stable work history

Thanks for a good post!

I'll always keep my CDL up to date.

 

These big companies dont want experienced drivers,with several years under there belts.You have to much knowlege.
They want someone young.that doesnt have too much experience.Somebody they can mold,into what they want.Somebody that will have to stay an put up with BS rules,policies,an just dumb crap.The large companies want robots,so you dont have to think for yourself,they'll tell you what to do.
As for me im 46,very independent.I like to be challenged,to think,make my own decisions use my own discretion for the benefit of the truck and the load.
These companies have no faith in the drivers anymore.no respect.And they dont care about people. The quality in people has diminished considerably,maybe thats another factor.

 

That was my opinion of CFI exactly most of their oldest hands only been there and didn't know when they was being dumped on.

 

Ive worked at 4 company's in the last 6 years, and got laid off little over a year ago. The last company i worked at was a few months ago(BS lease).
But reading over the forum i dont know if i want to go back to driving.
Even at Schneider i got to choose my own route and fuel where i wanted to(as long it was in there network), and now it seems that most company's what u to go their way and only fuel on that route, and wont pay for that route.
But because of when i got laid off i took the holidays off, then started looking in the spring and no one was hiring but the big boys, and i dont want JB, Swift, or the like.
back to the OP, before i started driving my work history is spotted, and just have 10 years now (grow up in a small town with little work).

 

When i started i know a lot about the biz, 3rd gen driver, grow up in a truck, asked my uncle a lot of qustens about trucking(dad died so i couldn't ask him). I know a lot of their rules were bs, but had to start somewhere. I go along to get along, but these companys expect respect form the driver, but well not give any back.

 

Well,I just interviewed for ten minutes with a reputable company. The safety man hints that along with CSA2010,the insurance companies are
rating your hire-ability to match your credit score. So keep the bills payed as well as possible. Mine sucks,as I haven't worked in a year and I was ripped by a broker for 23,000 on a truck I was trying to buy. Clean as a whistle driving record,no accidents,dui,speeding tickets since 1971,and none of same since 1978 when I first got the CDL. It has become the new
acronym of Criminal Drivers License,even though I have TSA hazmat,Fed class 1 background checks(7) for U.S. Mail.No one will hire me,with dry,refer,flats/doubles-triples,forklift/water tanker and boom.

Allow God And God Will Allow.
Wing

 

Keep the cdl. Even if you have to get a new physical,as Colorado requires.

Wing

 

Don't mean to hijack this thread or anything, but as far as a stable work history goes, I've had several jobs in the past years, I worked at Sonnys BBQ for 2 years, then went to a call center for about a year and 3 months, now I'm at the sheriffs office. I'm a deputy here, and I've been here for just over a year. I came to this job because it paid more that way I could save up faster and pay for truck driving school. Now that I have everything set up and ready to go to school, I'm wondering since some companies want a stable job history, could I be flagged? Every job I've had in the past I've left on good terms.

 

IMHO, your job history shouldn't hurt you. It looks like you are talking about approximately 3 jobs in 4 years. You will be new starting out and they will get to put the nose-ring in and lead you around by it. This is what they want.

Once you get in the industry it will hurt more to jump from one job to another. We are in a poor economy and the industry is flooded with new drivers. It is an employer's market and they can pass you over for any reason. Then they can give you no reason why or any reason why, regardless of the truth.

The hiring practices of the Mega-Companies make it clear they want new recruits over experienced drivers. Between training programs, tax credits and running team during training they make thousands on new drivers before they place them in trucks. Add in indentured servitude and fleece/purchases and they are making more from scams than hauling freight. This leaves them free to cut rates and try to dominate the industry.

I see you’ve been on the TTR Forum for a while. It may not be of any value but I’ll offer my standard copy and paste advice. It is intended to keep those starting out from making the many mistakes we read about every week. Take it for what it’s worth and good luck.

You need to research and find out what the important questions are. You can make an above average living but you will make sacrifices that other jobs don't require. Read the "good companies" and "bad companies" section on this forum and get an idea of what company you want to work for and what kind of trailer you want to pull. Don't just go to school and then try to figure out where to go.

I don't know your financial situation. Don't take training from a company if you can afford it or get it with financial aid. You will be their slave for up to year. If you leave they will trash you DAC and credit record. Check out your local community colleges and employment office.

Just know that most training and trucking company recruiters will do nothing but lie to you. They will let you talk about what you want and then tell you what you want to hear. Trucking is about moving freight to make money for the company. Your home time, family, paycheck and everything else comes second.

It is not like any other job. Local is usually backbreaking delivery work 10+ hours a day, 6 days a week. Often you unload dozens of times a day or you are a salesman. In my area most dump truck jobs pay less than a good factory job. Regional is lots of loading and unloading time, fewer miles than OTR and not as hard as local but will wear on you and push your HOS limits. OTR is out 3 - 5 weeks with 3 - 4 days home, less manual labor and more miles.

You'll probably have to pay your dues before you get the gravy job. Weekends off, if you are lucky enough to get something like that starting out, may be home Thursday afternoon and leave Saturday night or home Friday night and leave Sunday afternoon. Loads deliver on Monday early and you leave in time to get them there. Often your home time will be in the middle of the week.

Regardless of your driving choice, after school you will go through company training. For OTR this can be six weeks to three months with little or no home time. The first phase is usually $400 a week and the second phase is $500-550 a week. Some pay less. One company pays 12 CPM for training.

One last thing, you don’t want to wait around too long after training or you’ll have trouble finding a job. If you get out before you have a year in, when you try to come back a few months later you will find they want you to start over.

 

I've held onto my CDL for about 35 years and I'm about to put it to work again. I'd never let it go.