New CDL A Driver Facing Experience Barriers – Seeking Home Daily Or OTR Job Near DeKalb, IL!

My husband is a new CDL A graduate from Kishwaukee Community College (November 2024) with over ten years of experience driving emergency vehicles and Class B straight trucks, including hazmat transport. He has hazmat and tanker endorsements on his Class A license and is eager to work.

Unfortunately, he is facing the experience barrier that many new drivers encounter, with most companies requiring a year or more of CDL A experience due to insurance regulations. However, he is highly skilled, safety-conscious, and ready to prove himself to any company willing to take a chance on him.

Open to Both Home Daily and OTR – Looking for the Right Fit

Home Daily

Ideally, he would prefer a home daily position within a 30-minute drive of DeKalb, IL so he can help support me, as I am disabled and unable to work. Having him home daily ensures I have access to grocery shopping, medical appointments, and help with household tasks.

He is open to various types of local driving jobs, including:

Tanker, hazmat, or other specialized freight

LTL (Less-than-Truckload) or P&D (Pickup and Delivery)

Dedicated routes with daily home time

Local food service, fuel, or manufacturing deliveries

While we understand that many local positions require experience, he is willing to train, work hard, and prove his reliability to any company willing to hire him.

OTR (Over-the-Road)

If a home daily job is not available, he is also very interested in OTR driving, as long as I can ride with him immediately along with our cat.

We have looked into companies like Werner and Roehl, which allow passengers and pets, but they have waiting periods before allowing a spouse and pet onboard. Unfortunately, we cannot afford to wait months before I can join him, so we are looking for an OTR company that allows passengers and pets right away.

For OTR, we are looking for:

A terminal within 1.5 hours of DeKalb, IL

A pet and passenger-friendly policy with no waiting period

Regional routes preferred (avoiding NY, NJ, and CA)

Pay of at least $65,000+ per year

Health insurance benefits

Willing to stay out longer if I can be with him

Why Hire Him?

Clean driving record and strong safety focus

Experienced with emergency vehicles, hazmat, and heavy loads

Hardworking, responsible, and eager to prove himself

Dedicated to any company that takes a chance on him

We are in dire need of income due to my inability to work, and we are determined to find the right company that sees his potential. If anyone knows of home daily jobs near DeKalb, IL, or OTR positions with immediate passenger and pet approval, please let us know.

Any leads, advice, or connections would be greatly appreciated! Thank you! Thank you for keeping America moving!

This is going to sound mean, but it needs to be said.

Your HUSBAND is the one that needs to be looking.

For future readers, this is yet another reason why we preach company sponsored training. OP's husband is now in a situation worse than no CDL. He is rapidly approaching a "stale" CDL , which is one more barrier to finding a driving job.

Now, OP, all he can do is apply everywhere. He may have very little choice in the companies available to him, and your list of "he needs....." Makes those options fewer and further between. You mentioned having him home means you can go to Drs appointments and other obligations. How do you expect those same things to happen, while you are on the road as his passenger? Your list of expectations is actually unreasonable, especially for someone with zero experience.

1 thing that popped out at me, reading this list of "needs", was the "Immediate need to allow a passenger & pet".......That is NEVER gunna happen, since hubby hasn't even proven himself in the field of trucking.... And the insurance companies are who really hire drivers, not the company itself. They won't be willing to accept 2 "liabilities" out of the gate. Besides with the state of truck driving the past couple years has been in the toilet. So many companies have closed their doors and flooded the market with 10's of 1000's of VERY experienced drivers, who are seeking jobs.

Just have him apply everywhere and see who bites. Most community colleges have a job assistance program to help find their students a job

His best chance for a home daily gig might be food service. They seem to be the most willing to hire rookies due to many drivers not wanting to do the labor. Check for companies like Sysco, PFG, UNFI, McLane, ETC… in your area. Many of them use 2 drivers on a run for heavy routes which could serve as a training period. Food service is a lot of manual labor so he’s gonna have to be in decent shape. He could also possibly land a line haul spot but he will need a doubles/triples endorsement.

P&D is still pretty slow at the moment and wont pick up till spring depending on how the economy is doing. P&D for a new driver is tough, you are backing that trailer 10-15 times a day into some pretty tough spots.

If you are that disabled, have you looked into disability payments? If you have worked any appreciable amount in the past, you would qualify for SSDI. If you haven't, then the state would pay you under the SSI program.

If you need help shopping, going to doctors appointments and even help with household cleaning, you should be able to get help from different agencies. I have 10 years OTR when my company went bankrupt last May and let 80+ drivers go. That's the second company that has stranded me from my home base. So I've decided that I will do local. Out of over 30 applications for local driving, I have had two responses and they were both not willing to take me on. So I've applied to grocery stores, Farm and ranch stores, offices that need just minimal computer work and never have heard from them. I finally got a job last week with the company that does in home health care. I have a client that is in her 50s with various health issues. Medicaid is paying my company who is paying me to go over there for 3 to 4 hours a day, 5 days a week to help. If she is having a good day, I encourage her to do dishes or sweep her kitchen and bathroom. She's had several bad days, so I do those tasks along with laundry if she needs it done and vacuuming. I don't do heavy cleaning but if she wanted me to wash windows I would do them. She is allowed 1.75 hours to go shopping and I would take her to Walmart. She does have a husband but he works 6 days a week 12 hours a day. He is off Mondays so he does go and pick up her medicines. You need to look into something like that. As others have stated, your expectations are way out of line for a beginner with no experience.

Have him take a look at Stron logistics out of Hampshire. Dayton Freight also has a big terminal in Hampshire. Usually a few trucking companies out of Rockford are always hiring. McMahon dairy out of Huntley could be an option also.

No idea what their requirements are or how busy they are but they are local.

I'm a bit disappointed by some of the responses I've received. I thought Trucking Truth was a supportive community, and I'm simply trying to help my husband navigate the job search process and avoid burnout. We're facing a difficult situation, and a little empathy would be greatly appreciated. We're not just casually looking for any job; we're trying to find something that pays enough to cover our high cost of living in Illinois and prevent us from becoming homeless.

NaeNaeInNC, while I appreciate your response, I felt it lacked understanding of our circumstances. Job searching is incredibly stressful, and my husband is diligently working hours each day – applying, interviewing, following up – to find a job. We're facing the very real possibility of homelessness, and the high cost of living in Illinois, coupled with limited living-wage job opportunities, makes this a constant worry. While we acknowledge the challenges related to his lack of specific CDL driving experience, he is actively seeking suitable positions, including non-driving roles within the trucking industry. He's a recent graduate of a diesel mechanic program, so he has relevant skills. Regarding my own situation, some challenges could be managed through virtual appointments if he pursues OTR driving. We believe OTR offers more viable options than local work at this time, given the limited opportunities and lower pay in our area. Living with a disability and without assistance presents significant hurdles, and I'm sure anyone in a similar position would explore all available avenues. Thank you for your input.

Stevo Reno, thank you for your input. However, my question pertains to US-specific issues, such as regulations and job markets within the United States, so your advice, while appreciated, isn't applicable in this case.

Delco Dave, thank you for the information and suggestions. My husband has been working with the college's job assistance program since graduation, but their industry connections have proven somewhat limited. He's already interviewed with some of the companies you mentioned, and we're awaiting responses. I will definitely pass along the other companies you listed. We've also looked into some local trucking companies, but they either aren't hiring or the pay is too low to meet our needs.

Regarding the double and triple endorsements, he's considering those, but we're unsure about the affordability of the required training. If I understand correctly, these endorsements require a specific training program beyond the basic CDL? Could you clarify that? Any information about financial assistance for this training would also be appreciated. We appreciate your advice and will explore these options further. Thank you for your help; we are grateful for your insights. Stay safe, and thank you again!

Lol Kelly, my new residence is IN the Philippines, BUT I am a Cali native, born and raised, and drove OTR 3 years, before retiring early and moving away.....

Yes you are in a sucky state, and a citizen that can't get any of the goodies they gave the illegals there....I have empathy for your situation, but like I posted it will take time when, and IF, hubby gets driving before you could ride along. Again the Insurance companies are stringent on hiring drivers, much more so, with how bad trucking and freight has gotten.

That's why it's stressed here, go with company training rather than private, then you're guaranteed a job after. Private schools are just more like puppy mills. Fill the seats, take your money, and turn ya loose to fend for yourself in a job search....

Old School wrote a book on trucking, maybe read that as well for some great info/insight on trucking. the ladies also have extensive experience....

Anyway, I wish you 2 good luck in your search, and moving forward in your endeavors

Have you tried looking in Aurora? There are a ton of trucking companies there. ABC supply is hiring a driver there.

Hogan is hiring a yard spotter in Dekalb that might be worth apply to.

Doubles/triples is just a written test, however LTL work is slow right now.

Your list of requirements is fairly unrealistic, especially considering the current state of trucking. You may need to drop a few of them for at least a year.

Meso... while we appreciate your situation, you do not comprehend the challenges your husband faces. Do you want the truth, or do you want your hand held?

Truth.. NaeNae was right. Your husband is no longer a "recent grad". He has not used CDL and to most companies and their insurance carriers, that means he has to go through schooling or some sort of refresher course all over again. At prime he would need to go through a longer training period and make less money than if he went through Prime's CDL program.

Truth... by you being the one to inquire about this, it makes your husband look weak, uncommitted and unmotivated. We get a lot of wives in your position seeking advice for husbands. My company even gets calls from wives to recruiters and dispatchers after they are hired. It is inappropriate, so please do not do that. Indeed, working 14 hr days is stressful. We all do it here and we post advice for free. Taking what little personal time we have to try to answer questions. So perhaps you should try being a little empathetic yourself.

Like it or not, what you are seeking is very very unlikely. Your husband will have to go OTR for several months just for training. Prime will allow you to go with him as soon as he completes training and gets his own truck. But training means him teaming. Which takes several months.

Also, and i am not asking, just want you to consider life on the road for someone in your condition. Climbing in and out of the truck. Walking far distances to restrooms and showers. Even if you have a handicap plate, the distance is far. Extreme temps. Living in a rolling closet with a man and a pet. Sleeping in a twin bed. It isnt exactly a fun life for newbies. It is challenging and uncomfortable.

Trucking companies won't hire new drivers for local due to insurance companies. No way will he be able to run fuel for 2 years. Backing and small streets are very difficult for newbies. Often those starting that way set themselves up for failure. Can it be done? Perhaps. Dock to driver type of programs, but since he has a CDL, i don't know if it would apply.

My mother was 83. I ordered all of her meds and food online. She couldnt drive herself. If you can see doctors online while OTR why not from home?

We do understand. I myself was $70,000 in debt and depressed. I was on the verge of being evicted and losing my car. But I was the one who sought out info. So that I could understand it. If you are conveying info to him, it gets diminished like copying a copy.

I say he should probably look for a class B job. It would allow him to be home. Perhaps work as a yard dog.. he would get backing practice.

The trucking industry is very tough right now. Many of us are making significantly less than we were 2 years ago.

Good luck, apply everywhere.