Chicago
Topic 316 | Page 1
Yes and No.
If you are open to just about anything (type of driving, freight, and so on) there are opportunities virtually everywhere in the U.S.
If you are going to be specific about what type of driving you want to do (OTR, regional , dedicated) and/or what type of freight you want to haul there may be some limitations.
For example, I plan to initially focus on flatbed only, OTR or regional. Because of where I live I am extremely limited in companies to choose from that meet my criteria. This forces me to compromise on what I want to do if I wish to continue living here or to relocate to an area where there are more companies hiring for what I want.
Each company has their own established 'hiring areas' so that is a key factor to look at when deciding on whether or not to apply with a particular company.
Regional:
Regional Route
Usually refers to a driver hauling freight within one particular region of the country. You might be in the "Southeast Regional Division" or "Midwest Regional". Regional route drivers often get home on the weekends which is one of the main appeals for this type of route.
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.
OOS:
When a violation by either a driver or company is confirmed, an out-of-service order removes either the driver or the vehicle from the roadway until the violation is corrected.
Chicago is one of the biggest trucking hubs in the country. You'll find every imaginable opportunity there.
Thanks Brett that makes me feel good about my decision to get my cdl.
Chicago is one of the biggest trucking hubs in the country. You'll find every imaginable opportunity there.
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.
Roy, Brett is absolutely right about your area. Just take a 20 minute break beside a highway near you and write down some of the names on the trucks you see going by on the road. Just about any name you see go by is going to be hiring in that area. Or you can accomplish the same objective by pulling in a truck stop and getting some names off of the trucks that are parked there.
Roy, Brett is absolutely right about your area. Just take a 20 minute break beside a highway near you and write down some of the names on the trucks you see going by on the road. Just about any name you see go by is going to be hiring in that area. Or you can accomplish the same objective by pulling in a truck stop and getting some names off of the trucks that are parked there.
I just did a search on Google for "trucking companies in Chicago" and got more results then I cared to read through. Not saying these are all hiring but it will give you an idea of the amount of companies that are based out of there.
Roy, Brett is absolutely right about your area. Just take a 20 minute break beside a highway near you and write down some of the names on the trucks you see going by on the road. Just about any name you see go by is going to be hiring in that area. Or you can accomplish the same objective by pulling in a truck stop and getting some names off of the trucks that are parked there.
I just did a search on Google for "trucking companies in Chicago" and got more results then I cared to read through. Not saying these are all hiring but it will give you an idea of the amount of companies that are based out of there.
Thanks guy that is great.
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From what I hear here it really doesn't matter were you live to get a job driving . I live just outside of chicago are ther good opportunitys in this area?