Can’t find a job driving with a perfect record

Discussion in 'Experienced Truckers' Advice' started by Kash21, May 9, 2025.

  1. Kash21

    Kash21 Bobtail Member

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    I just moved from AZ to NH. I’ve spent the past 10 years building a solid career, I’m fully endorsed, no tickets and no accidents, solid history with a lot of experience, my previous employer being hazmat tanker. Yet, I’ve applied for over 40 local jobs this past month of April and gotten about 5-6 rejection emails, some from companies I didn’t even speak with. 2 companies willing to hire me, one is a temp agency and another is driving a trash truck. This is very discouraging and I’m almost about to either go OTR or just leave trucking. When I was in AZ I had companies contacting me nonstop and had my pick, now I’m lucky if I can even get a non CDL position. Any ideas?
     
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  3. Iamoverit

    Iamoverit Road Train Member

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    Many places aren't actually hiring at all but they still run ads and take applications. This applies to both local and interstate. If I were you, I'd take whatever you can if it's local and wait until the economy improves for real jobs to open up.
     
  4. tscottme

    tscottme Road Train Member

    Just because you move to a place doesn't mean that place is a good job market. FL & Hawaii are other examples.
     
  5. Kash21

    Kash21 Bobtail Member

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    What I don’t get is they keep posting jobs I actually interviewed at a couple, and they keep rejecting me. I’ve never experienced this ever.
     
  6. kemosabi49

    kemosabi49 Trucker Forum STAFF Staff Member

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    Have you checked your PSP and Dac(Hireright) reports to make sure what is on them?

    Dana Transport has terminals in N Grafton and Billerica, Ma that you could check out if those aren't too far from you. If you're interested, best to go the the terminals and talk to the terminal manager. Let him know that you are an experienced Hazmat tanker driver. N Grafton is the bigger terminal.
     
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  7. 201

    201 Road Train Member

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    WOW! This certainly takes the job market ,or lack of it to a new level, and a scary one at that, I might add. You clearly have an impressive record, you wouldn't believe what comes through here. Normally, I'd say wait for Chinatown to chime in, but if what you say is true, and I have no reason to think you are lying, to quote the late great Rodney Dangerfield, "Man, it's tough out there",,and if you've heard from 40 companies, Chinatowns suggestions are surely among them. It's not easy to say this, a profession I spent 35 years in, but forget about trucking, there are so many great jobs today, many that will appreciate you for who you are, and live happily ever after, and no trucks. Employers in my little town are BEGGING for workers, heck, a Walmart cashier makes $19/hour, landscape worker over $20, home construction, booming in my area, probably over $25, and all Latinos driving new pickups,,many with benefits and never cross a scale, except the bathroom scale, and they seem happy. It's more than I ever made in a truck.
    All denial aside, ,,,things,,,are,,,bad. BAD bad, and I'm not sure how we're going to recover from this tailspin, and trucking will continue to sink, just because it's so economy tied, and I'm telling ya', I wouldn't want my income teetering on what the govt. decides to do. Good luck.
     
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  8. Kash21

    Kash21 Bobtail Member

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    It really is bad. When I say how many jobs I’ve applied to it’s no joke, I could post a picture of my indeed and that’s only half the jobs I applied to, most weren’t even through indeed but the actual companies website. I went from hauling acid in AZ making $30+ to not being able to find a job anywhere, regretting moving now, should’ve stayed where I was at.
     
  9. Long FLD

    Long FLD Road Train Member

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    Do you talk to a real human face to face and ask about a job or just submitting stuff online? Usually human interaction works out better than click and send.
     
  10. Ridgeline

    Ridgeline Road Train Member

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    not picking on the op and hope he finds a job.

    But I have to say … Why are drivers surprised at this?

    we are on month 14 of this glut of drivers and it has been a problem in every segment of the industry.
     
    LoneRanger and tscottme Thank this.
  11. bryan21384

    bryan21384 Road Train Member

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    What's wrong with the trash truck job?
     
    born&raisedintheusa and Chinatown Thank this.
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