How to respond to question at interview..

Tell them what they want to hear. If it isn't on your Dac it never happened. If there are gaps in your employment record say that you were taking care of a dying relative. Just make sure if they ask for details you have a few to supply. Nobody cuts anybody any slack anymore so you have to make your own.

 

Yeah if the beer thing isn't on your dac, I wouldn't say anything about it.

I've had recruiters ask me what is on mine, I've told them everything. However each had taken every entry with a grain of salt. Three smaller companies I've been with look at dac as a necessary evil and they don't put much faith in it unless it's a major thing like a preventable.

 

Most people talk too much in an interview and judging from the length and scope of your post you probably fall into that category. If you can answer their question with a simple "yes" or "no", do it and shut up. If they want more information they'll ask you to elaborate. But don't lie--it's too easy for an employer to verify what you say (which brings up back to "don't say more than necessary")

 

If a tree falls in the forest....did it make a sound if no one was around to hear it?

 

Sure.

Interviewer: Did you work for ABC company for 6 months?

Answer #1: Yes.

Answer #2: I hope you won't hold a 6 month job against me. The dispatcher made my life hell, I didn't get the home time I was supposed to get and the truck they gave me wasn't the one that was promised. I realized right after taking the job that it wasn't the right place for me to be.

Answer #1 answers his question. Answer #2 answers the question, "why did you leave after 6 months", which is not what he asked. Answer 2 also might throw up red flags to him about you being able to get along with people.

Anytime an interviewer gives you the chance to answer with a yes or no, take it. It's a sign that they aren't very good at interviewing and they might just skip on to the next question.

 

If it was a while back the person that they talk to when they call probably wouldn't even know who you were and would only know that you had worked there for a period of time.

 

I always approach an interview as if I am the one interviewing the company and they need me more than I need them. I start right out the gate, after the handshake, by asking all the questions...

What are your runs? What kind of equipment do you have? Do you slip-seat? Tell me about your benefits. Can I have my dog with me if I want to? What about my wife? Tell me about the pay. etc.....I have a whole barrage of questions that could take the average person over an hour to answer. I use up most of the interview time asking questions. By the time the interview is about over (usually when I see them shifting in their seats) they know almost nothing about me.

Most of these companies want you to work for them. This is not the old days when the employer was king and bestowing some kind of favor on you by hiring you. This is a sellers market where the driver is in dire need to keep these companies going. Companies are folding because they can't find enough drivers. I know, I know....some of you will argue this with me. Doesn't matter...you should have this attitude even if it isn't true. Believe in your value to a company. Believe that you are the one hiring them.

Also, companies only really want to hear a good answer to 2 questions:

1. Do you have 2 years driving experience? (of course, they will settle for less if the insurance company allows them to)
2. Do you have a good driving record? ( like no at-fault accidents or moving violations like speeding. I never mention my DAC ...ever)

Anything else is gravy....hazmat endorsement, enhanced license, doubles, tanker, flatbed, whatever....these are all just enhancements to the employer. If you have them, great. If not, they'll still hire you.

Also, and what has been mentioned in an esoteric reference to a Zen poem, never offer anything you weren't asked for. Don't mention your DAC and, if asked, just say " I have a great driving record." Don't mention tickets you've gotten. They will find all that out anyway when they pull your record. Don't mention any negatives and dodge any direct questions about them. ( You did learn that dodging questions can even work to get you elected president, didn't you? ) You should have your "dodges" polished and ready like talking-points on a campaign trail...lol.

One more thing, and I can't stress this enough: Have a great resume. Embellish (cough) it if you need to. Make yourself look like supertrucker on it. You'd be surprised at how many employers take what you've written on a resume as Gospel truth. My resume has awards (cough again) that I've received for safe driving, training I got in the military (who the hell can check that stuff?), hobbies I have that go along with truck driving (I work on my cousins semi just to help him out), or I have a forklift certification...etc. A great resume becomes the focal point of the interview...which is what you want. When things lag, the interviewer usually goes to the resume.

Additionally, the classic question: Why did you leave xyz company? is: I never talk about my former employers. It just seems like the honorable thing to do. That said, my separation with xyz company was amicable.

Finally, you decide when the interview ends. Say something like, "Well, it sounds like we've covered a lot of territory and I know you are all busy so I'll let you go." Then stand up and reach out for the final handshake. This will leave them with the feeling like you are busy, have other options on the table, and they should jump on hiring you. In fact, their reaction to this moment will let you know just how serious they are about hiring you.

If you convey confidence during the interview it will create confidence in the interviewers. As Forest Gump said, "And that's all I have to say about that."