Looking to get back into trucking...

BlackJack

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I picked the wrong time to get into trucking - back in '06. I drove for a few companies until '08, but I got tired of being broke sitting at home waiting to be called while I was falling deeper into debt. Now I'm tired of trying to get lazy people jobs; they'd rather work only if they have to.

Now I'm in a better place financially and figured it wouldn't be so bad to jump back in the driver's seat. I don't have dreams of making a fist full of money or working for a company with benefits like Google. I just want to work for a decent company (pay/benefits) and stay gainfully employed year round.

I still have my CDL (double/triples and tanker endorsements), have no speeding tickets, or accidents. I just haven't been behind the wheel in a few years. Any suggestions?
 
many times, you may be told you need a refresher course.

check with what ever schools are near you for such.

it'll be tough (in some situations) to even have a mom/pop place hire you as well, as thier insurance company will demand a refresher.

as in the first time you started, you will most likely be at the bottom all over again, albeit, it might be a shorter time to the top pay scale.

from 08 till now, that'll be 9 years of inactivity.

you lost any experience you had, from the insurance company's view.

but before you do any more searching, have you a current DOT health card..??

and if not, can you pass a DOT physical this time as well..?????

let us know how it works out for you.

good luck
 
many times, you may be told you need a refresher course.

check with what ever schools are near you for such.

it'll be tough (in some situations) to even have a mom/pop place hire you as well, as thier insurance company will demand a refresher.

as in the first time you started, you will most likely be at the bottom all over again, albeit, it might be a shorter time to the top pay scale.

from 08 till now, that'll be 9 years of inactivity.

you lost any experience you had, from the insurance company's view.

but before you do any more searching, have you a current DOT health card..??

and if not, can you pass a DOT physical this time as well..?????

let us know how it works out for you.

good luck


Thanks for the reply. I figured that I would have to take a refresher course; I actually would want to since it's been so long. I don't have a current DOT health card, but I shouldn't have any problems passing a DOT physical since I'm in decent shape. I'll be sure to keep you updated on my progress.
 
Thanks for the reply. I figured that I would have to take a refresher course; I actually would want to since it's been so long. I don't have a current DOT health card, but I shouldn't have any problems passing a DOT physical since I'm in decent shape. I'll be sure to keep you updated on my progress.
well i should have mentioned, (but did not know before hand you did not have a current DOT card), but when you let a DOT card lapse, and in some states, you simply cannot just get a new one. they actually MAKE YOU go and do everything all over again. which means CDL written testing as well as road testing.

best that you find that out, from your state.
 
Buy a used Tractor,or lease a newer one & get hooked up with Amazon,they've bought thousands of trailers their looking for drivers.
 
well i should have mentioned, (but did not know before hand you did not have a current DOT card), but when you let a DOT card lapse, and in some states, you simply cannot just get a new one. they actually MAKE YOU go and do everything all over again. which means CDL written testing as well as road testing.

best that you find that out, from your state.

I went back to one of the schools that I attended (
well i should have mentioned, (but did not know before hand you did not have a current DOT card), but when you let a DOT card lapse, and in some states, you simply cannot just get a new one. they actually MAKE YOU go and do everything all over again. which means CDL written testing as well as road testing.

best that you find that out, from your state.

I went back to the school that Yellow sent me to when I drove for them, and I'll be taking a refresher course at the end of next month. I just have to take a physical and a drug test before the first day. Since I'm a vet, it's all paid for. My original school that I trained with partnered with KLLM, and they wanted $2K or I could work for them for 6 months making "up to" a little over $500 per week. That's not going to happen.
 
Getting back into the trucking industry would not be a bad idea. The trucking industry is in a good place right now and it would welcome you back for sure! If you have any questions, let us know!- The Speedco Team
 
You lost nothing getting out of this industry. Consider yourself lucky. I wouldn't come back.

DoubleD, just about every industry has its ups and downs. I've worked in Corporate America and it's full of liars, backstabbers, and cowards. I've worked in sales and people are too busy pretending to have money, spend it on things that they don't need, and like to buy, but hate to be sold to. I've worked in the prison system (Stateville), and that was good until I worked for a shift commander that was a punk in his own home, and tried to be a man at work. On top of that, the state is incarcerating more people with mental issues than ever! I'm not interested in coddling every inmate that claims he has a mental issue. So, I might as well just deal with what the transportation industry dishes out and roll with the punches.
 
UPDATE:

So, it looks like no company is willing to hire me due to me not having any recent experience. Even if I went back and did a refresher course, it's looking like most companies would want me to go OTR, because I haven't driven in so long. I've been talking to one company whose name I won't mention right now that wants to send me back to school and hire me to drive regional. I'll try to stick it out with them for a year and then see if anything is better.
 
UPDATE:

So, it looks like no company is willing to hire me due to me not having any recent experience. Even if I went back and did a refresher course, it's looking like most companies would want me to go OTR, because I haven't driven in so long. I've been talking to one company whose name I won't mention right now that wants to send me back to school and hire me to drive regional. I'll try to stick it out with them for a year and then see if anything is better.

If you can stick it out that year then most all of the LTL's will hire someone with a minimum of one year recent experience. Good luck friend.
 
Apostolic,

WE know you know:

Most if not all the "mega carriers" have reduced their Driver Requirements/Qualifications to a weak 3 months experience, which as well qualifies these folks to be Trainers, like at swift, usa, barr-nunn, celadon, covenant, pam, stevens transport, werner, and numerous other companies.
c.r.england has recently been granted the ability to have TRAINEES drive (with a PERMIT) while their Trainer is NOT in the passenger seat.
CRST has filed for the same issuance. Other companies will follow. Trucking will continue to travel the greasy highway into the abyss of ignorance.
- - - -

When Trucking WAS good and a Profession (Remember when Truckers were called Knights of The Highway??, experience requirements were at least 2 years minimum at QUALITY companies.
What company/companies still possess QUALITY??
I'm curious, Thank You.
- - - -
Keep the left door closed!!
Keep the shiny side UP and between the ditches!
ARRIVE ALIVE!!

CHEERS!!
 
DoubleD, just about every industry has its ups and downs. I've worked in Corporate America and it's full of liars, backstabbers, and cowards. I've worked in sales and people are too busy pretending to have money, spend it on things that they don't need, and like to buy, but hate to be sold to. I've worked in the prison system (Stateville), and that was good until I worked for a shift commander that was a punk in his own home, and tried to be a man at work. On top of that, the state is incarcerating more people with mental issues than ever! I'm not interested in coddling every inmate that claims he has a mental issue. So, I might as well just deal with what the transportation industry dishes out and roll with the punches.
You certainly have the right experience ! There are tons of people in the trucking industry now with mental issues. It's also full of liars, backstabbers and butt-kissers. Management is full of "punks" like you encountered at Statesville. Companies are so desperate for drivers and dock workers, they will hire just about anyone. That makes your likelyhood of being hired very good, but then you will have to deal with the riff-raff that was hired with less-than-ideal experience or background. Those people are dragging down the entire industry, the wages, the reputation, the equipment, the benefits and the morale. In short "it ain't what it used to be 20 years ago or even 10 years ago". Good luck - it's now a "buyers market" for someone looking for a job that can actually pass a drug screen and has a clean record. Your skills and experience will be what a lot of companies want - so try to pick the one that works the best for YOU. As you know the HR Dept. or recruiter will lie through their teeth about the so called "good points" of their company - so web sites like this can get you the facts about any particular company or the union - both good and bad.
 
UPDATE:

So, it looks like no company is willing to hire me due to me not having any recent experience. Even if I went back and did a refresher course, it's looking like most companies would want me to go OTR, because I haven't driven in so long. I've been talking to one company whose name I won't mention right now that wants to send me back to school and hire me to drive regional. I'll try to stick it out with them for a year and then see if anything is better.
It'll be more fun when all carriers (except those with model year trucks of 2000 and older) will be under the E.L.D. mandate beginning in December.
Like there has not been a NOTICEABLE INCREASE in Truck accidents, crashes, wrecks.
Also, most if not all carriers will be going to AUTOSHIFT/AUTOMATIC because of the growing population of new breed "drivers" that have not the ability to work ANY type manual transmission.
They appear to have enough problems backing while forward as well appears too complex for most as the TB Accidents Forum confirms.

WE hope The Best for You and Yours!
CHEERS!!
 
Yup the good old days are long gone,such as when I learned to drive a farm tractor at age 8,was driving a car on the road without a license,at 15.
Got my drivers license to drive 4 wheelers at 17,got my first driving job for a non-union warehouse at 18.
Got in the union at 21,worked the dock & learned how to drive Semi in the trucking company's yard.

Pretty much the rest is history other than my best teacher was experience,which was not all very pleasant.
However everything worked out,until retiring from the trucking industry,after 45 years.
Now keeping in touch with LTL trucking on this here message board.
 
Honestly job hopping is the worst thing you can do.

For starters, every time you switch jobs you're going to start at the bottom of the barrel. If you keep switching jobs then the bottom of the barrel is where you'll stay. You're really limiting yourself in the long run as you won't have any paid vacations or 401k saved up, and you won't get the annual raises most carriers offer. Plus, most carriers that do pay decently won't consider hiring a job hopper.

I know of quite a few drivers that have twice the experience I do, but make half the money I do because they can't hold a job more than 3 months.

There's no such thing as the perfect job. Commit yourself to a carrier and stick it out through the good and bad times.
 
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