The Myth Of Having To Go OTR!

So, I don't think that older drivers or experienced folks that have been in the industry are purposefully trying to spread misinformation - they're just not up to speed.

I can assure you that not being up to speed is not my problem at all. I believe you may not have read what I put above so I'll include it again just in case:

Pulling doubles , hauling freight on a flatbed, pulling a tanker (especially food grade without baffles), and running local city jobs are all extremely difficult and dangerous jobs. I personally would much prefer to see someone get at least 6-12 months of experience in OTR or Regional jobs before attempting any of the more difficult and dangerous jobs. I'm not saying that nobody should ever do any of those jobs straight out of school, but I am saying that they're taking what I feel is an excessive risk. I feel they're putting their career and people's lives on the line before they're really ready for it.

So when we tell people to go OTR, it isn't because we don't want them to see their families or because they have no other options. It's simply a matter of advising them to take the safest, surest route we know of into the trucking industry so they can establish their career on solid footing and develop their skills for the next level.

I've been in the trucking industry in one capacity or another for almost 25 years. I spent 15 years driving 1.5 million miles in every state, throughout Canada, and in every type of truck imaginable. I've spent the last 8 1/2 years on a mission to mentor new drivers and inform them of their best options. To say I'm not up to speed is more than a bit presumptuous and incredibly insulting. Please don't do that.

Brett, I wasn't talking about you specifically. Take it easy.

Brett, I wasn't talking about you specifically. Take it easy.

Fight, fight, fight!!!

6-string in one corner with red gloves, Brett in the other with blue gloves. Go when you hear the ding. Ready??

No, but really. 5 people I went to school with all quit. Two are local drivers now. One of those two had 2+ fender benders. The other hit ("bumped") a federal employee's truck.

We just got a message yesterday asking for anyone wanting regional/local to call an operations manager. I called, and was told to call my FM. I am on the white line for location of regional (Laredo, TX drop yard. I-35).

I talked about this in one of my previous threads CDL.. one year latter .

Can you find a local gig right out of school or with little experience? Yes you can. But take it from me I am not in an ideal job situation for me because of my choices over the first year of having my CDL. To sum it up I had close to 8 months tractor trailer experience in the oil fields, got laid off then while trying to find a local gig I submitted close to 30 applications/resumes before I even got a call back. Even though being in the oil fields taught me to quickly hold my own as a driver companies or insurance didn't want to recognize my experience. I also live in Phoenix, Arizona.. so lack of trucking jobs/freight was not the problem. Now I'm stuck in a non ideal situation gearing up to go OTR this fall/winter to get that experience.

Do you have to go OTR? No. I wouldn't go as far to call it a "Myth." If you pay your dues it will be a lot easier down the road to find that ideal situation. That's what they are getting at. I wish I would have done it a year ago instead of starting my OTR after almost 18 months of having a CDL.

I guess I need to clarify a few things. I drag a 53 foot box around the Portland Oregon metro area. Today I worked a total of 9 hours and drove a total of 176 miles. Three hours of my time was spent in bumper to bumper traffic. I don't pull doubles , tanker, or flat bed and probably never will. I started this thread to stimulate discussion about LTL job possibilities not to encourage anyone to do anything they are not ready or able to do. There are some very knowledgeable people on this forum and I respect their opinions.

Green horn here. I'm 5 months into my driving career. I'm both lucky and unlucky to have landed a local gig. Hear me out, please. I've been a heavy equipment operator for 5 years. I moved states for the same career, and my company was stoked to learn that I got my CDL before I moved. After I showed them I could operate, in our downtime they put me with a trainer for a few weeks. High blood pressure whilst training, but a really great teacher! Fast forward to today, I'm driving a lowboy! -Pulling oversized and 90k-132k permitted loads. It's great! I absolutely love it!! I get my experience, I go home every night, and I'm put in some really dumb situations. (Backing skills are SO necessary!!) Go, new guy, right?! Well, for one, my job title isn't driver, it's operator. So, that's my priority. On rain days or when they send everyone home, I still get to haul, so I'm very grateful for that! However, 5 months in I have maybe 3-4000 miles under my belt. It's going to take me so much longer to get my experience this way! Also, I'm beginning to learn that (after window shopping a couple regional jobs) they require OTR experience. **In my opinion, once I get my miles (30 years later at this rate), driving these loads local is helping me more than cruising down Sesame Street at 63mph and 79,000lbs. I'm constantly in tight spaces, having to back in off roads, playing the block traffic game so I have enough room to make that right turn... I know this experience is helping me more, but heavy haul isn't the only thing I want in my future. Say I'm 5 years in and I find a sweet regional gig... Will I have enough miles under my belt to be considered experienced? Will they even look at me because I never went OTR?

Green horn here. I'm 5 months into my driving career. I'm both lucky and unlucky to have landed a local gig. Hear me out, please. I've been a heavy equipment operator for 5 years. I moved states for the same career, and my company was stoked to learn that I got my CDL before I moved. After I showed them I could operate, in our downtime they put me with a trainer for a few weeks. High blood pressure whilst training, but a really great teacher! Fast forward to today, I'm driving a lowboy! -Pulling oversized and 90k-132k permitted loads. It's great! I absolutely love it!! I get my experience, I go home every night, and I'm put in some really dumb situations. (Backing skills are SO necessary!!) Go, new guy, right?! Well, for one, my job title isn't driver, it's operator. So, that's my priority. On rain days or when they send everyone home, I still get to haul, so I'm very grateful for that! However, 5 months in I have maybe 3-4000 miles under my belt. It's going to take me so much longer to get my experience this way! Also, I'm beginning to learn that (after window shopping a couple regional jobs) they require OTR experience. **In my opinion, once I get my miles (30 years later at this rate), driving these loads local is helping me more than cruising down Sesame Street at 63mph and 79,000lbs. I'm constantly in tight spaces, having to back in off roads, playing the block traffic game so I have enough room to make that right turn... I know this experience is helping me more, but heavy haul isn't the only thing I want in my future. Say I'm 5 years in and I find a sweet regional gig... Will I have enough miles under my belt to be considered experienced? Will they even look at me because I never went OTR?

Experience isn't just handling the truck in tight places or going down "seasme street"

A successful experienced driver knows how to properly trip plan, manage their HOS , manage their sleep schedule (flipping from days to nights and back as needed) and get the job done every time safe and on time.

You may learn to drive the wheels off that truck and not hit anything, but did you learn all the other things you need to be a successful regional/OTR driver?

Green horn here. I'm 5 months into my driving career. I'm both lucky and unlucky to have landed a local gig. Hear me out, please. I've been a heavy equipment operator for 5 years. I moved states for the same career, and my company was stoked to learn that I got my CDL before I moved. After I showed them I could operate, in our downtime they put me with a trainer for a few weeks. High blood pressure whilst training, but a really great teacher! Fast forward to today, I'm driving a lowboy! -Pulling oversized and 90k-132k permitted loads. It's great! I absolutely love it!! I get my experience, I go home every night, and I'm put in some really dumb situations. (Backing skills are SO necessary!!) Go, new guy, right?! Well, for one, my job title isn't driver, it's operator. So, that's my priority. On rain days or when they send everyone home, I still get to haul, so I'm very grateful for that! However, 5 months in I have maybe 3-4000 miles under my belt. It's going to take me so much longer to get my experience this way! Also, I'm beginning to learn that (after window shopping a couple regional jobs) they require OTR experience. **In my opinion, once I get my miles (30 years later at this rate), driving these loads local is helping me more than cruising down Sesame Street at 63mph and 79,000lbs. I'm constantly in tight spaces, having to back in off roads, playing the block traffic game so I have enough room to make that right turn... I know this experience is helping me more, but heavy haul isn't the only thing I want in my future. Say I'm 5 years in and I find a sweet regional gig... Will I have enough miles under my belt to be considered experienced? Will they even look at me because I never went OTR?

Experience isn't just handling the truck in tight places or going down "seasme street"

A successful experienced driver knows how to properly trip plan, manage their HOS , manage their sleep schedule (flipping from days to nights and back as needed) and get the job done every time safe and on time.

You may learn to drive the wheels off that truck and not hit anything, but did you learn all the other things you need to be a successful regional/OTR driver?

Very good point! These are things I need to know/never thought of. Thanks!