Job Hopping

Discussion in 'Experienced Truckers' Advice' started by tow614, Mar 21, 2017.

  1. tscottme

    tscottme Road Train Member

  2. Truckers Report Jobs

    Trucking Jobs in 30 seconds

    Every month 400 people find a job with the help of TruckersReport.

  3. moloko

    moloko Road Train Member

    1,569
    1,376
    Oct 26, 2012
    seattle, wa
    0
    This is why I do my research before I even apply to a company. These days, with half a decade of clean Class A experience, I can't get shoved in the driver's seat fast enough by some really horrible employers. I ask their drivers, how do they treat you. I give them the 3rd degree. I look for discrepancies in what the drivers say, verses what the employees say. Any discrepancy, and I do my research from an objective point of view. If it checks out pretty solid, I make the move. I suppose age discrimination has worked in my favor, being reasonably young, and having changed jobs almost 6 times in 5 years, for one reason or another. I just explain it away, as a deliberate attempt to get as wide variety of experience as possible. I note the positive upward career progression , and reiterate that it would not make sense for me to have stayed with the first or second offer of employment I received , when far better compensation and better schedule was available. Usually, that satisfies the " job hopper" issue.

    The one time I didn't do my research, I regretted it horribly. Stability, is more important than seeing if the grass is actually greener.
     
    SQ200 Thanks this.
  4. born&raisedintheusa

    born&raisedintheusa Road Train Member

    4,138
    3,915
    Sep 20, 2012
    0
    I remember you having an earlier post in which you were trying to get onto a really decent private fleet of tankers that runs a really good operation. How did that go?

    Good luck to you! God bless you and your family!

    God bless every American and their families! God bless the U.S.A.!
     
  5. VIDEODROME

    VIDEODROME Road Train Member

    1,486
    1,296
    Jun 7, 2007
    angola, in
    0
    I tried other things for a while including college which didn't workout. I managed to get into a trucking refresher program and I've been here almost 4 months.

    How much time do you think is needed to clean up a work history by staying with one job?
     
  6. born&raisedintheusa

    born&raisedintheusa Road Train Member

    4,138
    3,915
    Sep 20, 2012
    0
    What company are you currently driving for?

    If at all possible, try to get a full 10 years with the company that you are working for.

    When you go for another truck driving job, companies often go back a full 10 years of your work history.

    This will definitely establish you as a stable worker, and NOT as a job hopper.

    Good luck to you! God bless you and your family!

    God bless every American and their families! God bless the U.S.A.!
     
    Last edited: Mar 22, 2017
    Lepton1 Thanks this.
  7. moloko

    moloko Road Train Member

    1,569
    1,376
    Oct 26, 2012
    seattle, wa
    0
    It appears to be going well. They offered me the job and I'm waiting for things to clear and a start date. thanks for your kind words. I really need it these days.
     
    born&raisedintheusa Thanks this.
  8. Bean Jr.

    Bean Jr. Road Train Member

    5,336
    9,353
    Mar 30, 2014
    0
    I agree with you the job hopping is on the driver. I think however, the dirty little secret is that the carriers, especially the megas know this and run their business accordingly.

    I know of no other industry where there are dozens of recruiting magazines on a newsstand like there are at truckstops. Drivers, in my opinion have to have a bit of wanderlust in order to be in this industry. How else can you leave your home, your family for weeks at a time? A disagreement with your dispatcher? Your carrier doesn't respect you? Joe Trucker at the liar's counter says that his company pays $2.00 a mile! I'm outta here!

    It's part of our personality., and they know it and w poo rk with it, not against it. I was looking at the Prime website. One of their requirements was a stable work history. The website said, and I am not joking, "for commercial drivers, no more than 3 carriers in the last 12 months". That's stable?

    I think that is why local guys stay with the same carrier. They're home every night. They are more stable people. Less looking to get away from it. More likely to view driving as a job, rather than an adventure.
     
    Last edited: Mar 22, 2017
  9. Steel Dragon

    Steel Dragon Road Train Member

    2,681
    2,832
    Nov 23, 2015
    0
    All the companies tell you the same lies.
    As long as your license is clean, youll get hired.
    The myth that job hoppers are frowned apon is another lie.
    Your just meat in the seat.
     
    Mototom, Woodys, C & C and 4 others Thank this.
  10. Ridgeline

    Ridgeline Road Train Member

    20,659
    100,393
    Dec 18, 2011
    Michigan
    0
    Its the number I picked.

    Not the sole indicator, it is the opening indicator.

    I've got to say something, it isn't odd to see someone who has their CDL for less than 14 months to have 4 companies listed on their app. When asked there is always the same response, these companies sucked.

    Now I know few of you won't understand this but when people have great expectations - not realistic - and think the company is there for them and not for the customer, then they get disappointed then all pissed off about it, either quit or worse act stupid.

    I've come to the conclusion that if someone isn't willing to work to do a job for a customer, I don't want them in my property.
     
    Lepton1 and fargonaz Thank this.
  11. born&raisedintheusa

    born&raisedintheusa Road Train Member

    4,138
    3,915
    Sep 20, 2012
    0
    Hi Ridgeline, How are you?

    I do have a question for you, only in reverse.
    If an applicant came to you looking for a job, having spent anywhere from 8 to 14 plus years, (as an example), at his current job, having received relatively little pay and /or benefits, would you hold that against the applicant?

    I ask because there are applicants that have had that held against them, even though they are trying to get out of that situation, by applying for another job with better pay and benefits?

    That is actually happened to a good friend of mine working at a print shop. He was in the same position 11 years later, just barely earning a little over 50 cents an hour more than the federal minimum wage. He was a very hard worker, along with being one of the nicest people that you ever met in your life. He was the type of person who would give you the shirt off of his back.

    11 years later, my friend went to other companies looking for a better paying job.
    Believe it or not, he had many doors slammed in his face.

    My friend told me that several of the foremen stated to him that if he was only earning 50 cents an hour more than minimum wage after 11 years on the job, then he had to be "one of the most WORTHLESS people" in the workforce.

    These foremen interviewing my friend did NOT realize that he was trying to get out of that situation, by applying for a better paying job.

    This all happened many years ago. My friend got the job right after he graduated from high school at 17 years of age. He had turned 28 when he started looking for another job that paid better than he was currently earning at the time.

    It has been years since I last had any contact with him.

    God bless every American and their families! God bless the U.S.A.!
     
    Last edited: Mar 22, 2017
    Lepton1, Toomanybikes and Bean Jr. Thank this.
  • Truckers Report Jobs

    Trucking Jobs in 30 seconds

    Every month 400 people find a job with the help of TruckersReport.