I got my CDL in 2016 and drove bulk OTR for Schneider until March 2018, followed by doing a local spotter/shuttle gig until July 2019. I haven’t driven commercially since then and I’m looking to get back in the truck. Here are the details of my situation and my question:
In the first few months of my first job, I hit a trailer fender in the yard of a tank wash and scraped up the hood of my power unit. No citations, just a please don’t do that again by Schneider. Then about a year in I backed over a railroad crossing post. I know. I’m sorry. Again, no ticket, no fine (had one of those subscription lawyers get it thrown out). Again, Schneider let it go. I think they gadget me a write up, but they kept me on.
When I changed jobs, for better paying local work, I grazed a chain link fence in 2018 because I’m an idiot and decided to wipe the windshield fog (defroster in spotter truck was broken) while moving about 5 mph and drifted to the right a bit. Again, I know. I do. I deserve whatever you’re going to say to me about it, so, no worries, I have thick skin.
Finally, I got terminated from that job for a service failure in which I shuttled the wrong trailer to the wrong door. They unloaded the wrong product and had to spend time reloading it to get it to the right place. Service failure is, in writing, an automatically fireable offense, and so they did. That was two years ago.
It shook my confidence and I wasn’t sure if I belonged in a truck. I started door dashing and ubering to cover the gap in my income, found out I could make good money doing it, and have been doing it full time ever since.
The money has begun to dry up and I’m destroying my car putting 150 miles a day 6 days a week on it. I really miss being on the road and I believe I’ve learned some critical lessons about how important attention to detail and not taking shortcuts are to commercial driving. So here’s my question:
What, knowing my short history as a driver, should I tell recruiters and put on the applications and what should I shut up about? I know I have to tell them I was fired. Am I shooting myself in the foot telling them about non-DOT reportable accidents? Or will that come up and they’ll find out anyway? Should I shoot for 100% transparency and hope for the best? Thank you in advance.
What do I not say?
Discussion in 'Experienced Truckers' Advice' started by twelve25oh9, Oct 4, 2021.
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