Reasonable Expectations, Or A Misguided Pipe Dream?
Topic 30600 | Page 1
Getting a couple of years OTR experience will open up a lot of opportunities. So, simply answer, yes you have reasonable expectations.
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.
Welcome to the forum!
It's good that you realize you need a refresher, because it sure has changed from 25 years ago. I was off the road for 22 years when I decided to come back to driving. I didn't have a CDL (mine was a chauffeur's license) so had to go back to school to get one. Going thru Sage was not a good way to go....had to find my own company to take me on and I really should have gone the company school route.
Here's a link for you to fill out one application that goes out to many different companies that will train you TT School Application
Let us know how it goes.
Laura
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.
You will probably be required to take all or part of school again. Your CDL is stale. CFI is one of many companies in need of drivers. Your training would be a fast course to solo.
Two years out here will do wonders for you job prospects.
You also run the risk of loving the road.
Good luck
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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Greetings to everyone - new member, new post, probably an old question.
Currently an automotive tech - hate my job. Been watching the Indeed job postings for CDL drivers for a while now, and I keep seeing "home every night" jobs hauling specialized loads in m y general area with incomes of $90k and up . . .
So I'm thinking maybe I should use the CDL I got 25 years ago. Finally.
Of course those jobs all require experience - 1 to 2 years minimum. And truthfully I haven't drive a tractor trailer since school. So I'm thinking maybe sign on with someone like England or Swift, get some refresher training, put a couple of years on the road (see the country and have the experience of the job), and then go after one of these local specialized jobs.
Is that a reasonable plan. A reasonable expectation? Or am I fooling myself - are those well paid local jobs so desirable I'll never get one? Or worse are they deceptive ads and no such jobs exist?
Thanks for any input you care to offer - about my nebulous plan, or anything in general. At this point any input, or even questions, will be appreciated.
Gregg
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.