Carriers' Attitude Towards Lack of Income and Slight Gaps in Employment History

Yeah, you're right there, any employer that claims they have to verify by law is either lying or ignorant. But, of course, they can hire who they want so they can ask for anything they want, except for stuff related to legally protected statuses like sexual orientation.

I do like and agree with your idea about reading between the lines to see how you'll be treated as an employee. If they lie outright to you on the phone and you know it, you're probably walking into a nasty minefield. One thing that Maverick told me when I started here was "We're not going to lie to you. You might not like what we have to say, but it'll be the truth." So far, they've lived up to that promise... They have no problem telling me something I don't want to hear (or read lol), but at least they're truthful. And I'll give a lot of respect to a truthful employer.

And on the ending note, I never thought you were dogging my employer by any means. I basically just wanted to point out that any employer worth working for is going to require that you find some way to account for what the heck you've been doing over the past 10 years, even if it is just a work ethic check. But either way, thank you for being polite and respectful in your response, I enjoy debating things with spirited, mature, and intelligent people.

 

I meant to put this in the last post as an example and forgot lol.

I was supposed to deliver in Edmonton, AB tomorrow, but the appointment got moved until Monday the 3rd. I'm supposed to be home on Thursday the 6th, and I live in Fort Worth, TX. So obviously I'm not getting home on time. But, instead of giving me some BS excuse, they told me outright that they couldn't get me home on time, but they'd get me there as fast as possible.

I'm not thrilled about it, but my fleet manager told me that "Hey, at least you're starting next pay period with 1900 miles, and you'll have to drive at least 2100 miles to get home, not counting any extra miles if we can't get you a direct run, so your check on the 14th is going to have at least 4,000 miles on it."

I may not be thrilled, but I can definitely get behind that train of thought

 

Last time I was looking for a job it was many years ago. I told the guy I didn't want his job he kept calling the employemnt office having them bothering me. I was an A class mechanic then. When I got my own authority I had talked about leasing to this guy, drug tested and all then was told I didn't have enough otr time. Ok I got my own insurance and autority well six months later he called wanting to hire me I told him; "what do I need you for".
This is truck driving not brain surgery you hold a steering wheel for 11 hours max a day. If you're a van driver thats it they fill the box and you move foward. now if you have a flatbed or the like you have to do lots more and have a few skills in securing and gift wrapping.
For 50,000 a year and probably 35,000 after tax I don't see a lot of need to do a bunch of explaining or trouble.
Driver recruiters and dot police occuppy the same place on the scale of existance right below whale turds.
And believe it or not with my award winning personality, I have had several higher paying jobs through the years than the butt kissers couldt get.
Skills get you farther than working with a bunch of useless crap in the end.
I need to go apply for some jobs to break these folks in right would make for some entertaining momments.

 

Last time I was looking for a job it was many years ago.

Things have changed since then. Insurance companies are cracking down on trucking companies and not tolerating new students getting into accidents anymore.

I told the guy I didn't want his job he kept calling the employemnt office having them bothering me. I was an A class mechanic then. When I got my own authority I had talked about leasing to this guy, drug tested and all then was told I didn't have enough otr time. Ok I got my own insurance and autority well six months later he called wanting to hire me I told him; "what do I need you for".

You're absolutely right there. Why answer to anyone if you have the ability to own your truck and be your own boss? Assuming you have the drive, dedication, money, and knowledge to be successful.

This is truck driving not brain surgery you hold a steering wheel for 11 hours max a day. If you're a van driver thats it they fill the box and you move foward. now if you have a flatbed or the like you have to do lots more and have a few skills in securing and gift wrapping.

It might not be brain surgery, but the last thing this industry needs is more steering wheel holders. If you don't have common sense, an ability to observe and analyze your surroundings, react to new situations quickly and correctly, and have complete and total respect for the vehicle you are operating, you have no business being a truck driver. Not ever. For anyone who reads this, it is NOT just holding a steering wheel for 11 hours. If you really think that's all it is, do not go into trucking.

For 50,000 a year and probably 35,000 after tax I don't see a lot of need to do a bunch of explaining or trouble.

If you're unemployed and trying to support a family, on the verge of losing your house and/or car, and in need of a career which is always in demand, 35,000 looks pretty #### good. And if a company wants your work history, they'll get it. Or you don't get hired. Simple as that. Wanna go work for a company that doesn't care? Go for it. I never would, but to each his own.

Driver recruiters and dot police occuppy the same place on the scale of existance right below whale turds.

I mostly agree with the driver recruiter part. As for DOT, I've never been spoken to or inspected by a DOT officer since I've been driving, but of course I keep my truck clean, well maintained, I drive the speed limit, leave plenty of following distance, keep my logs legal, and drive safely. I do what I'm supposed to do, and I am left alone. Interesting concept, isn't it?

And believe it or not with my award winning personality, I have had several higher paying jobs through the years than the butt kissers couldt get.

Good for you. I'm not going to really comment further, except to say that if your complete personality is exactly as you display in your posts, you would have been on the gray dog on your way home before the end of the first orientation day at Maverick. That I much I can say with certainty.

Skills get you farther than working with a bunch of useless crap in the end.

True, skills are everything. And despite what you said above, you need a good skill set to become a safe, reliable, and successful driver. If you believe different, please turn in your keys, both for your safety, the public's safety, and the good of the industry.

I need to go apply for some jobs to break these folks in right would make for some entertaining momments.

Somehow I doubt that any new driver, regardless of how desperate they are to enter the industry, would put up with your condescending attitude for very long. You may have more experience than me and many others here, but that doesn't make you better, despite your ego.


And my apologies to everyone else in this thread and on this board, but I can't stand people who think they are better than everyone else. And the moment you think you know everything about trucking, turn in your keys.

 

And you lost it here if you read it right IT said I need to go apply for some of these jobs and drive the recruiters crazy.
I started out around trucks in mid 70's driving a service truck, back when REAL men drove. The days of the big KW and pete's that had manual steering, two gears sticks, deep reduction and a/c was a luxury. When you had to navigate yourself and read a map and maybe change your spare witha jack and four way lug wrench. Now all I see is land whales in bug looking smart trucks pulling boxes. They couldn't function without gps and air ride.
I very seldom exer see one of them do a pre trip. Have watched one drive a steer tire off the rim in T/S parking lot cause he wa to lazy to know he was sitting on a flat. For the most part you have steering wheel holders in most trucks.
Last guy I did a ride along on I asked for a MVR and fill out the application never really looked at it only the MVR. I knew the week long ride along would tell me all I needed to know. I been by maverick a few times never seen nothing that interested me much from the road so I never stopped.

 

I agree. What I find remarkable is the difference between those who say gaps don't matter at all, and those who say gaps are everything - more than 30 days and you're a worthless slug. Both assertions can't be true, so someone out there doesn't know what he's talking about.

More to the point, I find it remarkable how judgmental so many of the people on here are. If you've EVER been unemployed for more that 30 days, you're a loser. If you've ever taken government assistance, you're a leech and a loser. And so on and on. Come on. Everyone has a past. I have a past. It's just common sense and common knowledge that many of us out there on the road haven't led perfect lives, to say the least, so maybe some folks should stop the sanctimonious and arrogant attitude.

 

Ok, I'll bite.

I have Never had ANY gov't assistance EVER... I've never been not working for more than a few days when leaving a job... I pretty much stay where I'm at, as I understand from a young age, that the grass in not greener elsewhere.... I DO pay a plethora of tax included with my wife(she also works) this is a substantial amount. It's not magic, if you have skill... and no attitude problem you can find profitable work if you want it. I've never had a problem... but then again, I want to work, have self respect, and don't believe in a free lunch... However, the gov't assist types should say thank you to all the guys like me, but instead they call me things like sanctimonious and arrogant, and state that I have the attitude problem. Go figure!

 

My case in point exactly, OP. Give me a break.