Getting A CDL In Florida A Very Bad Idea?

Hello. I am new to this forum but have researched a lot but it seemed the thing I always come across is that no trucking companies hire out of South Florida or Florida period. So here is the situation It is not possible for me to just pick up and move so I have a better chance. I don't be mind going OTR , it's not a problem, just the problem I live in South Florida and pretty stuck so I need some advice. Or is it pretty much go find something else because it's not possible for you to become a trucker due to your location?

All I know of Fla. is, when I drove for CRST for 22 months, we took maybe 6-7 loads to a drop yard in Miami. Never had a load coming back out, so we'd grab an empty, and they'd route us out of Miami to Georgia etc for our next load. Early on we had a load or 2 to Orlando, or Tampa, same thing, go north outta Fla. for a load onward.

Heard the same thing, loads go in, but nothing comes out of Fla.........Good luck in your quest into trucking

I used to live in NJ and I drove to Florida weekly. I hauled loads for Ashland Chemical to either Orlando or Miami in a reefer and always found loads of produce in season, "kitty litter" or other products.

I would wash out the trailer after each load of chemicals just in case of any leakage. I never had a no load situation home and some loads of course did not pay as well as others but I never lost money either. It can be done with the right equipment and pre-trip planning.

Jermaine, yet each Florida is not the best place for many drivers to live. The problem is that numerous companies don’t go there a lot and don’t have backhaul opportunities. So if a driver lives in Florida and needs to be routed to Florida for hometime, it is difficult for the load planners to get the driver home with his truck and then to get him out from hometime when he’s scheduled to go back to work. That’s a big reason many companies can’t accommodate drivers from Florida.

I remember when I was in training at Schneider our classroom instructor explained part of the problem was that all the freight leaving Florida was flowers and garbage. I’m not exactly sure what she meant by garbage, but flowers and plants are common freight there.

Keep in mind that you can always start calling the recruiting department at most any company and ask them about their Florida hiring policy. All it takes is working the phones. Good luck with your search.