Becoming a trucker with a family

Some new cdl grad in your area was hired by a tanker outfit and home pretty often, Don't remember the name of the company though since that was a few months ago. There's good money in tankers, so look around your area and apply, even if the website has "experience required."
Be sure to get the tanker/hazmat endorsements even if you don't think you need it right now. This way you're prepared when that cushy job pops up.
Old Dominion Freight Line hires new cdl grads. You can go right into linehaul, which is drop & hook. They've been recruiting all over PA cdl schools for new grads so probably need them all over.

 

You can go local or regional right out of the gate. All sectors of trucking have different skill sets and demands on your body/personal life/nerves. Do whats best for you. Regional line haul gives the best pay vs home time but is 95 percent night running. Local is usually home daily or ever other. Pays less on average. Otr... well its otr.

 

Aside from the basic stuff, few things to keep in mind, 1. Try to stay with your first employer for at least a year. And 2. Protect your cdl/record. Your mvr is your lifeblood. Dont drive dirty, illegal, or dangerous. Dont let anyone force you to do so. The blame lies with you when you take out a truck that is not road worthy. Ect...

 

I know you're tired of throwing boxes, but foodservice often pays quite well, home a few nights a week, normally only a 4.5-5 day workweek.
I enjoyed OTR, and still miss it, but I don't recommend transferring into the lifestyle with your family already established. Save OTR for when your kiddos are older , out of the house, or off to college.
You don't get back days that you've lost, missing plays at school, being there to tuck in your kiddo and just chat for a few minutes every night, etc.
At least with regional you'll still make good money in your area, and will be home weekends, and less than a day away if you ever have a family emergency at home.

 

Wife might be strong now to take care of three roaming kids. Give it 6 weeks and you are 2000 miles from home trying to patch your marriage together when she has had enough over the phone.

You will be a force to be reckoned with around warehouses, that should be good for something. But the other side is now you will find that your delivery appt will be set and you gotta be on time. Then sit around for hours waiting for a dock as if they could care less.

Experience? Ha. A monkey or Otto Robot can drive. It's the Human that keeps those trucks from killing people or allowing stupid darwin people from killing themselves under your wheels.

I don't have much to type tonight, These are the very best years your kids will ever have with you and if you would throw it away roaming the USA... then your children will become strangers.

 

You definitely dont need otr experience to go local. There is a higher demand for otr drivers, so that's what they push. Getting local may require a trade off to start, either pay or schedule, but the 2 are different animals. Some people can do both, most people excel in one or the other. When going for local, with low experience, your selling your drive and ambition. Not your experience.

 

You can start "regional", and still be home most weekends for 36-48hrs. Better than wasting your time resetting out on the road away from family.
You actually might be able to go local "out of the box" with your current warehouse background. Quite a few companies look for driver/warehouse combo drivers. You would make more than a regular warehouse guy, and would also get to break up the monotony doing deliveries.