Comments By Seadragon H.

Probably Abilene Motor Express in Richmond,VA

Is there a company that would hire just with the auto endorsement ?

/ Sygma Network / Reinhart Foodservice / Labatt Foodservice / McLane Company / Some food service companies will hire you with only the cdl permit. They then give you 60 or 90 days to qualify for the hard copy cdl. You must apply as a driver helper to get this type job and use the online application. You and the other driver will drive and work as a team. The websites may not show these jobs, but they are available.

Jim Palmer Trucking has a good program and unlike Swift and CRST, the trucks are set up for driver comfort with Tripac APU and hookups for computer, flatscreen Direct TV, refrigerator, etc. Also look at Celadon. CRST you'll run teams for minimum 10 months.

I'd go with Britton Transport. They're a smaller flatbed company that runs 48 states and Canada. Canada is not forced though. Trucks are nice with APU. They hire new cdl grads.

Keep shopping around and take the best offer. Don't do the driver unload accounts because it will ruin your back unloading 3000 cases probably 2 or 3 times a week. Here's some to look at and they hire new cdl grads. If the website has "experience required" ignore it because the website isn't up to date. Danny Herman Trucking - dry van, coast to coast running and no northeast or New York City. Terminals all the way from California to the East Coast. Freymiller - refrigerated coast to coast. / Eagle KMC - in Phoenix / Mountain Valley Express /

Take a sleeping bag and pillow. The reason for this is your trainer won't want you sleeping on his sheets and you're not allowed to sleep on the top bunk when the truck is moving. After you're assigned your own truck, then you can switch to sheets if you want to.

Good idea; get the cdl now. Attend a 160 hr. cdl school. You won't have to retake any tests when you're 21, but maybe IL has some rule where they must note you're then interstate eligible. When you're 21 there's dozens of companies that will hire you for OTR and I have a good long list of those. FFE (Frozen Food Express) is one of many. They may put you through their refresher course to prepare you for coast to coast running. Plenty more to choose from. In the meantime, some household goods companies will hire you as a driver helper. Maybe some local delivery companies can use you such as lumber companies, etc.

Do an online application with Carolina Cargo, then after about 24 hours, give them a call. They hire felons and drivers with bad MVR. They don't go by what's on their website; they bend their own hiring rules. They do California turnarounds back to back and that's all they do. You can have hometime after 3 turns, then back at it again.

So I have not been on the road for at least a year. I've been threw alot in my life and I'm reaching out for answers. My driving record is pretty bad, from reckless driving in Virginia in a personal vehicle to my license being suspended for 3 months for not having insurance in my personal vehicle as well as 2 marijuuana misdemeanor chargers on my record. one of them was a differed judgement which I completed. I'm currently serving 3 months of probation for a recent charge that happen in August. I just got my CDL back not to long ago and my medical card expires on the 29th of this month. I've been denied by every job. I went threw a drug treatment program on my previous charge which led to my differed judgment. I'm literally about to give up and just say F it. I don't know what to do. I currently work in a freezer packing out wholesale food. I miss the road but it doesn't look like I'll be getting back on it anytime soon.

Seadragon wrote:

Trimac Transportation is good for OTR. Can make over $100K in their Elite Fleet running coast to coast

Seadragon do you work for Trimac? That's some serious coin you mentioned, can you substantiate this further.

Just a real quick update on this...had some time to check out Trimac's website, specifically their open driving opportunities. For experienced drivers they are advertising "up to 47K annual income" level for company drivers in South Eastern locations. I strongly believe the pay referenced above is Owner Operator gross pay; before costs, expenses and taxes are factored in and taken out (deducted).

So again Seadragon, how did you come up with a number like this; "over 100k"? We like to stick to the facts here, so please offer some.

The driver I'm familiar with is a company driver and stays out 3 weeks. He runs, for example, from Los Angeles to Delaware and back to California, then maybe to Florida. He said he's only required to stay out 2 weeks, but he prefers 3 weeks. He makes over $100K per year. The $47K you mentioned must be for hauling dry bulk cement or flyash locally. Hazmat chemical drivers with any tanker outfit never make that low. I easily made $65K with another company and only worked 11 mos a year because I like long vacations. I have no reason to BS anyone on here and I trust the drivers word that he makes that. The average pay is $80K where he is, but he never slows down or goofs off. There's some excellent high paying jobs around if drivers are motivated to search for them; not with the megas though. For example, Continental Carbonic, which is dry van hauling dry ice. Most drivers never heard of the company but the pay is great: Company Driver Benefits Average Pay $70,000 Annual Top Pay $90,000 Annual

Then there's Old Dominion; I know a guy running teams there doing line haul and they split $225K per year doing west coast turnarounds. This company hires new cdl grads at most terminals, especially in PA.

Trimac Transportation is good for OTR. Can make over $100K in their Elite Fleet running coast to coast.

25 years otr 3 years of that pulling food grade tanker want to move up to hazmat carrier can I get some responses on gross yearly income pull only hazmat for miller transporters or transwood or one of the other