Best OTR Company for Driver w no OTR experience?

[Hard2Handle]

Hello All,

I know this topic has been posted before but mine is just a bit more complicated.
I graduated from Truck Driving School in Texas a little over 2 yrs ago. Family responsibilities kept me from going OTR and I found a local driving job which I've really enjoyed. I've now been driving a truck for 2 yrs and the industry I've been driving for is winding down. There isn't enough work to keep my bills paid any longer. I'm now free to go OTR, but I keep running into the same dilemma with all the companies I've tried for. I'm too long out of school to be considered a student, yet my driving experience is local, no OTR to speak of and all the places I've checked into REQUIRE 3months-2 years OTR before you can even apply.
If anyone knows of exceptions to these rules as far as companies go please let me know. I'm getting really discouraged and I don't want to go back to driving a bus!
Thanks for any help anyone can offer.

[ranger309]

Originally Posted by Hard2Handle

Hello All,

I know this topic has been posted before but mine is just a bit more complicated.
I graduated from Truck Driving School in Texas a little over 2 yrs ago. Family responsibilities kept me from going OTR and I found a local driving job which I've really enjoyed. I've now been driving a truck for 2 yrs and the industry I've been driving for is winding down. There isn't enough work to keep my bills paid any longer. I'm now free to go OTR, but I keep running into the same dilemma with all the companies I've tried for. I'm too long out of school to be considered a student, yet my driving experience is local, no OTR to speak of and all the places I've checked into REQUIRE 3months-2 years OTR before you can even apply.
If anyone knows of exceptions to these rules as far as companies go please let me know. I'm getting really discouraged and I don't want to go back to driving a bus!
Thanks for any help anyone can offer.

Companies are getting real picky about who they put in the seat, thanks to the Bushco recession.

Swift used to take most anybody with a pulse, not that any sane person would want to drive for Swift, that is.

Its a tough time for lots of seasoned drivers too, out there.

[Cerberus_Kelpie]

I of course have no idea how you feel about pulling a Reefer but if you're interested then there are some companies that may be able to help you however their training periods appear to be quite excessive.

As stated by ranger309 as well as many others in many threads, Trucking Companies as well as all other Companies have the advantage of this recession to be as picky and demanding as they want regardless.
Most if not ALL Companies have altered their Qualifications/Requirements which have eliminated many QUALIFIED Drivers from applying.
--I'm one of these Qualified Drivers with 3+ years in 5 verifiable OTR experience--I'm working off and on with 2 Temporary Driver Services as I'm DONE applying straight away to Trucking Companies only to be either ignored or claimed as unqualified--

Swift has or had a Driver Training Schools.
Werner has a (few) Training School(s).
Schneider CLOSED their Schools last year and only hire with a minimum 6 months verifiable OTR experience.
I don't know about jb hunt.

This really is NOT A GOOD TIME to be wanting into trucking what with all the current Drivers sitting waiting for freight and Drivers like me that have had not very good potentials for employment.

[jakebrake12]

Originally Posted by Hard2Handle

Hello All,

I know this topic has been posted before but mine is just a bit more complicated.
I graduated from Truck Driving School in Texas a little over 2 yrs ago. Family responsibilities kept me from going OTR and I found a local driving job which I've really enjoyed. I've now been driving a truck for 2 yrs and the industry I've been driving for is winding down. There isn't enough work to keep my bills paid any longer. I'm now free to go OTR, but I keep running into the same dilemma with all the companies I've tried for. I'm too long out of school to be considered a student, yet my driving experience is local, no OTR to speak of and all the places I've checked into REQUIRE 3months-2 years OTR before you can even apply.
If anyone knows of exceptions to these rules as far as companies go please let me know. I'm getting really discouraged and I don't want to go back to driving a bus!
Thanks for any help anyone can offer.

You may have a better option - some LTL companies are hiring drivers right now and they do not require OTR experience. Con-way, Estes, UPSF, and R&L have been hiring lately. I know Con-way is hiring in Texas. In my opinion these are better than any OTR job - especially one you would land with no experience.

[grocery thrower]

I never understood why OTR companies won't consider a local driver, local guys deal with more tough conditions,(traffic, hard to get into places), I just never have understood it, honestly, how hard is it to drive down the interstate, 2 lane, through cities, and sleep in a sleeper, I have done it and it is easy compared to local work, the OTR companies should be seeking out the local guys, 5 years accident free is much harder to obtain locally than OTR, just my opinion since I have done both.

[Comftblynumb]

Originally Posted by grocery thrower

I never understood why OTR companies won't consider a local driver, local guys deal with more tough conditions,(traffic, hard to get into places), I just never have understood it, honestly, how hard is it to drive down the interstate, 2 lane, through cities, and sleep in a sleeper, I have done it and it is easy compared to local work, the OTR companies should be seeking out the local guys, 5 years accident free is much harder to obtain locally than OTR, just my opinion since I have done both.

I agree that a safety record in the city is harder to attain. I think that local guys aren't considerd for OTR because of the "home sick" factor. I was OTR in the early 90's and saw that as the single biggest reason that most guys didn't make it. This was before cell phones were realistic and I saw one poor schmoe that had spent the better part of his paycheck on the phone with his little lady. The phone card we had came right off the check, was a good deal at the time for $.10 per min. He must have been on the phone alot to eat half a paycheck. He just couldn't stay away from home. Saw alot of them like that.