Returning CDL drivings after long break...

about two weeks ago I made the decision to fall back onto my CDL from when I drove in the 90's.

I had done some farm stuff with it in 2000 and 2004. Some army stuff with it in 2003-5. Nothing recently.

I got the same answer a lot of folks did. Not without 6 month recent experience in the last 12 months or 12 in the last 3 years.

A week ago, I wrote a business plan to buy a truck and go independent. Bank accepted the business plan and wanted 30% down. OUCH. To cover first 2 months expenses and the down payment was over $30K.

Talked to a couple of different people.

There ARE companies out there that will hire an "older" CDL holder whose experience is not "recent". You just have to find them.

Don't look at the mega carriers only. One company has 120ish trucks. The one I am looking to start with is only 26 Regional trucks.

And WATCH the BASIC score. I found a couple of local companies that have been looking for drivers. Their maintenance score was high and creating alerts. Talked to some other drivers that had worked for them and the owners just didn't care to maintain the trucks. Wouldn't invest the amount of money needed. As such, scales pull them in every time they cross one. Made for not so fun times for them.

Same thing with the HOS and logbooks.

ETA:
The company I am looking to drive for has 26 trucks. Talking with the owner today, he's been in business for 60 years. I am pretty sure he's 3rd generation. I didn't get into it. He is BIG on preventive maintenance. Almost anal. He has them pull the trailers in all the time to make sure they are up to date on services. I like that. Down time can bite you bad. I'd rather replace belts at a service interval than at a break-down myself. So that part is a fit for us.

When you come home for a weekend, the power units go into the shop for a once over. Mechanics are always looking at them. Same with the Reefer units. Most reefer and power units are 2010 or newer. The last of the 09 stuff is in the process of getting traded off now.

The drivers he is looking to replace are not just quitting on him. They are retiring. That's how long these guys have been with the company.