Question:
hello everyone im new to all this but always loved it. looking for some advice. im 23 yrs old engaged and staring a family soon and dont really wanna do otr. i wanna be home as much as possible. just wondering what the possibilities are of landing some local job or regional in which im only away a couple of days. i live in the miami or fort lauderdale area. i know this is really hard work and i dont mind the work just dont wanna be away for weeks at a time. it doesnt have to be a very good company i just want to get the experience. i start trucking school jan2 and im sure ill get some help there but wanna have a heads up on some things before getting there. i would greatly appreciate any advice i can get.

Answer:

You'll have quite the list of "not very good companies!"
Reearch, research, reasearch, find which one meets your needs now and for your foreseable future, then go with the one that comes out on top!
Everyone will have some drawbacks, so don't expect perfection!
If you "really don't want to do otr" then don't do it!
The indusrtry is well know for spitting out those that think and say they do want to! Failure rate is extremely high! 70% or higher maybe???
Good luck!

Answer:
Miami has a very high immigrant and second generation labor pool. Local and regional there as in Texas, California and New York is going to be hard as those places run a lot of drivers they wouldnt want to send out of state. Non-native drivers with their bad habits really stand out when they leave their home state a lot of times. Over the road is your best bet unless you find some niche that deals with customer service.***Patience is the hardest thing to learn..

Answer:
Why do you young people want to waste your life with a trucking job ? Nothing but dead end. Plenty of risks and liabilites for very little reward. Some of the worst benefits around, unless you go union. You'll be as high on the pay scale in 2-5 years as a guy that's been doing it 50 years. Why not go to a trade school ? Plumbing, electrician ? Healthcare - X-Ray, MRI, Cat Scan, PET Scan technician. $20-40 per hour ? Nursing pays $20-40 per hour. Paralegal work is becoming a nice job. Home mortgage lending can be lucrative. Land surveying is good. Goverment jobs are usually easy with great pay and retirement. Certified auto/diesel mechanic. Don't WASTE a minute of your life even thinking about trucking. Too many, much better choices out there. Put some research and physical, mental effort into it. Go hang out around a truckstop for a day or two, that should cure you of trucking. Why WASTE school money on a $10/hour job with no benefits ? To reach the magical 50K/year ( Nirvana to so many ) number in trucking you will have to just about live ( 24/7) at work. Remember, trucking is NOT a good paying job unless you put in 2-3 times the hours of normal workers. OTR trucking is not fit for an animal.______
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I'd rather die on my feet like a man than live on my azz hiding in a truck.........Sir James Brown

Answer:

Fred, I gave up trying to tell people it is no good. TI have been doing it almost 13 years and if you search my posts my stock answer is no. A couple times a year I get a mail telling me a reply has been posted and I get sucked back in reading this stuff.
Especially distressing to me is the guys that tell new ones that running a flatbed is a good company job. Never once has anyone ever pm'd me to ask questions. I dont hide on the net. Ill give someone my phone # if they want to talk.
Giving up for 2006. See you next year.***Patience is the hardest thing to learn..

Answer:
check out conway. not sure about web address. they have local linehaul and local city driver. they will pay for your school and let you work for them while you learn. i'm not sure you live in an area where conway exists but it is a good option.
good luck

Answer:
That Fred Garvin, I bet he has no friends and his kids hate him. He is so negative. Grumpy old man!

Answer:

You lose the bet. Fred in fact has friends here. One mans negative,
is anothers truth.
Answer:
I happen to like Fred. I don't think I've seen negatives come from him. But then, to most the truth isn't considered negative.

Answer:
Howdy, Fred.
Funny thing about them there flatbeds. In July, I had a tarped load, and told them that it would be my last; "I'll do no more". A couple of months later, I refused to do a smoke tarp, so they fired me. It was a good thing.
Since then, I've talked to quite a few people that have quit tarping. Too many people have spread the rumor that a flatbed is a higher paying job, for [ insert your favorite reason, here ].
The Truth hurts, Stuffs. But, not nearly as much as the illusions.
Too many people giving away too many freebies, drives the wage rate down.
Supply vs. demand. It is what it is.Government Ain't YO' Friend. Nor your Servant.
A Tax Reduces Incentive & Capacity. A Regulation is also a TAX.