Is It Possible To Get A Local Job Without Experience?

I just posted about nerves during testing and now I have a question about getting a job once I (hopefully) get my license. I'm in Michigan. I'm 22 fresh out of school. I called around to different companies. Most said I need at least 6 months exp. not surprising to me really. Still sucks tho. And then I called one company and he said he was gonna be honest and say no one will hire me without experience and because insurance for them would be outrageous. Don't know much about the industry but it makes sense. I'm not in a position to go OTR but everything I've seen heard and read seems to say that that's the only to start out. To go otr with a trainer for six months and make peanuts. I know that's what I'll be making if I have to do that. So I guess I just want to know if all this is true and if it all isn't what do I need to do to get work. I'd love any feedback. Thanks a lot in advance

Your best bet would be trying to get on at a beverage distribution place, pepsi, coke maybe budweiser. They offered me a job out of school but the pay was low. You could also try fed ex or ups dock to driver program. Some ltl places have those programs available. Most people start out doing otr or regional to get experience but a lucky few like 6string start out locally.

Yes, it's possible. Opportunity will depend on location. I'll write more later. Look up LTL in search bar. I have a longstanding thread.

First of all where did you get the idea that training is for six months. Not true. The average is 6 weeks. Secondly, graduating school and passing the CDL exams does not make you a truck driver. You know just enough to pass, rarely much more.

You need finish training to further develop rudimentary skills and learn the business side of the job. Most of the OTR carriers are most experienced and best equipped to effectively deliver this training. There are also LTL companies offering finish training, 6 String is the best person to address that.

There is a reason local jobs want experience. They know for the most part a rookie driver cannot effociently and safely handle the required work. Although CT mentioned local delivery work as a possibility...a word of caution, you will be maneuvering and backing in very tight quarters with an ambitious delivery schedule. A risky proposition for an entry level driver. They also are less lenient with rookie mistakes.

You may find a company to train you locally and then run you locally but it will be a tougher opportunity to find.

I also dont know where "training for peanuts" came from. My company does $700 per week gross. I think that's pretty good.

I also dont know where "training for peanuts" came from. My company does $700 per week gross. I think that's pretty good.

That's a lot of peanuts!

Typically local work consists of LTL (linehaul or P&D driver), food service, hauling fuel, construction jobs, farm work, and waste management. LTL offers some of the highest-paying trucking jobs in the industry. As I mentioned, I have a thread about LTL and my experience as a linehaul driver.

LTL Trucking - My Linehaul Job

P&D jobs can be unforgiving due to the tight areas you'll have to back into and the high traffic areas of local businesses. I know lots of rookie drivers that start in P&D and do well. It can be challenging though. Usually this is why these jobs require prior experience. Sometimes a string of bad luck and circumstances can waylay even the most experienced drivers. P&D can put drivers in the line of fire more often for accidents to occur.

Linehaul is another story. While the driver is usually pulling a set of doubles , the nature of the job is much more laid back and 'easy.' All drop and hooks, going to and from designated meet points (swapping with another driver) or to company terminals. No interaction with customers. The only backing you usually do is into a door at a terminal dock, or backing your single pup trailer or dolly to build a set of doubles. Most linehaul jobs (and P&D for that matter) require doubles / triples, hazmat , and tank endorsements. In a lot of ways, pulling doubles is easier than a van. I'm not trying to oversimplify things for the linehaul driver, but it is definitely a much easier job than P&D, and yet pays more. One major drawback for most people is that most linehaul runs are night shift.

You'll need to check around your area for LTL company terminals if you're interested. If you find one company, you will find others. They tend to huddle up in strategic areas. I cover a lot of this stuff in my thread. Terminals within the same company can have different opportunities. Usually the larger terminals are easier to get hired into, and some offer paid training - which is a moot point for you now. A lot of LTL companies will hire rookies or student drivers. Again, it depends on the specific terminal that's local to you.

LTL is just one option for local work. There are some who advocate starting your career in the truckload sector as an OTR driver. There are some valid points to this approach, and it's how most drivers start their career. It's also the only way some drivers can get started because their area might not offer local jobs to rookies, or maybe the competition is so tough for local jobs that even experienced drivers have trouble finding local work. You can get an OTR job living pretty much anywhere. But some of us do start locally. It's all about what opportunity your area has for you.

I couldn't recommend linehaul enough. It's not for everybody, but if you want to maximize your hometime and earning potential, LTL linehaul is really tough to beat.

I also dont know where "training for peanuts" came from. My company does $700 per week gross. I think that's pretty good.

Agreed

I am going to finish training in early to mid January and learned much more after I obtained my license than before.

Glad to hear from you William H!!! Congrats on your impending upgrade :)