Any ideas?

It seems to me that after 33 years, you should have a friendly relationship with several small company owners that you can go to that know you well enough to verify that you have recent experience so you can get hired with a company. I can think of at least 4 myself that know what kind of a driver I am and would vouch for me.
I know it's not exactly kosher, but the government has regulated companies to the point where they are scared to hire someone such as yourself. If you know you are a safe driver and can do the job correctly, that's the route I would take. If not, then maybe you could talk to one of those same small companies about hiring you so you can get recent experience.

 

Schneider Bulk has a refresher for their tanker division.
Many drivers go this route and seem happy about the decision.

 

I think prime has a tank division, and they are a training company.

 

You know you would like a six month rookie, telling you what lane to be in and how to properly install a seal.

 

It ain't that bad. I went out volunteer for two weeks when I transitioned from part time driving back to full time in a van fleet for a big carrier (I was flats for my OTR and end dumps and pneumatic bulk for my p/t. Small companies. Phone dispatch and loose leaf paper logs). Trainer was tickled pink. I had 10 years more driving experience than he did (he had 5, I had 15) but he had more experience in dry boxes and a big fleet that uses QC dispatch and E-logs than I did (he had 5, I had 6 months in 1998). We learned a lot from each other. To this day we are still very close friends and talk every week. The company I work for doesn't do the team thing training. Flat refuse to. Can't learn if your trainer is in the bunk getting his 10. Dude and I had a blast together running solo loads with two experienced hands. Easiest two weeks of both our careers. LOL. Funny things if interested:

The company didn't tell him anything about me. He just happened to be at the terminal and popped in because he needed a student as his last one upgraded and the trainer they assigned me to got held up and wouldn't be there til the next day so he's like; What about him? I'll take him, and we chatted a minute and I said I'd be cool with that. As far as he knew I was just another student.

First turn I made was coming off the side street (floating gears down it right from the shop which got an odd look from him in the shotgun seat. "What? You looking funny at me." "Nothing. [smiling] Drive on Dude".) I turned right from a single lane side street onto a five lane (two in each direction and a chicken lane). I take her in a gentle arc (floating and shifting as I turn) all the way around skirting the chicken lane with my left steer and back around to the inside right lane. In short - a Flatbedder heavy loaded spread axel turn. Again, floating an not grinding all the way through it.

More "What's with the looks?" More "Nothin'. Rock on. Jump on 285 and head east. [smiling]." Get on and first entrance we come to I can't get over and cars wanting to get on had to slow and get behind me. No prob just motoring on. "Hmm. That didn't bother you?" "What?" "The cars wanting to get on and cars to your left." "Nope. Should it have? I mean merging is their problem, not mine. I give a courtesy when I can but I couldn't so; oh well. Figure out what you want to do. Mash the gas or hit the brakes. Not my problem." "Hmm." Then a little later I tapped the brakes to kill the cruise and easy braked to drop a few MPH. "What'cha doin'?" "There's a [before I could say anything else a little red sports car came from the hammer lane, across my nose in the center lane and shot across the granny lane and jumped off the exit. Y'all know how they do.]. That's what. Idiots. They never learn. We save their ignorant lives ten times a day and they never know it." "Hmmm." "What?" "Nothing. motor on Dude. You haven't asked what route to take." "You said we were going to your hometown for your home time and it was Brooksville, MS which was west of Tuscaloosa. I figured on taking 20 west to Tuscaloosa and you'd let me know where to go from there." "Hmmm." "Hmm what? Lot of Hmm'ing from you. I'm doin' somethin' wrong or somethin'?" "Nope. Doin' fine. Motor on."

We get on 20 and go into cruise mode and start conversation. "So when'd you graduate?" I'm self taught and he's my age so I'm thinking he means High School. "Class of 81. You?" "You been driving since 1981?" "No. That was High School. I've only been driving since 1998." "ONLY since 1998? I started four years ago. What are you doing in training?" "I been pulling flats, well actually covered wagons, for the last 15 years for small outfits. Boss got audited and we got busted on log violations; which we were hard runners and had loose leaf log books that never ran out of hours. He sold the equipment at auction. Gave us severance and good references and got out of trucking. Figured I was tired of chaining and what not in the snow and freezing cold, if E-Logs and strictly legal were the new world I might as well learn to go with it and dry boxes might keep me warmer in the winter. Since I hadn't run with a big carrier, used Qualcomm dispatch or run legal or pulled a dry box in 15 years; two weeks with a trainer would help me hit the ground running solo. I'll take training pay for two weeks to get a solid start solo. It'll ramp me up in this different type of freight world faster and I'll get the swing of it and make more money sooner this way. So I asked to go out for two weeks. Figured I'd get the swing of backing this wiggle box and that electronic babysitter and all that macro stuff and how to do electronic dispatch down by then."

He starts chuckling hard and shaking his head. "What?" "Nothing Dude (he even talked like I did). That explains everything." "What everything?" "Floating the gears from jump, taking up the whole highway for your turns like a flatbedder, merging cars and no place to go didn't even make you blink, running on like you know where to go without asking directions, letting me know up front this was my truck, you were a guest and we'd be sharing the truck under my rules, wiping your feet and kicking your boots and shaking the mat getting in, lotta little s#!+. You're an experienced driver out here just getting used to different freight and trailer." ""Yup. Exactly. They didn't tell you?" "Nope. I just happened to be in and no student when Orientation was done so I checked to see if any students needed a trainer. I just assumed you were a new graduate student. Never heard of anyone requesting to train." "Yeah well it's an investment. Two weeks with you will get me maxing my revenue and pay solo a helluva lot faster than me trying to figure this gig and wiggle box out on my own."

We had a blast. He taught me about Qualcomm and GPS (I had never used one) and dry box freight and warehouses, pivot point on a dry box and how to axel it out using all that sliding stuff (all my stuff was fixed. We axeled by load position) and such. I taught him some stuff about things he didn't know about Map Book and how to get through traffic jams without killing your left leg and where you can park when all the parking is full and back roads you CAN take that aren't nearly as bad as the look on the map book and some to avoid even though they look good in the book. He invited me to stay at his home and I did. He has a standing invitation to stay at mine even when I'm out. A terrific friendship was made.

All this to say: It won't be that bad. You may not have as great experience as I did; but I think you'll find the experience a good one if you approach it with a positive attitude. The company I'm with does gaps and part timers and my friend still trains. If you are interested, PM me and I'll share. I think this company, my friend as a short time trainer, do your time in the full time world and go out and about wherever from there. Something to consider.

 

Hi MOBee, boy, if you find an answer to your situation, could you let me know? I'm in a similar conundrum.I'm 59, trucked for 35 + years, too old to hammer the pavement, too young to retire. I'd like to find something part-time, but I'm convinced, it ain't gonna happen. I believe it's all about insurance, again. Not sure if that's true, but with ins. co.'s calling the shots, part -time won't cut it. I've even thought about a free-lance deal, shlep a trailer here or haul an "emergency" load there, or deliver a tractor for someone, but again, no takers. Several years ago, I had a sweet deal with an O/O friend of mine. Load of freight out, guaranteed backhaul. I worked Fri. and Mon., he worked T,W,Th. Worked out well, until his health began to fail, next thing I know, I was in the truck 24/7 and did it as a friend, but finally said, that's it. I've also worked for a different friend, he was OTR, and I'd deliver his load from where ever and he could take a little time off. Well, that worked for a while, until he had me take a load to Pa. from Wis., "just this once". Next thing I know, he's got me down for total OTR. Good-bye. Just the nature of this business, I guess, there is no such thing as a part-time truck driver.

 

Herman distributuion offer part time program for semi retires folks also knight both are dry van no tank.