Three million + safe miles doesn't matter??

I came off the road in 2004 (sort of) and took a job locally (sort of) picking up motorcycles at auctions in Atlanta, Chicago, SLC and Ontario, CA with an F-250 and 22.5' trailer. So I would go and get the bikes and then spend a week or two or three sorting them out and getting them to the shop to get repaired and sold. The owner used his personal truck and never registered it with the DOT. So, prior to this, which apparently doesn't count anymore, I did about eight years OTR with American Eagle (have year end pay stubs and million miler award), five years with a CDL school who also had a flatbed company (have letter of recommendation) ten years with an O/O running a NY to CA turn and two years T/T local work delivering fuel oil in NYC. So from 1978 to 2004, I ran about 3-3.5M safe miles. One speeding ticket back in the 55mph day and three equipment tickets, all 20 or more years old -- no accidents (at fault). The only two accidents I had was a lady in PA who hit me in the DOT while I was stopped at a light, and a driver backed into my brand new parked truck while I was in the shower in '96.

With that said, I have made 12 applications in the last few days and have been turned down by most of them... Really? They'll take someone with NO experience and even NO CDL over me? Wow that's crazy! All of them repeat the same rhetoric, "must have 6 months in the last three years."

Well it looks like Celadon will be the choice. They are offering a two day refresher to meet DOT regs and $0.39/mile. I really don't care who I go to work for -- all company jobs are about the same, and I always have a good relationship with dispatch, so that's all you really need to make it in this business, but jeez, I bet the companies would be really pissed off if they knew their recruiters were turning down experienced drivers!

 

I know, more than 36 months off the road is an insurance and DOT problem, but they can let you play with a truck in the yard for two days and call it a refresher course to get around it! Heck, these companies will invest thousands in new drivers just to get them on the road, and then they back into other trucks, cars, hit bridges, can't put on chains, fall into ditches, etc., etc. You would think more companies would rather invest in a proven hand...

 

No kidding double yellow!! In 1979 I made $96,000 as a company driver!

Ha ha! USX just called me back and said while they can't use me as a company driver, they will flease me a 2013 Freightliner Cascadia w/$1,000 Sign-on Bonus. $1.20 per mile + fuel surcharge on all dispatched miles and an average $169,000/yr. Okay, so if $169K is the average gross, what's the net after the flease? $40K? I think I'll pass!

 

I'm still working out the details with Christina. Looks like I'll be heading there for Monday, then a 2 day refresher, then orientation on Wednesday. My choice is Dry Van, but I will do a reefer if I have to. I just hate all the additional time with reefers, like waiting and wash outs, etc. No way on the flatbed! I'm too old to be climbing 13' and playing with 200lb tarps! Christina said Southeast Regional...

(EDIT: Jennifer, not Christina...)