Why wont trucking companies>>>

OK. I read that about 8 times, and I think I understand what you're asking (you'll have to excuse me.........................................I'm a little slow!) but with 5 month's experience, you're not a rookie or newbie - you're an experienced driver - who quit after working for 5 months.

so let's look at this from a company's perspective....a student fresh out of school applies to a company as a trainee - with a stable job history - let's say 3 years at their last job. you come along and also apply to same company - but you quit your last job after 5 months (yes, I know your reason, and so may the company, but at the end of the day, you put in 5 months, and then let them know you could no longer do the job.) potential hire #3 comes along - he has 5 years of driving experience with one company - he was laid off 2 weeks ago due to slow freight. so out of these 3 potential employees, 2 are more likely to get hired than the other. which one will the other be?

if you think you're the only one in this position, think again. I've been out of work for one year now. I have 3 years of experience. no tickets, no wrecks, perfect record. but I'm running into the same wall. a lot of "no recent experience" responses from potential employers. well no sh%t I don't have recent experience - have they turned on a news program in the last 12 months? I hear the economy isn't doing so well and companies have been laying people off!! I might have to go back to driving school, fork out another $3,000 so I can get another trucking job making $5/hour. you think I'm about to be doing all that?

 

Well said chief,,, yeah 5 months...good luck there are so many drivers out there right now needing work that these big companies are able to pick who they want and who they dont....before the economy went south this would not have been a problem...companies needed bodies behind the wheel now that the pool for drivers is full they are really being selective...so many companies gone under and so many out of work

 

Most big companys are looking for 6 months exp. You are just under that, but they are now able to pick and choose allot.
Many many companys should be out of business right now and are not because lenders are letting them make part payments on trucks or suspending payments till things change. The think it will hurt them less in the long run if the company stays in business.
Probibly will, but they are making the problem worse. We have the worse excess capacity issue ever. Way more trucks on the road than loads for them, so rates (which were already way to low) are lower than ever.
I mean you look at loads from Texas, Chicago, Detroit, Jersey ect.
Most of the loads in these areas are posted at around 1.00 a mile. That is nuts.
The big companys can run them if they have too, but it is right at the cost of the load for them to move it.
Smaller companys need more per mile to move the freight, so they are actually loosing money every mile they move the freight. The only thing keeping most of these companys alive is the holding back on new truck payments and the old contracts they have at higher rates.

I am now looking myself. I have plenty of recent experiance. I loved the company I was with but I was laid off due to lack of freight in June. I will now have to find something to get me working till some time next year when there freight comes back. So I will probibly not find a possition like I had before. I was home every weekend, free medical insurance, very good equipment ect.

 

Alot of this is what has already been mentioned along with the insurance companies. They are the ones requiring the "recent experience" in most cases unless you have just graduated school.

 

For the sake of comparison. Let's say you have a 16 ounce cup. And your trying to fill it with a 5 gallon bucket of water. Is it all going to fit in there?

This industry has lost over 100,000 jobs in the past 12 months. Possibly more.

So the question is, How many of those have more than 5 months experience? And how many of them are standing in line with you for that job?

Even with MY experience. It took almost 3 months for a return call from a company I had applied to. They had simply frozen hiring at the beginning of the year.

 

I understand your point but also a trucking company is going to look at experience levels and determine who less of a risk to them. They may see you with only 5 months as too much of a risk right now where as someone who has say 3 years or more has a more established work and driving record. I'm not saying it's fair but with the way the economy is right now, companies can and will be picky about who they hire. Keep your chin up, some reputable company will give you a chance. Just gotta be patient.

 

Here in lies the problem.

Many of the Government offered retraining programs are "Truck Driver". So a down market, is being flooded with cheaper labor...IE less experienced, willing to work at training pay.

Don't let the "insurance" BS sidetrack you. While it does play a major role in company hiring practices. It is not the driving force behind the current downturn in the market at this time.

Cheap labor is driving the bus here. Nothing else.

If a company can reduce payroll by 10 million per year. They can sustain a 1 or 2 million dollar increase in insurance fees.