I got laid off back in November of '08 and I've had an absolute nightmare of a time finding a job here in Jacksonville. I was reading some job postings online and saw that my area community college, FCCJ, is offering an 8 week CDL Truck Driving class. My main question is what is the real probability of me getting a local job right out of school? What type of companies hire these type of drivers? I have a 16 month old child and would hate to leave him for 2-3 weeks at a time but if I can't get a local job, I have to do what I gotta do. You guys seem very informative on these matters so I really look forward to your advice and responses. Thanks.

If you live in Jax FL.....the potential is there. But it will require some leg work on your part. One person that might give you some good advice there in Jax is "Tony" the terminal manager for Carry Transit...food grade tankers. Tell him Rob out of Savannah with Superior suggested you call him. Just about all of the drivers for Carry are local or just do short runs and are not out for more than a day or two.

Ah Florida ain't no good for truckin jobs. Ones that pay a damn at least. Lots of cheap rates coming out of the sunshine state. The economy down there is in the crapper from all these fools buying too many houses they couldn't pay for. If you can maybe get on with a tanker haulin outfit you might be ok. I wouldnt pull any freight outta florida. Into Florida ain't bad it's gettin them backhauls thats the problem.

some ltl jobs like Estes, Old Dominion, and Southeastern Hires rookies but there is guys with 5+ years experience looking for work so it's possible but will be hard..

Yes the economy is the pits....mostly because of all the "carpetbaggers" that bought second homes or bought more house than they had money.... but then again...developers went ape building homes and condo's without buyers ready to move in...and after the four hurricanes in 6 weeks in 2004.....prices went up exponentially without any sane reason, and lenders gave out money to idiots....like all the other places in the country....but Florida is unique in that there is precious little in the way of manufacturing....the mainstays of the economy are tourism and agriculture....and several bad freezes whacked the agricultural sector a couple of good blows in the past couple of years.... So there aren't many good jobs in FL, and most of what is consumed is brought in....little shipped out besides citrus, produce and seafood.

LTL would be bad right now.....food grade would be better, local as well as OTR..... People are going to eat one way or the other.....

Tre,
if you do the community college 8 week program you will have a better chance local then if you do one of those 3 week programs plus you will be more comfortable driving and backing...
Dont listen to everything you hear as the economy in Florida is no worse then any other state, just live with in your means. We have guys at my barn that lived as if the made $1300 a week all the time and when the sh.t hit the fan these past few months some of them got starved out of work as they could not live on $500 a week.. I never understand that kind of mentality...

As far as companies go I did the 8 week program in Orlando and went right to work for Commercial Carrier Corp pulling dedicated Beer out of the brewery in Jacksonville. I did it for almost 3 years, then I went to UPS Frieght with high hopes that being a teamster would pay off in the end...Yea Right...
( Union Jobs in Florida are useless) from there I went to pulling fuel for Florida Rock & tank Lines and I love the job..

Commercial Carrier is not the best outifit to work for but its a start, the trucks are slow 55mph and the pay is percentage you can do well but dont expect over $500 take home a week for 6 days of work. It can vary some what but this is a realistic number. Plus times or slow and they have shut down some terminals and are losing frieght so it is hit and miss..
You can get a local job out of school but it may take some time and research on your part given the economy, I can tell you right off the bat to stay away from OTR if you have a family. I knew from day 1 it would be local or nothing You can do the same thing too...

Good luck..

Timberwolf