Profile For Zach

If you can hold off a but until harvest season AG jobs could be a good start. Morningstar and Mike Lowrie come to mind, not sure where exactly you live but those could be options. I don't know about Mike Lowrie but Morningstar has its own CDL training program out of Williams. Only downfall is it's a temp job but those fee months of experience can help you get your foot in the door and will open up some opportunities that wouldn't be available to you with zero experience such as KKW, JB Hunt, Marten Transport, Heartland Express which all have terminals up that way. Not gonna lie you have in a real crappy spot. I live in Fresno so I know how it is.

Remember the 6 P's,

Proper Planning Prevents **** Poor Preformance

have you pull it to the back and unload it from the street using a forklift or back a box truck to your tail and unload that way.

In the LTL world that's called a "tailgate delivery" driver brings it to the rear of the trailer and it is upto the receiver to get it off. If they can't, you leave and charge a bunch of money to come back with a lift gate.

I thought all of OD's trailers had liftgates?

RoadMasters is south of you, in Fontana, Cal. and they are owned by Werner.....I don't know if they have a school in Nor Cal.

Then based in Yuba City, is the last company I drove for, "New Legends". They (used to?) require at least 6 months experience.

If I hadn't already planned to retire early @ 62, I'd probably still be driving for them ! They treated me good, didn't micro manage me, and paid me very well (with my 2 years experience)

RoadMasters is south of you, in Fontana, Cal. and they are owned by Werner.....I don't know if they have a school in Nor Cal.

Then based in Yuba City, is the last company I drove for, "New Legends". They (used to?) require at least 6 months experience.

If I hadn't already planned to retire early @ 62, I'd probably still be driving for them ! They treated me good, didn't micro manage me, and paid me very well (with my 2 years experience)

I think they are requiring a year or more experience now

When I first started I noticed I was always oversteering. Often times I would have a great set up but I would mess it up by immediately cutting a hard right before I started to even back in to the spot which would cause me to either be too close on the drivers side or the nose of my tractor would get too close to whatever was in front of me and I would have to re set up. I realized it was easier for me if I set up for my back and then cut the wheel straight, start backing, and then watch the trailer and turn as needed. Getting good at backing takes time, it took me about a year to get good at it, now I hardly ever have to back lol.

If he has the opportunity to learn on a manual I would take it, I'm not sure how it is but where I live most local jobs and smaller carriers still have manuals. When I left OTR the company I drove for had a mix of manual and autos but required you to road test in a 10 speed before you were hired.

I've invited radio Rambo to pull over hundreds of times, no one has ever once took me up on the invitation.

If you can't find any flatbed gigs and are willing to give reefer a try JCT over in Sapulpa might be a good option. They have plenty of company drivers now even though they are still set up to be a more of an LP carrier but you don't have to lease if you don't want to.

Melton is on my radar as well as they are out of Tulsa which is only a couple hours away

Have you considered Melton? I guarantee you Swift or Knight would be happy to have you on there flatbed division too. You might have to go through retraining since you have been out of a truck for more then a year. Plenty of carriers are still looking for drivers you just can't afford to be as picky right now as the freight market is crap and alot of carriers are either laying off drivers and downsizing trucks or closing doors completely.

If you only live a couple hours away from Tulsa Melton might be a great option. A buddy of mine lives in Arkansas just outside of Waldron and drives for Melton and he is pretty happy with them. I think he's home every week too.

Have you considered Melton? I guarantee you Swift or Knight would be happy to have you on there flatbed division too. You might have to go through retraining since you have been out of a truck for more then a year. Plenty of carriers are still looking for drivers you just can't afford to be as picky right now as the freight market is crap and alot of carriers are either laying off drivers and downsizing trucks or closing doors completely.