Question:
Hello all
Since this is my first post I should probly give my back story. I just graduated from college in June and while I was in college I worked for a trucking company hauling localy in the Sacramento area. Before I settle into a career, I would really like to drive OTR for a year or 2 to see the country. I have a problem though in that my experiance is limited to 2 axle trucks pulling 28' doubles. I've never driven a 3 axle truck and I've never pulled a single trailer longer than 28'. I talked to Werner today and they said to hire me I would have to have at least 3 months experiance pulling a trailer at least 40' long, or I would have to be a recent trucking school graduate. The recruiter also said that as far as she knew, all the other OTR companies had basicly the same requirements. So my question is, are there any companys out there that will hire me with the experiance that I have? I don't want to spend a couple months and a couple thousand dollars to go to trucking school when I've already got a fair amount of experiance driving a truck. I would like to drive for a company that will send me all across the US if possible, but I would settle for a regional company in the west for a few months if thats what I have to do to get the experiance I need to go OTR.
Thanks

Answer:
Have you tried Swift, or Watkins? BOL

Answer:
U.S. Xpress has a driving school in Medway, Ohio that could train you, then you'd be out with a trainer for six weeks before going solo.
I worked as a trainer for USX before becoming an Owner-Op several years ago.
If you live in Sacramento, they do have a terminal there, and you can run Western Regional for them, and get a local position eventually (depending on what you want). Best of luck to you, and be safe!
"Creatin' Chaos- Coast to Coast!", but doin' it safely!
ASE Certified Diesel Technician who found a love for the road!Not liable for any information posted.

Answer:
Doesn't USX have autoshift transmissions? That would sure take the fun out of it.

Answer:
Just don't go by what Weiner's recruiter tells you about the other companies. Get on the phone and call the other places personally. Also go down to a nearby truckstop and ask around or drive around your loacal area looking for some trucking terimals. Also you may want to post and ad in your local paper advertising that you are a cdl holder looking for a job. I had a cousin of mine do that and he landed a job the next day after it ran in the paper.
The truth will always prevail.

Answer:
You might try Gordon Trucking They pull a lot of double 28's, and they also have 48's and 53's. they are mostly NW regional, but if you get in and get some experience with longer trailers, then you could move on.
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Answer:
I just got done talking to Gordon. They were ok with my experiance but said I would probly have to spend a week or 2 with a trainer, which is fine with me and would probly be a good idea anyway. Any advice for inerviewing or road tests? I've only worked for one company, so I'm not very familiar with the whole hiring process. Also, for the road test, is it better to double clutch or is it ok if I float the gears when I shift? I was taught to float the gears and I always have and I can do it well, but I can double clutch if I have to.