All the horror stories, i need clarity!

Just from reading up on pretty much all carriers it seems like EVERY company has a major flaw. You see i fall into a pretty crappy select few, I went to a school for low income people in 2005. ROP Truck & bus driving program out of El Cajon, CA. Normal schools you pay 4000 to 5000 dollars and get your CDL in a month or so the school i went to took a year and only cost me 150 bucks total altogether, well the Gov of california axed this class and now it no longer exists! My problem is once i graduated in 2006 with my certificate and CDL i was hot, i got a local job driving gasoline tankers, then a job driving dump trucks, then lastly a class B driving job. All 3 of those jobs paid me 16.00 an hour or more which in San Diego aint to bad, but the thing is i have fallen on hard times i have not driven since early 09 and almost every carrier i contact says i need a refresher which will cost 1500 bucks with most companies or ill just have to go to school all over again! mind you i still have my CDL and med certificate, how stupid does that sound? I feel like in the trucking industry if you find local driving (which im sure 75% of drivers would like) you get penalized! Can someone tell me how unfair it is if you get a local dump truck driving job and stay with them for a few years then try over the road and they say sorry but that don't count buddy, only tractor trailor counts. It seems like to me that they will always make you pay if you sit, even on a local job.....

 

Thanks for the knowledge guys, I just want an opportunity and im going with CRST. I just hope i get this miles promised and a co driver im cool with. If they do promise me certain things like miles and home time should i ask for everything in writing? i appreciate any feedback......see you guys on the road im bout a month!