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Is it possible to get employment locally being a truck driver?

Thinking of being a truck driver because of the money. But my wife is not to happy about the time away from home. Neither am I. But the money is worth it right? But is it possible after about six months of OTR I can get employment where I will be home every night?

Public Comments

1. 6 months OTR is pushing it for a decent paying local job. Depending on where you live....there are exceptions everywhere (like a company in Florida that hires brand-new CDL school graduates for local jobs with decent pay). But a LOT of the local jobs want to see 1-3 years of safe OTR before hiring somebody. Best thing to do is start looking in your local paper & see who's hiring....call and ask about the level of experience required. Go to truck stops even, and approach drivers you see driving daycabs (no sleeper on the truck). If you live in an area with a lot of agricultural, mining, lumber, etc....you will have better luck finding a local job with less OTR experience than if you live in a heavily populated area. You may also be able to get a dump truck or some sort of local vending route (coke, pepsi, budweiser, etc) but those typically don't pay as well. As for the money....well, don't believe everything you hear. Recruiters, schools & companies will give you high figures, and don't believe a word of it. Realistic income for your first year OTR is $25,000-$35,000....the longer you are willing to stay away from home, the better the money. Keep in mind it is also expensive to live on the road- you can easily spend $200+ a week just to eat on the road. Getting a fridge in your truck & fixing your own meals helps, but it still puts a dent in your net pay. Besides that, with the economic slump, a lot of trucking companies are hurting financially, not hiring as much, not able to give drivers the miles they used to, etc. A lot of truckers are hurting for money. There are more people looking for work than there are available jobs....just a few years ago, there was a massive driver shortage, now there is a job shortage. The best jobs go to the drivers who offer the most competitive resume'. There are a lot of newbies with high hopes getting into the industry and becoming VERY disappointed when it didn't live up to their expectations. Now isn't the best time to get into trucking if you are looking for a secure, high-paying job right off the bat. If your current job is paying the bills, stick with it until the economy recovers. In the meantime, do plenty of research. Not a career change to enter into lightly. Here are a couple of good forums/chat groups that offer resources for prospective drivers: http://www.thetruckersreport.com/truckingindustryforum/ http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/trailertruckintech/
2. Yes, not all truck drivers travel from state to state. See if there are some local businesses that need truck drivers. Some where they use small trucks not big rigs. Big Rigs are the ones that go far away. You could also get a job as UPS or Fedex deliverer. They have there own area where they deliver things.
3. When I first started driving in 97, I drove for 4 months over the road, and then went to work local with a farm pick up company contracted to a Dairy. If you are in a farming community, you can look at feed delivery, livestock hauling, dairy tanker, fuel delivery, fertilizer delivery, etc, which are usually smaller companies that have more lax insurance requirements. Of course it helps to know someone who works there, so use every opportunity to network with these types of drivers.
4. You would be lucky to get a trash truck diving job with 6 mo exp. Plan on 1 to 2 yrs otr to get a decent local job