Help!

... 50 miles depending on the route could take upwards of an hour. After a 12+ hour day that is the last thing anyone wants to end the day with, or begin the next day with. A real grind. In addition local work can be challenging for a new driver fresh off the mentor's truck. Could be a tough situation.

KaSandra will need to research this further.

10-14hr days. It is very tough. I've done it for a year and it's taken its toll. On the other hand, I have experienced some of the joys of earning a nice paycheck that's all mine.

KaSandra, you have my support and I wish you the best. I hear ya. Gotta' do what you gotta' do. I am a veteran and a 1-year driver and this is a tough profession. My second year has to be better than the first. Find a local P&D company. Some of them even have you work on the dock and train at the same time. If you go over the road , your half-grown kiddos won't have you around much. (A few days a month) You will be gone plenty, even locally.

Send me a personal email if you want to, no problem.

-mountain girl

wow..I needed this...:)...I am real determined to do this..My kids know Mom has to survive and they support me fully ..but I just am tryna not leave them ..well, as little as possible, but I know my hours will be long..just dont wanna be gone for weeks..I FULLY understand about sacrifices in life ..That's why I have GREAT kids cause I sacrificed myself for their well being along the way (no regrets!:) and well I need to do this for ME now..which benefits them long term...I do not mind putting this out here...We all have stories :)....Thank you Mountain girl...I will definitely be in touch!~KaSandra

Right-on KaSandra. My Board of Directors (my kids) have been behind me all the way. It really helps. In the end, they'll think you're pretty cool. You can be a trucker and still be a mom. It all works out. You will learn a toughness of a different kind, that is "fo sho." LOL.

-mountain girl

With my current job I drive an hour to and fro....I do what I need to :)

But your current job is probably 8hrs/day, right? A local driver is probably about 12hrs/day.

I musta missed this..A long day is fine:) Im usually up at the LATEST by 4am...just dont wanna be gone every night ....or again, for weeks...

Yeah, count on 10-14hr days in a local job. If you get hired on with a local P&D (pickup and delivery) company, you will most likely have weekends off.

-mountain girl

My friend works "local", he goes in anywhere between 3 am to 5 am and is home around dinner time, and weekends. He makes about $60 000/year.

My friend works "local", he goes in anywhere between 3 am to 5 am and is home around dinner time, and weekends. He makes about $60 000/year.

I would LOVE to go in that early...I go to bed early and rise early so that would totally work!! 60,000 ain't too shabby ;)..Thank you RebelliousVamp!~

My friend works "local", he goes in anywhere between 3 am to 5 am and is home around dinner time, and weekends. He makes about $60 000/year.

How been has he been driving?

I just am tryna not leave them ..well, as little as possible, but I know my hours will be long..just dont wanna be gone for weeks..

If you are looking for a company sponsored school then you need to ask specifically how long it will take to get home. From Sept 19th to Nov 16th I was at prime before getting any home time. I went back on the road from Nov 26 to Dec 23 went home until Jan 6th.

This is while in training or I would get 4 days home every 30 days. My trainer determined home time. So other trainees did not get home for the holidays. Some lived near their trainers and one guy got one weekend home every two weeks.

Maybe someone here can point to a compnay sponsored training with more home time? I thought they all dI'd OTR at least at first. otr in training gives you the miles and experience you need to succeed regardless of where you wind up. But most of the companies want you to stay with then a year or so.

My friend works "local", he goes in anywhere between 3 am to 5 am and is home around dinner time, and weekends. He makes about $60 000/year.

How been has he been driving?

He's been with his company for 10 years, but he told me the rookies take home at least $800 after deductions.

KaSandra, like I said earlier, find a local freight company that trains (and pays you while you work on the dock). You will owe them at least a year commitment to working for them as a driver after your CDL training is completed but that's not a bad deal. Working locally is what you might be looking for anyway. Look into P and D local freight and see what they have to offer, training dock workers to be CDL drivers.

-mountain girl