Back to Trucking after a Few Years

If you still have your CDL any company willing to hire you with that long of a gap is going to put you with a trainer for at least a couple weeks just to make sure you know what you're doing. My guess is 2 weeks with Schneider because their entire training program for someone with no CDL is only 5-7 weeks depending on which division you choose, intermodal and tanker takes longer the dryvan training is only 5ish weeks.

 

90 days is the magic number in 2026. These companies just make things up as they go, right? Always have and always will. 90 days will open a lot of doors in today's trucking environment.

It's very difficult to find a company that will count experience if you've been out for more than 3 years. Schneider is the only one I know of that will. There's probably others, but good luck finding them. Schneider doesn't even advertise that they will use anything from the previous 10 years, but that's currently the policy last time I talked with them. Same thing with the 90 days. Magically a lot of other companies will forget all about their policies if you have 90 days of recent experience. Some will count your previous experience and some won't care about anything other than you have 90 days. A few companies are still stuck in 120 days, but I'm just letting you know, the 1 years 2 years stuff is not great advice any more. And for you specifically, I would probably recommend just getting in any truck and turning back on the experience clock. It's the fastest easiest way to get what you want. Otherwise you're going to be chasing your tail and getting mad most likely.

 

The problem is, you get the trainer/mentor that is available at the time and place of your need.
Maybe a 10% chance you get what you are hoping for. I say 10% because I am an optimist.

 

That's the norm nowadays. Insurance has changed up a lot of things. Used to, drivers could be out years and get hired. Was a guy in my orientation class back in 2019 that had 18 years experience, but was out of the truck 4 years. At that time he got hired because he had more experience than time off. Now many reputable companies want the 1 year in the last 3. Maybe you need a refresher, but be prepared to start over.

 

The ELDT course is for those that have never held a CDL or specific endorsment. So, depending on what your licnese had been you may or may not need it. As said by others in this post, ELDT for a hazmat is an online course and not a big expense.

As for the rest of the training, the market has changed significantly these past few years and any reputable company is going to treat you like you havr never driven before. They have to because training and recent expierence is what is being attacked in court when someone has a crash.

Also concider that the freight market has changed drastically post-COVID, so the type of running you did previously is harder to find. The freight network is set up for short haul work mostly, making long miles that are consistent harder to find. Not saying you can't find those jibs, but they are harder to find.

 

You lack a little bit of leverage since you've been out so long. If it were me, I'd take whatever I can get. You'll have to get lax on certain requirements though because of the lack of leverage. I don't know where everyone gets this 90 days thing from. I fail to see how your situation improves just after 90 days. If you go to a company for 90 days after being out of the industry 6 years, none of the better trucking jobs will probably look your way. The real magic number is 1 year, because the better companies want 1 year in the past 3. I would look towards a company sponsored refresher with a rider program. At this point, you need to get back in the game by any means necessary. Then when you've worked somewhere for about a year, you can apply your conditions for your next job. 90 days at one company will just move you from one beginner/training company to another. If it's Schnieder, go there..if KLLM, who has a refresher will take you, go there. Just get back in the game and start getting some behind the wheel hrs. Hesitation only prolongs the time you've been away.

 

Do Schneider tanker. You’ll like that. Lot of hazmat. Lot of you unloading.
But those trucks will idle where the dryvan ones won’t. Course now they got these auto start trucks where they used to not.