How is the job market...REALLY?

I have seen the BS ads that say they are desperate for drivers, but I do not believe them.

Looking at the hiring of the companies taking on trainees, tells me that they are in need of people though.

I know the turnover is high and the positions taking trainees are sometimes lousy OTR jobs where you do not see home for a month at a time, but are they really in need of people?

Some of the guys on these boards say that times are tough and there are no jobs at all to be had.

I do not know who to listen to.

I have straight truck experience from several years ago and no violations or accidents for more than 15 years. Criminal record is squeaky clean, never a DUI or anythinglike it and my job history is self employment since 2001.

Both my kids are grown, my wife is never home anyway, so I am thinking about going on the road for a few years.

With this as my situation, knowing I would have to pay my dues for a while, are there jobs to be had?

I would very much like to hear from people who have been driving for less than a year as well as those with vast experience.

[jmsconstantino]

I would look into a local LTL company. Line-Haul brings you home most days. OTR means learning to live in a truck and there are quite a few of them sitting right now because freight is slow. I would not jump into an otr company with no experience right now.

I do not know about it being slow, but there were three companies all over me to come to a class right away.

One thing that bothers me is the "crackhead" mentality they have. I know the pay is and you will eat a ton of low pay for the first 6 months to a year...but that would seem to be true no matter where you go.

I know the recruiters lie like crazy, but one of the ones I talked invited me to go and talk to some of the drivers for the outfit at a truckstop.

I did.

Three of them said they were good/okay...one told me they were the anti-christ.

The fifth and the sixth, had good and bad, but told me outright they stole from the company to get back at them.

It was funny, one of the ones who complained told me he has had two accidents in the first four months of driving for the company.

Funny, the ones who are unhappy in life are the ones who are *****ing and whining. THe guys who did not like it, had lousy cabs...dirty and unkept. They both looked like real dirtbags too. One of them SMELLED.

I guess I will find out.

Good shave to move somehow, no matter what the price of fuel is.

I wish I could get in with a local company and be home every night, but I have to get my experience first.

[shoeman]

Originally Posted by SHELTIEHERDER

I do not know about it being slow, but there were three companies all over me to come to a class right away.

One thing that bothers me is the "crackhead" mentality they have. I know the pay is and you will eat a ton of low pay for the first 6 months to a year...but that would seem to be true no matter where you go.

I know the recruiters lie like crazy, but one of the ones I talked invited me to go and talk to some of the drivers for the outfit at a truckstop.

I did.

Three of them said they were good/okay...one told me they were the anti-christ.

The fifth and the sixth, had good and bad, but told me outright they stole from the company to get back at them.

It was funny, one of the ones who complained told me he has had two accidents in the first four months of driving for the company.

Funny, the ones who are unhappy in life are the ones who are *****ing and whining. THe guys who did not like it, had lousy cabs...dirty and unkept. They both looked like real dirtbags too. One of them SMELLED.

I guess I will find out.

Good shave to move somehow, no matter what the price of fuel is.

I wish I could get in with a local company and be home every night, but I have to get my experience first.

you forgot to mention the sweat pants and flip-flops! welcome to JB!!!

[shoeman]

Originally Posted by SHELTIEHERDER

I have seen the BS ads that say they are desperate for drivers, but I do not believe them.

Looking at the hiring of the companies taking on trainees, tells me that they are in need of people though.

I know the turnover is high and the positions taking trainees are sometimes lousy OTR jobs where you do not see home for a month at a time, but are they really in need of people?

Some of the guys on these boards say that times are tough and there are no jobs at all to be had.

I do not know who to listen to.

I have straight truck experience from several years ago and no violations or accidents for more than 15 years. Criminal record is squeaky clean, never a DUI or anythinglike it and my job history is self employment since 2001.

Both my kids are grown, my wife is never home anyway, so I am thinking about going on the road for a few years.

With this as my situation, knowing I would have to pay my dues for a while, are there jobs to be had?

I would very much like to hear from people who have been driving for less than a year as well as those with vast experience.

You said it all in a nut shell! Experience! You have to pay your dues somewhere! Go do what you have to do then go LTL and life will be good. Union/non-union I dont care, LTL is where its at!!!!!

[RazorbackCDL]

The first the you need to understand is that the trucking industry has the highest turn-over rate of any industry out there ( currently around 450%. This is because drivers know that if they don't get what they want, they can always find another job. This can be a double edged sword. If you quit too many jobs it'll reflect on your DAC and no one will touch you no matter how good you are. On the flip side of that coin, your skills are your livelihood and you shouldn't let any company take you for granted. There are plenty of drivers out there that sit around the truck-stops playing video games and bagging on companies that they have quit or been -canned from. But think about it, are these the guys you want to trust? Aren't the GOOD drivers the ones out there running there miles and pulling the loads that dispatch gave them? Don't listen to the B.S. mind your own business and do your OWN job... trust me you'll be a helluva lot happier in the end. Plus, you can sleep at night knowing you did YOUR job...and you fed your family.