Any Part-time Trucking Jobs out there for a New Driver?

Okay, first of all I wanted to thank everyone in advance for your advice.

Here's my story:

I am a Social Worker in the Asheville, NC area. I lost my job in late 2010 for about three months and got another job in February 2011 that paid $30,000 per year. I have four kids and my Wife is a stay at home Mother who home schools our Son due to a disability that he has which makes it very difficult to send him to public school. When I lost my job I went from making $45,000 per year to $30,000 per year (this after being unemployed for 3 months also). Anyway, I did this for a while and realized that my savings was just burning up quickly and I simply was not making enough money. I did a lot of praying, researching, and so forth and finally decided to start trucking school in October 2011.

In mid November, I was blessed with a completely unexpected interview for another job in my field and I ended up getting a job (Praise God!) making $54,000 per year. I was so happy to be able to get a job that enabled me to be able to provide for my family and be able to come home every day. However, I decided that I would continue the trucking school (taking classes on weekends) so that I would have something to fall back on should the need ever arise again.

I'm happy to say that I have just graduated from school yesterday and got my CDL. I am concerned because one of the instructor's told me that I need to atleast get some kind of part-time job very soon because the CDL will be useless after about 45 days as I will have to do a "Refresher course" before anyone will hire me if I ever go into trucking full time. So that brings me to my question:

Does anyone have any recommendations of how I could get a part-time job as a Trucker working on the weekends considering the fact that I have no experience. Also, I would be interested in possibly doing some volunteer driving, maybe going out for a week or so here and there during time off from my regular job so if anyone has any recommendations of that it would be appreciated as well. Thank you for taking the time to read this long post and for any responses!

 

I would check online, maybe a driver/helper position. Or a place like conway ltl, or similar. Anyone in your church a local driver?

 

There is no such thing if you don't own your own rig.

 

You can try some of the "unusual places" that many never think about.

Like, Manpower, Temp agencies, Craig's List, for starters. Even some local companies like an LTL in your area, may have some "part time work" available as well.

Good luck, keep us up to date.

 

@pacnorwestdriver: I do know someone in my church that drives. I plan to speak with him soon to see if he has any connections or suggestions.

@bossoutlaw88: I appreciate the candid information.

@Gizmo man: Thanks for those Ideas. I had thought about checking with Goodwill industries to see if maybe I could help move their trailers that they put around on the weekends for donations.

One follow-up question. If I am unable to find something part-time or atleast volunteer work that keeps my skills up are there companies out there that will hire someone with a CDL but has no experience and has been out of school for a while should I need it, with the understanding that a bit of refresher training would be needed to get back to familiarity?

 

False.

Look into staffing companies for truck drivers. I had a part time trucking job last year, while work at my full time job was very slow. Got me home every night too.

Try Craigslist. A friend of mine has a part time driving for a wine distributor. They needed somebody to do about a 1100 mile run every weekend, so they put an ad on Craigslist and its a very good way of supplementing her income. She had her CDL less than a year when she got that job, and had no verifiable driving experience.

Im not saying these jobs are common, but they are out there. Dont listen to the doom and gloomers. It wont be easy, but if you look hard enough I bet you could fiind somebody willing to take you on. Maybe Lowes and Home Depot stores. They have their own tractors and flatbed trailers for local deliveries.

http://www.thetruckersreport.com/tr...66500-attention-all-rookies-and-wannabes.html

 

Good Will, Little Sisters, Salvation Army, many of these are class B trucks by the way, but still part time, and sadly, nearly minimum wages..

As far as someone hiring you with no experience, that is a big "MAYBE".

You could perhaps find a part time job at say an LTL company, as a fueler, and yardman. There, you might have to drive the trucks to a fuel island, OR you will be driving a fuel truck (class B) to do the fueling. Then, as a yardman, you would be getting ALL kinds of time backing up trucks, all day or all night long.

I would check into say, any supermarket chain DC center, as well. If there is a Dunkin' Donuts DC center near you, check into there as well.

CVS, Walgreen's, Rite-Aid, they all have DC centers.

Ryder, Penske as well have locations that need "runners" to pick up and deliver trucks, and these are usually on a "call in needed basis"... So you have your work cut out for you.

 

actually, Home Desperate and Lowe's has contracted out now.

I know, I used to work for Lowes, now Cardinal and JB Hunt hold the contracts for drivers. (at Lowe's and Home Desperate) At least, in my area, and I suspect that will be everyplace soon enough.

 

Theres a Home Depot and a Lowes right next to each other very close to here, and both still have a flatbed truck that their company runs. Im talking about local product home deliveries, like somebody ordering 2 pallets of brick for their yard....Im not talking about running trailer loads from the distribution centers to the stores.

 

Thanks for the info guys. Keep the ideas coming if you have them. I know I have my work cut out for me finding a position in this type situation but I really don't want all that hard work I did getting my CDL to just go to waste. I don't really care so much if I have to do a position that pays minimum wage or even if it is a volunteer position. I mainly just want to be able to do something that keeps my skills up and that I can point to as experience in case I do end up becoming a truck driver full time.