Profile For Ken P.

Sounds good, thanks!

If I have to start out OTR driving, do you think any company would allow my wife to accompany me?

Well Terry, reality is what it is, so I appreciate you putting the info out there.

I'll start doing some research on trucking in the south Florida area (my wife's issues start when the temp get's down to 50 degrees and lower, so it looks like the most southern parts of Florida would be best).

I'm just hoping that having my CDL might be a more marketable skill than the medium experience I have in the IT field. Besides just thinking that truck driving would better suit me.

Let me tell you, don't think trucking jobs are growing on trees in Florida. I live near Daytona beach. It's affordable with the otr job I have but local is a whole different ball of wax. There are so many damn drivers here that job openings get saturated with applicants. So the local companies sick and adhere to the 12 months experience to the letter. And the pay is not what you think.

Next I hope you're planning on living near a major city. Orlando Jacksonville, Miami. Otherwise you'll be commuting to those cities every day to drive. Local jobs are scarce trust me. I've got a couple companies I'm trying for but the won't look at me until I have 12 months recent experience.

Florida is a great place to visit, a tough place to live.

Thanks for the advice. I was hoping that it would be easier to find a trucking job in Florida compared to the unsuccessful job searching I've done trying to get computer / IT jobs there (or in the Greater Cincinnati area).

But you're saying I should expect to have a trucking job up here for at least a year before looking for one in Florida?

Can you explain what you mean by 70/80?

Yes, do that. In fact, get a pair of prescription Sunglasses also, and keep a copy of your prescription with you so you can hit a one hour eyeglass place on the road if need be.

If you are an old guy like me, you'd be out of service without your glasses.

Tracy

Good idea, wouldn't have thought about that.

I also read somewhere that you are required to have atleast 2 pairs in truck, in case anything happens to 1 pair you'll have backup

That crossed my mind - that would be a good idea.

Thanks for all the advice. I'll get the money, go through the training, and see what the possibilities are. The biggest issue is the decrease in income, but maybe I'd just look for my first trucking job in Florida, and get a place to live that is affordable for that income.

Thanks, maybe I could get a trucking job and keep my Walmart second shift job.

I'm waiting to hear from Walmart about a second shift part time position to start saving for my driving school tuition.

After I get my CDL, I would like to move from Kentucky to Florida.

Since it appears I would be taking about a $6,000 / year cut in pay to be a truck driver (from the salary statistics I've seen), I'm wondering about truck driving part time in Kentucky for a while to get the experience to make more driving in Florida.