Reputable OTR Companie
All,
A question if I may. Am retired & bored. Wife says find something to do. Took & passed Community College CDL A course 18 months ago, hold doubles-triples, tanker, hazmat, school bus & passenger endorsements, TWIC card, passport & current DOT physical. Am used to international & national travel and shift work, 30 days on/5 off, etc Have been driving on-call, as a substitute, school/activity buses concurrently for two school systems(they keep me busy) since 9/2008 and was with my last full time employer for 32 years. Also a veteran. No tickets in six years, no arrests, no DUI/DWI & no at-fault accidents ever. Any suggestions on reputable companies to which to apply for OTR? Some of the recruiters with whom I have spoken are blatantly pie in the sky and pushing leasing. Pigs will fly before I lease a truck in an industry about which I know so little. If this new career gig does not work out, I will go do something else, but would like to try OTR at least until the itch is out of my system. I have itchy feet and like to travel. Any suggestions, advice, etc would be welcome & most appreciated. My sincere thanks, Guampaul The Outer Banks of North Carolina |
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Swift, JB Hunt Us Xpress, Werner,Crete Carrier to name a few, I purposely left out CR England staying away from lease purchase is a very wise move |
All the OTR carriers are very poor places to work.
2 days off for every 14 out. Most pay on HHG miles...about 10% of your hub miles will be unpaid. Irregular shifts. No pay for waiting, no pay when the wheels aren't turning. Worthless health bennies with high co-pays. Hometime a roll of the dice. 7th most dangerous US occupation. No overtime. Let me put it to you like this: I made .28 cpm as an OTR driver in 1993. Today in 2010, the big McMega haulers like Werner are starting drivers at .25 cpm. Basically, you'll live on the job for $40k if you're lucky. Works out to like 8 bucks an hour. These are nothing but slave jobs. That's why OTR companies are constantly advertising, hiring, and training new drivers. They can't keep the drivers they have. Why? Anyone with 1/2 a functioning brain leaves... |
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Try traveling down to the local CVS or Walgreen's . . this ought to do the trick . . Tough Actin'® Tinactin® |
Most carriers are reputable. Much of the denigration from drivers comes from either a lack of communication between the driver and his dispatcher or the driver not getting his way about something and throwing in the towel. There are some bad dispatchers, but a little communication can usually resolve most problems.
Your lack of experience will limit your options in the beginning. Most carriers need at least 1-3 years experience. The main reason is insurance. It is very difficult to cover a driver with no experience. Your school that helped you get your CDL should have some contacts to assist in finding a job. There is also a company listing on this website where you can check out some of the larger carriers and their requirements. |
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Guampaul said:
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Mom and Pops are a good place to try. SMALLER companies with dedicated contracts often do their OWN "training" in an OJT style. MANY here think this kind of "team training" is bad, but it worked for me... and I think it would for you. I walked right out of CDL school into a small 30 truck company who believed in me* (and needed drivers) and had a trainer check me out for a month or so before making me a full team member. Team driving is a GOOD way to get into this business. That being said.... check with Tidewater Transport. They're down there somewhere. I don't care WHAT their ads or website say about experience.... go TALK to them! If THEY can't help you, they may give you better advice as to where to start than any of US can. If I lived on the coast, I'd like nothing better than to haul tankers out of there and back. Hometime on the beach! That's what I'm talking about! * this means I SOLD myself to them as a responsible OLDER driver with experiences beyond just shifting and steering, AND the confidence to take on such a job without needing a bunch of "hand-holding!" Like you, I didn't have alot of DEMANDS, and I sure didn't act like a deer in the headlights! Quote:
Oh.... NOW.... after paying my dues for just under 3 years with that company, I got a 50% pay raise (with my next job) and I'm STILL making my own decisions. I've never slept in a rest area unless I wanted to, NEVER been out longer than 8 days, and been all over the states EXCEPT NYC.... which I won't do! Here's more questions for you that could help us help you: Just WHAT type of OTR would you like to do? Really.... how many days out? Van, Reefer, tanker or flatbed? Team or solo? Hard, physical work.... or not? Routine... or Random? What makes you want to drive a truck? What do you want to DO with this new career? And how old are you? Hobo |
As a side note, most insurance companies look at the time you have had your CDL. Since you have had a CDL for 18 months that may be a plus. The down side is that you have not pulled anything with a trailer during that time. With the longevity of your CDL and the fact that you have been driving a bus for over a year could help with some carriers. However, many carriers don't consider anything local or without a trailer as having any experience. I would just keep knocking on doors and see if something falls into place for you. With the new CSA 2010 rules coming into place this year many drivers could find themselves out of a job. I spoke with a guy who works for a carrier with 500 trucks the other day and he told me that it is expected that over 160,000 drivers will lose their jobs. As the economy picks up this could create a good opportunity for those with a clean background and some experience.
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