Newbie Looking For National OTR

So I have my permit and am looking to pick a company and/or school. But I've been very disappointed that the first two companies I've talked to (Schneider and Prime) have both said that I'd only be east of the Rockies in my first year. That's nearly a deal breaker for me ... a big part of why I want to do this is to see the country, and ruling out the prettiest parts kind of misses the point. Can anyone recommend a big companies that lets drivers do all 48 states in their first year?

I started with Schneider three years ago and stayed with them two years. Although living in Florida, I made it to Los Angeles, Phoenix, Colorado and lots of other places.

West coast was after I’d been with the a year.

I will say, expect to see much of the country you might not wish to see. But it can be a great ride as well.

Good luck!

So I have my permit and am looking to pick a company and/or school. But I've been very disappointed that the first two companies I've talked to (Schneider and Prime) have both said that I'd only be east of the Rockies in my first year. That's nearly a deal breaker for me ... a big part of why I want to do this is to see the country, and ruling out the prettiest parts kind of misses the point. Can anyone recommend a big companies that lets drivers do all 48 states in their first year?

Huh? Prime told you that your first year you would be east of the Rockies? I can assure you my first year at Prime I hit all 48 states.

I will just be happy to have a OTR job....locations will come with time....

Huh? Prime told you that your first year you would be east of the Rockies? I can assure you my first year at Prime I hit all 48 states.

Ayup. Just got off the phone with recruiter an hour ago. West Coast only if I was part of a team, not solo.

Why do you want to team drive?

Why do you want to team drive?

I don't.

I'm sorry, I misunderstood part of that.

Much of our freight has become regionalized. There are still a lot of opportunities to go all over the country though. Personally I think you'd find that once you've established yourself as a good solid driver at either one of those two companies you mentioned, they'd be willing to send you to whatever part of the country you requested. Daniel B was solo at Prime and he was in all parts of the country.

A lot of the biggies won't send new solo drivers over the rockies their first year, if ever.

Reefer companies are likey your best bet for cross country trips. I'm with Pride Transport - we go coast to coast from Day 1 and hit around 38 states or so. Pride is a 500 truck company based in SLC. They'll hire you from anywhere in the 48 on a drive/fly program if you can stay out several weeks or more, and hire from a smaller area if you need more frequent home time.

So I have my permit and am looking to pick a company and/or school. But I've been very disappointed that the first two companies I've talked to (Schneider and Prime) have both said that I'd only be east of the Rockies in my first year. That's nearly a deal breaker for me ... a big part of why I want to do this is to see the country, and ruling out the prettiest parts kind of misses the point. Can anyone recommend a big companies that lets drivers do all 48 states in their first year?

My first year at prime i did all but South Dakota. the first few months is team training after you get the CDL. you will go everywhere then.

once solo you might be centralized east of rockies..but not banned completely from the west. keep in mind...there is a reason for it. new drivers can easily lose their brakes or set them on fire by now driving mountains properly.

my first full winter solo i ran between the northeast, montana, idaho, utah wyoming and back again. you need to know how to drive that. in colorado the chains were requires at the end of May last year and it freaking snowed on 4yh of july in WY.

a sure fire way to get west is 1) request home time out there. 2) go into tge terminal for truck repairs then ask for a load west going out.