OTR Experience

Insurance.....that's why.

Most likely any major you turn to will require a refresher course. With a "finishing" trainer. IE you will run team for a few weeks.

Or worse, riding with a trainer that has 6 months or less experience.

 

Actually, danc, I spoke with a Werner driver at my local truckstop last night who is training. He has been with Werner for 8 YEARS.

 

Therefore, he does not fall into the "or worse" statement. So your point is?

The original poster made no referance to what company he would be applying with. As we both are aware. Companies ARE using drivers with 6 months experience, as trainers.

 

Falcon I could be wrong but as I understand it, you have to have verifiable OTR experience in the last 3 years. Seems like if you could show 6 months or a year you'ld be set. I am in a similar boat but its been 11 years since my last logged mile, so I have to go back through school just like a beginner.

 

Welcome to my world I bought that lesson too. Because I was never coming back, I never renewed my CDL...what a dumb### mistake. I had been grandfathered in

I try to tell everyone I know. NOT to take too long a break from driving because of this very thing.

What really sucked. They would not count ANY of my previous experience. Even with notorized referances. So I spent half my time, training my trainer. Who was a good guy really. He was just a bit "uneducated" in some areas of trucking. Like, brokering a load into Canada.

So it was back to the bottom of the payscale...######.

Thankfully, it doesn't take long for most companies to bring you back into "normal" pay scales.

Just don't expect "top pay" out of the gate. You still have to have several years with any company.

 

I was out of driving for two years also. I was just layed off two weeks ago, from a different career field. When I approached trucking cos to hire me, most said that I would have to go to school again. :smt103 Except Swift...but I really didn't want to go there. I kept my CDL and medical current, just in case. I found a company that said they would take me after a 40 hour refresher. I started that course today and will be done on Friday, no driving test required. Not quite what I had in mind, since I have to pay for it, but it beats 4-6 weeks of school and another drivers test.

 

I think some of the bigger carriers like to pull this stunt with experienced drivers just so they can "train" you read that: "run you as a team" and then pay you substandard entry level wages for a time. A win, win for them.

I think if you'll look around some you ought to be able to find a nice mid-sized or small carrier that'll recognize your experience for what it is. Then take you out for a road test to see that you know what you're doing.. and give you a job with a somewhat better rate than rookie pay..

 

Try looking into JB Hunt. They hired me back after a 3 year break. Not sure if they were desperate or not. Just kidding. All i had to do was pass the road test. The trucks are slow and you get picked on a lot over the C.B but on the dedicated side the miles are good. Good luck to ya!