Starting out...again.

[rollingon]

Hi everyone. I'm the new guy today. I've been reading and getting to know the list and group a little the last couple of days. I'll try and...no, I'll keep it short, this time!
I've already done this once today...it got really long what with me trying to give you some insight in me and what got me here and what with that and it being Halloween it took WAY too long to get out...and the system logged me off. The whole long, lucky you post got lost....now that will all have to come later...

I've got a CDL (school in 2005). I will say this. I never had any problems driving, didn't have any problem with the company, Werner right out of school, and I enjoyed it. Not Werner..the driving. I'm a "do some research" type of guy...when possible. When it's not possible, I make a decision on what I DO know, and then live with it. I had a dispatcher that wanted to drive the truck as well as dispatch it but I imagine that happens once in a while. I'm happy to listen to how to do something better/easier.
I only drove for 7 months when due to hurricanes in FL and a wife and daughter that'd never been through one..having to get through 3..(and the dispatcher yelling all the time), I finally quit. I drove a short tanker, (35' compartmentalized) carrying liquid chlorine..and other Hazmat for a year and a half. Have no wrecks or points. I drive well and while I do drive safe...I don't drive like an old lady, (no disrespect to older ladies ).
I'm easy going and don't sit at TA or the Flying J. I stop when I'm out of hours, have to sleep, eat when I fuel and hit the john...otherwise I want to be rolling.
I've got Haz/Tanker/Doubles, but no experience to go with the doubles.
Because of my experience, (or lack of), and the time out of the truck, (loved that Peterbilt), I figure I'll have to get back in with a company that either trains or has "refreshers." I know there are ups and down with every company and they all are going to have some rough/bad points...
What I'd like to AVOID though are companies that:
Don't maintain their trucks and/or equipment or won't fix it when it breaks.
Continually have payroll problems.
Push you to break rules and then hold you responsible. You are, but if they get ticked when you refuse, (and penalized you), it's an environment that won't last long. Ask me! That dispatcher kept yelling at me and making my life miserable once because I refused to get back on the road even though we had wind advisory's and they were advising trucker to stay parked that I finally told him "we'd get SAFETY on the line and see what they had to say." He backed off, but after that load I got to run 60miles back and forth between drop-yards in Ohio for a week.
Anyway, let me stop.
I've done a little research and am looking at :
Roehl, (is the front-runner)
US Xpress
CRST (not expedited)
Getting home every 5-10 days with two off would be optimal, but realize I'll probably have to live with 10-14 and 36 hours. After getting a year back on the road I plan on moving to something local/regional with weekend hometime.
I've considered teaming up but think that hometime might get complicated, and have never teamed except for training with an O/O and he was a great guy.
Like I said, I'm easy and will roll with most of the BS, but I think a company ought to keep you on the road unless you're continually screwing up..and if that's the case they should fire you...otherwise they should leave you the ....heck
alone and see to it that you stay rolling.

I know this same question has been asked a thousand times, but companies do change/evolve and everyone has different wants/needs.
I'd be happy to hear any suggestions and thank you....I think

Be safe.

[Luzon]

Where do you live? You mention Florida in your post but not where in Florida. A lot of companies don't hire south of I-10, many others don't hire south of Orlando/Tampa. Where you are has a HUGE impact on whether or not a recommendation is relevant.

[rollingon]

For some reason the reply about my exact location didn't post??. Don't know...anyway, here it is again.
I'm about 20 miles south of Orlando. I call Orlando my base because that's where everything is at. I've heard about companies not wanting people south of I-4 but never heard the "no south of I-10. No south of I-10 almost means no Florida. I'm actually south of I-4, but I guess because I'm so close to Orlando, (I-4), it doesn't bother anyone. I've talked to several companies and they didn't have a problem with my location...they just all wanted to hear the magic 1 year OTR number.

[GMAN]

You may want to check the company listings on the top of this page. Many carriers are listed along with their minimum requirements. I don't recall which carriers hire down in central Florida, but you may also want to take a look at Swift, Millis and Covenant. All three take drivers with minimal to no experience. It would obviously help if you had more otr experience in an 18 wheeler, but you have continued to drive and maintained your CDL. I think it is a matter of knocking on doors until one opens. Another thing you could do is check some of the trucking magazines that are available at most truck stops. There is a Loves and Flying J near you off I-4.

[chain binder]

You might check with Indian River Transportation.They have a regional run out of Winter Haven and they also have intrastate runs in Florida.They are a food grade tanker outfit.I know a guy that drives for them.He runs 48 state and he never sits.I believe their main office is in Clovis New Mexico.