ]
I hear your frustration, Man!! Sounds like you HAVE the experience needed, only a few too many years ago! But, keep the faith..... not ALL companies pay "trainee" wages to start. MINE didn't! Well.... I got 2 cents less per mile than I did when I finished a 4 week training period, but that was STILL better than the companies you referred to.

If you don't mind posting it, give me your email. We'll take this off the board.

Hobo

A while back spamers were sending spam ( and some/most of it was porn ) thru the PM's. No spamer is going to go to the trouble to make 50 posts before he can even start sending spam. The new PM rule and a couple of other changes and presto! the spammers aren't a problem here anymore.

[Bigmon]

Thanks Sundance for the reply post.... Just a question for you, Why do they not count a side loader??
Thanks for your time, have a good day...[/quote]


This is why trucking companies have a shortage of drivers. They have there head up their ....yet they hire illegal aliens.

Screw them. Become an O/O.

[golfhobo]

Dobber: Exactly WHERE in NC do you live?? I "MIGHT" can help you. I didn't know if I could PM you because of this STUPID rule about no PM's under 50 posts! [ WHY would a trucking forum set up for NEW drivers not allow PM's until you're an OLD driver??? ]
I hear your frustration, Man!! Sounds like you HAVE the experience needed, only a few too many years ago! But, keep the faith..... not ALL companies pay "trainee" wages to start. MINE didn't! Well.... I got 2 cents less per mile than I did when I finished a 4 week training period, but that was STILL better than the companies you referred to.

If you don't mind posting it, give me your email. We'll take this off the board.

Hobo

A while back spamers were sending spam ( and some/most of it was porn ) thru the PM's. No spamer is going to go to the trouble to make 50 posts before he can even start sending spam. The new PM rule and a couple of other changes and presto! the spammers aren't a problem here anymore.

Oh yeah.... I remember something about that. But, I didn't know they were using the PM function. That WOULD suck!!

But, maybe you could lower the threshold to something like 5 or 10 posts? There are some oldtimers here who just barely have 50 posts!!