What do trucking companies have against the military?

Those of you who hate me know that I like to take the opposite side of the discussion as I believe it makes for a better discussion when you have something to argue about.

So, there are two different laws that conflict on this issue. One gave Veterans first pick at jobs. This was because there was a DRAFT. Soldiers were not paid much because money was not the reason someone did military service. You did it because they called you to do it. So if you lived through the war you got a reward by getting a good job. Then the draft ended and the pay for military people when up, and up a lot. There came a law called the Equal Employment Opportunity Act. This took away veterans first policies. If your company is an EEOC you do not have an advantage as a veteran.

Now, what do I have against Veterans? Nothing. I am one. Retired 0-6 Air Force. I do know that military folks do not put up with Chicke nSh it the way others do. And there is a lot of Chicke n s h i t in trucking. A lot. If you think about it, you know I am right. Some dispatcher threatens a combat veteran that if they don't take a lot such and such right now, I don't thinks so.

And as to folks feeling they owe us for our service. No. You don't. People who serve in the Military do not serve so they can be repaid. There is no way you can pay me for the lives of the friends I lost or for the lives of the enemy I took. So don't try. I didn't do it for pay or praise. None of us did. We did it because it was our duty. We will always do our duty.

 

Without being confrontational RTC, do YOU speak from experience? I've had to adhere to military protocol while delivering or picking up on bases from Key West to Bremerton WA and so many in between, as well as growing up on bases. Now as I said in my earlier post, a CDL A local driver that has 8 years experience just like you, AND has had to adhere to civilian trucking laws, is STILL considered to have zero experience when it comes to OTR. OTR is a lifestyle as well as a career. You don't get credit for it unless you do it and deal with the BS.
Also, be careful with the employers that broadcast that they hire veterans without experience. What they really want is your GI bill money, which would be a huge waste of it to blow it on CDL training.

 

Mark,

I went through the same thing. The screwed up and bad attitude from the industry is the same as it is with a goofy company like Averitt Express. They ask deterrent questions like: how long is the specific trailer you pulled on a certain day? Was it 40 feet? 42? 45? 48? etc. They wanted me to track down every trailer I pulled over the last few years with proof the trailers are 45 feet or more in length. No joke.

Some companies asked me stupid questions about my military driving. First of all, they don't know what we did. Second, they don't understand why we didn't have some sort of logbook of our work. Third, they would ask if the military would provide records proving our experience. Lastly, they were only asking these stupid questions for fun. They know we can't possess copies of military transport paperwork.

A former employer of mine, Crete Carrier Corp, has a new program hiring Veterans. I left the company in 2006, so I have no first-hand knowledge of what they are actually doing.

I myself, plan to work in the oil fields. It's good money, it's solid money and it's regular work. I have many years experience, so I figure I have a real shot at a permanent position.

 

Most companies don't have anything against the military. 90% of the trucks used in today's military are push button and go. No shifting, no logs, pen whipped Pre-trips, etc. So trying to use your military experience will likely get you stereotyped. Start looking into companies like ATS that actually do work similar to the experience described and take a few minutes to do some research on your own. I've included a few links to get you started on companies that value military experience.


https://www.con-way.com/en/careers/separating-military/
http://www.atsinc.com/veteran/veteran.jsp
http://www.superservicellc.com/drivers/military-recruiting/
http://www.schneiderjobs.com/company-drivers/military
http://werner.com/content/drivers/werner_advantages/apprenticeship_program/

 

Funny, I don't recall a single class or lesson on how to deal with dipschwit shippers or recievers. All the "customer service" skills I ever gained, I got outside of the trucking industry.

 

Quality Carriers is tanker. Also Tankstar.com has terminals in your state.
Quality Carriers has a very good reputation.

 

I did read your post and I'm not trying to be argumentative, that why I said the only thing the same is you drove a truck, not to mention that none of your "experience" can be verified and you don't even have a CDL yet. The whole point of paying or hiring based on experience is that an experienced driver is far less likely to make rookie mistakes that cost the companies big money. Some of these are knowledge based, while others are judgment based and the majority are regulation based. Maybe you should find an AAFES contractor and show them your skills, they wouldn't "discriminate" against ya, right? Good luck with whatever you do.

Oh yeah, just to add, as a former independent recruiter, we had guys who spent years working for KBR over yonder, with many years previous experience before being shot at, classified as rookies when they came back by most big OTR companies. We literally had a line item on our cheat sheets if that company counted KBR as recent experience.

 

Talked to director of recruiting at Epes transport, she said they should be able to help you out