No work for ex-drivers?

in short, yup. Companies are droppin like rocks. Maybe in July when CSA 2010 kicks in and 50%+ drivers are forced to quit you might have a chance.

 

Lowbudget,what CSA stands for, sorry for the ignorance

 

http://csa2010.fmcsa.dot.gov/
But just run a search here or watch new posts . There are several threads on CSA 2010

 

SkiMania, I think there are still jobs out there. In the central NC area, and especially the Charlotte area, there are starting to be more and more ads for drivers in the newspapers.

Some of that may be that business is picking up a bit, but it might also be because there are drivers who are calling it quits and getting off the road, because they just can't make the money that they need.

What will make it difficult for you is that your past experience won't count for anything. I've found the same thing. Just about every company wants recent experience, anywhere from 6 months to 3 years. By recent, they mean in the past year or maybe 2. The companies will tell you it's a insurance requirement, but I'm not convinced. And that's if you have a current CDL.

In your case, your plan regarding getting your CDL again won't help. Just about all companies will be looking for you to have just graduated from a full school.

They want cheap labor, not people who already know what they are doing but might be looking for a decent wage.

I've got past experience, and have kept my CDL current all along. So far, the smaller, better, companies aren't hiring, and the mid-size companies want the recent experience. I haven't called any of the large, so called bottom feeder companies, but they might be my only chance. And even some of them, Schneider for example, are requiring 6 months recent.

Good luck, and keep us posted.

Jim F

 

Everyone is missing a key point...he let his CDL expire...now he has to go back to the beginning to start over...welcome you experienced rookie/newbie/wannabe...get my point..you will be one to any company a newb...but don't ask for credit for your years of experience...if you want back in that is!

 

it's not managment it's the insurance companies who rule the roost. Even forfeting your cdl doesnt matter. After 3 years you are considered as having no experience. And what's worse it's not even three years driving. If you go local for three years OTR companies can't hire you. which is the stupidist thing in the world

 

the discussion about the OTR vs Local has been attended here on this forum many times (recently)...I guess that big, scary, 53 foot trailer, might really be tough for a pup jockey to manage around corners on the Interstate...NOT

 

I went through about the same thing 6 years ago. Plenty of past experience, then went off to try another career and gave up the old class-8 license. Then when the itch to drive just wouldn't go away, I came back and had to start again.

I did find a company that sent me through their "training program" in 4 days, teamed up for 3 trips with another driver, then released to run solo. BUT, my pay was that of a rookie and it bothered me greatly. I did switch to another company in 6 months and pay got to about par at the end of the 1st year. This was all 6 years ago and I doubt the current economy make it that easy for you. Good luck.