Best Areas To Relocate To For Trucking.
Topic 11031 | Page 1
For most truckload companies and OTR gigs, it doesn't matter where you live. If you're looking at local jobs or LTL companies, then yes, location matters.
LTL:
Less Than Truckload
Refers to carriers that make a lot of smaller pickups and deliveries for multiple customers as opposed to hauling one big load of freight for one customer. This type of hauling is normally done by companies with terminals scattered throughout the country where freight is sorted before being moved on to its destination.
LTL carriers include:
- FedEx Freight
- Con-way
- YRC Freight
- UPS
- Old Dominion
- Estes
- Yellow-Roadway
- ABF Freight
- R+L Carrier
OTR:
Over The Road
OTR driving normally means you'll be hauling freight to various customers throughout your company's hauling region. It often entails being gone from home for two to three weeks at a time.
It really makes no difference being close to a terminal. My first OTR job was headquartered in Nashville, TN but my home was in East Texas. My current job is headquartered in Phoenix, AZ while I am still happily dwelling in East Texas.
Here's what is important for you to live near, an area where the company you work for delivers freight. My current job is on a dedicated account and they insist on the drivers living near the main customer where our loads originate in Louisiana. I didn't live in the area, but I happened to live right smack in one of the towns where they not only have a customer, but it is also right in one of their freight lanes where they are running trucks all the time so they allowed me to get in on this pretty special job.
The way these companies work your home time is that they will find you a load of freight that gets you near your home when it is time to get you home for a little break. Some people seem to prefer living near a terminal so they can park their truck there while on home time, but even if you can't take your truck to your house you can almost always come up with a creative place to park it for a few days if you try.
It definitely won't affect your miles. Your work ethic is the primary factor that will both help or hurt you on how many miles you are running.
Looking to get into tuck driving and am currently working on studying for the CDL permit and doing some preliminary research.
I hope you have discovered our really awesome and absolutely free High Road Training Program, it will help you master the materials needed for your testing in a teaching fashion that helps you retain all that important information.
Welcome aboard!
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
- Any combination of vehicles with a gross combined weight rating (GCWR) of 26,001 or more pounds, providing the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of the vehicle being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 or more pounds, or any such vehicle towing another not in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any vehicle, regardless of size, designed to transport 16 or more persons, including the driver.
- Any vehicle required by federal regulations to be placarded while transporting hazardous materials.
Terminal:
A facility where trucking companies operate out of, or their "home base" if you will. A lot of major companies have multiple terminals around the country which usually consist of the main office building, a drop lot for trailers, and sometimes a repair shop and wash facilities.
OTR:
Over The Road
OTR driving normally means you'll be hauling freight to various customers throughout your company's hauling region. It often entails being gone from home for two to three weeks at a time.
I hope you have discovered our really awesome and absolutely free High Road Training Program, it will help you master the materials needed for your testing in a teaching fashion that helps you retain all that important information.
Old School, when were you put on the Trucking Truth payroll? 
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
- Any combination of vehicles with a gross combined weight rating (GCWR) of 26,001 or more pounds, providing the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of the vehicle being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 or more pounds, or any such vehicle towing another not in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any vehicle, regardless of size, designed to transport 16 or more persons, including the driver.
- Any vehicle required by federal regulations to be placarded while transporting hazardous materials.
Wow, didn't expect such fast responses. Thanks.
I hope you have discovered our really awesome and absolutely free High Road Training Program, it will help you master the materials needed for your testing in a teaching fashion that helps you retain all that important information.
Welcome aboard!
Yes, I am going through that right now, a few pages at a time everyday. It's well put together. In fact this is a pretty awesome site. Well organized and very, very comprehensive. Props to Brett for getting this thing started.
Thanks again!
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
- Any combination of vehicles with a gross combined weight rating (GCWR) of 26,001 or more pounds, providing the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of the vehicle being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 or more pounds, or any such vehicle towing another not in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any vehicle, regardless of size, designed to transport 16 or more persons, including the driver.
- Any vehicle required by federal regulations to be placarded while transporting hazardous materials.
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Hi Everyone,
Looking to get into tuck driving and am currently working on studying for the CDL permit and doing some preliminary research.
I will probably relocate from Orange County in Southern California (just too expensive down here) to where ever I can find a job. Assuming I'll make enough money to afford it, I was wondering if living closer to major terminals or the company's headquarters, has any advantages (getting more miles, etc.), or if it didn't matter. What would you guys recommend?
Thanks in advance.
-Mike
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
Terminal:
A facility where trucking companies operate out of, or their "home base" if you will. A lot of major companies have multiple terminals around the country which usually consist of the main office building, a drop lot for trailers, and sometimes a repair shop and wash facilities.