Recent grad looking for suggestions

Update; my ticket comes off tomorrow. The Feds told me yesterday that my TWIC and hazmat have been approved and are enroute. Some of you keep mentioning "oil fields." I don't know what you're talking about. I live in Delaware, there are no oil fields for at least 3,000 miles from me. Some of you asked about door knocking. To be honest, most of my job searches have been via Craig's List or the company's website. Money is extremely tight for us so getting in my car and running the roads to the smaller companies is not an option for me. Most times I can't afford more than $5 in gas. TransAm called me back and said they had an issue with my ticket. They are going to call back on 5/25 and start again, so they say. I may have a bit more time than I thought. I officially graduated on 3/28 but when TransAm called to verify they gave TA a date of 4/14, which was when I was supposed to graduate. I was just a fast learner and passed the DMV test early. That helps. I was hoping to go back and reapply to everyone checking off the "possess a TWIC" box. I thought that would make me more appealing. However, and soon as I clicked 'yes' it asked me for an expiration date. Since I don't have the card yet I don't know when that will be. At this point I'm one more rejection away from calling it quits. I had an interview (my first) this past Thursday with a small company hauling grain and occasionally gravel within the tristate area, and sometimes NC. I was not selected. My guess is due to inexperience. They don't have a training program and they needed someone to hit the ground running. So far the trucking industry has not impressed me one bit. It's the twilight zone!

 

YOU find it unusual?! I am beside myself in disbelief. I have even tried the "bottom-feeders" as some call them, like Carolina Cargo. But they require you to live within 200 miles of their terminal. I own a very nice home and I'm not about to move just in a hope that I'll be hired. Plus, I'll lose my short on it in this market, and it isn't fair to the kids. I've had several people tell me my location isn't good for being hired as a trucker. I don't think it's the main reason. I'm not understanding the industry very well either. Recruiters are getting 3,000+ apps per week (according to several I've spoken to) yet there is a "shortage?" That makes no sense. Sounds to me like someone is intentionally creating a shortage. Why, I can't figure that out. If you need to move cargo that #### bad then why wouldn't you use those applicants to fill the seats? Isn't paying a bit more in insurance fees for drivers with a ticket or two, or an old felony (if that's a reason), worth having those trucks moving? An idle truck is costing much more in lost revenue and the insurance that is paid on it every month. What gives? Even if they were worried about bonding costs the company can bond anyone via the Feds through their bonding program. It's free for the company. Seems to me someone wants a driver shortage. The question is...why!? My ticket is history as of 5/14/13. Even if they took me on a week ago, by the time I got through orientation and other training it would have been gone. I'm not buying that its my ticket. Either the industry is intentionally creating a driver shortage, or I'm doing something very wrong on my apps. Hell, I have health insurance via my wife's employer so they don't even have to provide that for me. Its the twilight zone...very bizarre!

 

Ok, I'm in central Delaware. I've tried Reed Trucking and have gotten zero response from them. I wonder if someone with an axe to grind early in my app process wrote "don't hire the ######!" on my DAC. I shouldn't even have a DAC since I have yet to have a job. Anyway, I have also tried the construction companies. The mega carriers want 3 months to 2 years experience. Those construction companies are asking for 2-5 years experience for class B positions. To drive a dump truck? I was driving my uncle's dump truck at 16! It was a 1956 Ford. Those are easy! 2-5 years experience, really? Funny thing is, it's their loss. I know they have no idea of who I am but the truth is, I have a knack of driving large or unusual vehicles well. When I was in the AF I drove coach/school buses, bobtails, warehouse tugs, automatic trans TT, and towed jet engines weighing in at 9,000 lbs each with a max speed of 5mph. Very front heavy...if you stopped short it would flip tail-over-head and crush you. I was a jet engine mechanic but at one time I even had the motor pool guys envious of my driving skills. I'm not trying to brag (though I know I am), I'm just darn good at driving. I just haven't found the trick to stopping in time when someone makes an illegal lane change and cuts me off. If only I could get a company to give me a shot they would see it. I can't get them to see past that paper called an application.

 

To be clear on this, I have told each company I applied to that I am willing to drive anywhere, any time, with anyone, hauling anything at any time. I just want a J.O.B. I even applied to a company that hauls comfort trailers to the sets of movie filmings. My school told me to try dump trucks as a start. To my amazement they want even more experience than OTR companies. Most OTR companies I've seen so far have wanted 3 months to 2 years experience. Every dump truck job I've seen so far has asked for 2-5 years experience. Seriously? Five years to drive a dump truck? Who are they trying weed out? I drove a dump truck once when I was 16. My uncle borrowed a 1956 5 ton to pick up the leaves we raked at his property. He tossed me the keys and said "be careful." He didn't even show me how to drive it. I had it figured out in like 15 minutes. To ask for 5 years experience tells me they are trying to weed a certain type of people out from applying. You can master a dump truck in about 3 days. It's beyond me why they would ask for 5 years. Again, I think they are either trying to weed out someone, or it's an insurance requirement. I'd drop that insurance real quick. Anyway, I had TransAm get back to me today. They said no. They were my last hope. So I'm officially done looking. The trucking industry can bite me.