getting into the expedited trucking

[kenworthangel]

I hold a valid cdl class B and am currently driving a school bus but want to move to expedited trucking this summer. Would I better to look for a team set-up to start with to gain some experience in this area or go solo? Many of the classifieds I have looked at ask for some experience. Would like some insight on this...

Thanks so much,
KWangel

 

[Weave]

Thinking back, the "ropes" of the job are not very hard to learn. I did it myself solo, and that was going in and out of Canada for Thompson Emergency hauling GM auto stuff, so I had to learn a lot of things quick, but it's mostly common sense stuff.
It would be a big advantage to run with an experienced teammate- you'll probably get longer runs and make more money esp. if you run for a bigger expedite co. Plus you would have someone to help you learn and be good company. But it is very possible to go it on your own if you can't tolerate another person in a truck with you.
ALWAYS start out driving somebody else's truck before you decide to buy your own. That way if you don't like OTR trucking, you can just walk away from it.
-Weave-
Almost forgot- If heading out on the road from a school bus, make sure your CDL has air brake and hazmat endorcements. Most of the bigger co.'s require the hazmat.

 

[mikecop]

Where do you live? Most people who inquire about expediting on this forum do not indicate where they live. The answers you may receive can be very different depending on where you live, how often you want to get back home, etc. Expediting from a home base of Detroit, Chicago, Dayton, Buffalo, etc. would be quite different than if your home base is New York, Jacsonville, etc.

If you don't care how often you get home, perhaps it doesn't matter where you live--but most people like to get home regularly. Being based in Detroit, I got home often, even if it would be only a few hours sometimes. Also, I could be 12th on the board on Monday morning, and still be out by early afternoon.

While I did not like the rates and the high percentage of GM loads at Tristate (Perrysburg, OH), I thought their dispatch system was the fairest and provided the best training for a newbie. If you decide to be a single driver, and if you live in MI, OH, IL, IN Tristate would provide the most steady miles. They have no experience requirement.

Landstar is a good one for team drivers. They require six-months experience. Their dispatch system using various agents, compared with central dispatch which the others use, takes a while to get accustomed to.