4 year old, unused CDL with no experience. Any chances?

I know this is a long shot but I obtained my CDL from a private trucking school back in ~ June of 2013, but I never used it so I never got any real world driving experience outside of the school. I got a decent general labor job right after I got it which is why I never used it.

Here I am almost 4 years later, unemployed in an area with next to no jobs other than fast food, and wondering if there's any shot of a trucking company hiring me. I searched around a bit, unless I'm not looking well enough, it seems very few companies offer refresher courses, and some of the ones that do, require you to already have some experience. The only company that I think would take me ( maybe not ) would be CR England, but after seeing all of the horror stories about them, I think I'd be better off working at Mcdonalds.

Are there any companies out there you know of that would be willing to take someone like myself in? It would have to be somewhere that offers a refresher obviously. Or is my license basically a paper weight? I don't have nowhere near enough money to take a private refresher class on my own. I'm 24 years old, clean MVR and criminal background, and I live in Maryland if that matters.

 

Where is your location? OK, I see you're in Maryland.

 

Maryland. Western Maryland to be exact.

 

OK, there's a few options and CR England isn't one of them, but I wouldn't rule them out completely.
Food service companies hire drivers with only a CDL permit, so you're ahead of the game there.
Apply for "Driver Helper" or "Driver Associate" for these jobs.
Sygma Network
Reinhart Foodservice
McLane Foodservice
Next you can apply with companies that offer refresher course and companies that have their own cdl school which may evaluate your situation and see what the best course of action is.
Freymiller - ask for refresher
Abilene Motor Express - ask for refresher
Titan Transfer - ask for refresher
Ask these what they recommend:
Jim Palmer Trucking
Contract Freighters Inc. (www.cfidrive.com)
Maverick Transportation
TMC
Roehl Transport

 

Western Maryland? If you are in Hagerstown you might want to consider DM Bowman out of Williamsport for Regional van. They also maintain a yard in Frederick Maryland for flatbed work.

Hahn Transport is in New Market, east of Frederick. It's a day cab work that will give you upwards of 16 hour days after your commute to the yard at about 2 am (To leave out by 3 am, company policy so you can arrive in your delivery or loading appointments. Gasoline requires 25 if not older due to insurance reasons. They also have a little bit of stone. But gasoline is where it's at should you survive training. In 1980's money you could clear 1200 a week net running gasoline 6 days a week.

You also have Frock Brothers in lower PA You will find Roadway, Preston etc around the area.

There is a transload yard that takes lumber off trains in Hagerstown dedicated to Lowes.

There is a Lumber yard in Ripon WVa. There is a Quarry with big time mining haul trucks in what I consider to be Winchester. There is a cement plant and a brick yard in the region. Winchester is up to here with big time trucking.

You have Schlumberger south of DC, but the commute will eat you up.

Fort Necessity is a nice place to sit in that parking lot taking sharp pictures of truckers going by. 100 trucks should yeild 100 digital photos with MC DOT Numbers in 10 minutes to do further research on. But do not stick around. Get out of there. It's close to terrorist early pre-strike behavior. Understand? The good companies do not advertise.

You should also pay attention to cumberland, you got a bunch up there.

 

Thanks a lot, I'll give those a look.

 

You, I used to have a lot of respect for you, but then you said "but I wouldn't rule them out completely" regarding CR England. The only thing to do with England is to rule them out!

 

Well, anything is better than fast food....in my opinion. It's a very long shot that he will need that option anyway.

 

Yea, I live just west of Cumberland actually. The thing is, at least for me, there's a crap ton of local coal hauling companies, but they won't even look at my application since I have no experience. Every single one of them that I've called and ask, all require atleast 1-3 years experience, hell a few required 5+. Pitt Ohio for example, all require experience

I remember looking into DM Bowman a few days ago but they don't offer a refresher as far as I can tell. So that means I'd have to go and jump into a truck and do their road test, which I'm pretty sure my backing skills are laughable.

 

Try smith transport up in pa they havve a yard in Cumberland