Looking to change careers. Any info or advice would be helpful.

Twistedsmoke · Oct 13, 2013

Hello all. I'm thinking about switching careers, and a buddy of mine is trying to get me to go into expediting. I have no insight or first hand knowledge about anything involved with this line of work. I would appreciate any help and advice that yall could give me, no matter how brutal. I have never had an OTR job in the past. I have driven tractors locally delivering beer to various grocery stores and bars for 5 years, and I currently work in transit. I have a CDL-A with a passenger endorsement. No wrecks, DUIs, or anything else on my record. I live in Nashville, TN. My buddy wants to start a team sometime after the new year. He says he has done this line of work for a short time before, but yet he is working the same job as me. After lurking around on EO for a short time, I figured I would just come out and ask for some advice. This site has already proven to be most helpful. In short, what would be a good company to start out with? Any companies to completely avoid? Are good paying loads hard to come by? Anything else I should get before taking this leap? My buddy is wanting to be a team on a straight truck, I believe. I also have nothing at the house holding me back. So, home time is not a big deal for me. I will be 30 next week, single, and my kids live out of state. I would like to find some time to make it to see my kids when I need to. Birthdays, etc... If that is a possibility in this industry. Thanks in advance for the help.

zorry · Oct 13, 2013

Call Expediter Services.
If you meet their qualifications, they'll put you in a decent truck, with a decent carrier.
There will be no funny stuff. You'll get paid and treated right.
You live in a good area.
Good Luck.

ChanceMaster · Oct 13, 2013

No matter how good of friends you and your buddy are, expect that relationship to strain unless you BOTH are flexible and forward thinking regarding each other's time on the road. It can work, it can be profitable. We seem to get through Nashville quite a bit.

aquitted · Oct 13, 2013

If you live in Nashville get in with one of the entertainment trucking or coach companies. With a clean record and no felonies you will do well and get paid and treated well. Forget this expediting bull mess.

zorry · Oct 13, 2013

Excellent advice.

ChanceMaster · Oct 13, 2013

From what I understand the entertainment coach industry is tough to break into. You have to be recommended by somebody to fill a seat.

aquitted · Oct 13, 2013

Nope just takes persistence and patients and being able to convince the company that you aren't going to be a groupie (always hangin with the talent) and that you can deal with the headaches of that job and don't mind driving nights all the time. I did this for years and can't do it any longer due to my own stupidity. spring time is the best time to apply sumertime there isn't enough drivers for the companies that need them. I could go into more detail on this job if you need me to.

ChanceMaster · Oct 13, 2013

Interesting info. I used to own a limousine company and would transport B list celebs to our town from Detroit Metro . Jayne Seymour , James Keach, June Lockhart, Andrea Mitchell, etc. part of the job ( and why I was the preferred carrier) was to NOT discuss their celebrity.

BillChaffey · Oct 13, 2013

Twistedsmoke,
you and your buddy may want to rent a Motel room for a weekend and neither one of you leave for 72 hours. To see if you will want to be in a truck for weeks at a time.

spongebox1 · Oct 13, 2013

BillChaffey said:
Twistedsmoke,
you and your buddy may want to rent a Motel room for a weekend and neither one of you leave for 72 hours. To see if you will want to be in a truck for weeks at a time.

Rent a walk in closet instead of the room.

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Twistedsmoke · Oct 14, 2013

zorry said:
Call Expediter Services.
If you meet their qualifications, they'll put you in a decent truck, with a decent carrier.
There will be no funny stuff. You'll get paid and treated right.
You live in a good area.
Good Luck.

Thanks for the advice. I will certainly look into it.

Twistedsmoke · Oct 14, 2013

aquitted said:
If you live in Nashville get in with one of the entertainment trucking or coach companies. With a clean record and no felonies you will do well and get paid and treated well. Forget this expediting bull mess.

I have actually thought about that before. I worked with a guy that drove for some country singers awhile back. I'm not a big fan of some of those coaches though. I drive some of them now at my current job. Thank you for the advice.

Twistedsmoke · Oct 14, 2013

ChanceMaster said:
No matter how good of friends you and your buddy are, expect that relationship to strain unless you BOTH are flexible and forward thinking regarding each other's time on the road. It can work, it can be profitable. We seem to get through Nashville quite a bit.

I fully understand that. I think that we both have a good idea of what we want/expect. If all else fails, we could always go solo.

Moot · Oct 14, 2013

ChanceMaster said:
I used to own a limousine company and would transport B list celebs to our town from Detroit Metro . Jayne Seymour , James Keach, June Lockhart, Andrea Mitchell, etc.

Timmy's mom B List? I wouldn't want to be you when Lassie reads this.

layoutshooter · Oct 14, 2013

Wait till Micky D's starts paying $15 an hour and work there. You MIGHT just make more money then!

Good luck, spend a LOT of time in here reading past post. There is a LOT to learn in here. Welcome to the zoo!

NightDriver · Oct 14, 2013

Get your hazmat endorsement. Having ours has moved us ahead of everyone else on the board countless times, because the other teams ahead of us didn't have theirs. A tanker endorsement is a good investment, too.

Go here and do the tests over and over, until you know them by heart - then go get your endorsements!

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