Havn't worked in 3 years, can I get hired?

It seems like the last 3 years of your work history is the most important time to the majority of these trucking companies(or maybe its DOT) they don't seem to care to much on what your individual circumstances might be. I actually feel like some of these companies would rather hire a convicted serial killer who did 30 years in prison but for the last 3 years has been working at Mickey D's, he would have a better chance than someone who has a solid 40 years work history but decided to take the last 3 years off.

I agree with you if I can afford to take off and leave the rat race for awhile thats my business but they seem to frown upon that, like how dare you...you can't do that...you can't leave the system whats wrong with you.

 

Maybe the country has changed, for the worse, in the three years I've been gone. I'm sure all of the new regulations, on just about anything a human can do, is really gumming up the whole works for a lot of people. It's getting to the point of a lot of people just saying, "screw it all", which is what I did when I sold everything I had and moved overseas. I figure it this way, if I can come back there next year and land a CDL job with a mega carrier, I'll know what the real deal is. If I come back and cannot, well I'll have spent money that I cannot earn back easily. Airfare one way to the USA is over one thousand dollars, not to mention the cost of living there and the leg work I'll have to do. Of course I will have my answer though.

Probably, I'll send an email or two this week to a few companies and just ask them the same question I asked here. I can understand that a lot of recruiters probably would just hit the delete button and not even take two minutes to respond to it. The sloth and laziness of some people never ceases to amaze me, but I gotta have some faith, right?

The more I read about the industry, the more negative my opinion of it becomes. Maybe that is because the good things never outshine the bad things. Bad stuff is what people seem to enjoy talking about the most and the good is never mentioned by many.

I don't know but I think the industry is looking for desperate people who will work for cheap to fill these trucks. I ain't that desperate to be a wage slave, considering you give your life to do OTR trucking. Not many people will put up that lifestyle, so they should be happy to get someone like like me who wants to work my ### off and get back into the game. Attitude is everything and if the attitude of the companies sucks, well I guess that explains the high turnover rate among drivers.

At some point in your life, you just get tired of the BS. I'm past that point, to a large degree, but I do understand what a company wants in its employees. All I need is the chance.

 

I just sent an email to CRST, explaining my situation. Hopefully, someone will answer it. I just want to drive and make a much money as I can. I figure team driving is where it's at for the money.

 

I know at Schneider, there are at least a couple of guys who have been with the company for some time that work on a periodic basis. Don't know how common it is or if that atmosphere has changed. It may be that type of employment situation is reserved only for those who have been with the company for some time.

I wish you the very best.

 

OK, so far I have sent off three emails to the recruiting departments and I'll report back on this topic when or if I get any replies. In a way this is a test on the companies to see if the recruiters are doing their jobs.

 

"Thinking outside the box" is just a cliche nowadays, not a reality.

 

It's all about documentation. The three year employment history is something dreamed up by Homeland Security. As long as you can prove where you've been and what you've been doing for the last three years, that is all that is required. Coming out of retirement shouldn't be a big deal, but you'll have to talk to inside recruiters at the companies, not outside ones, as they make zero decisions.

Do you actually have experience with your CDL? If so, then your best choice will be smaller companies that hire based on quality vs quantity if you still have a valid CDL. Coincidentally, these companies usually pay the best, and don't treat you like a number.

 

I am in somewhat of the same situation. I used to drive about 12 years ago and gave up my CDL about 6 yrs ago. I have been in retail all the years I have been out of trucking and thought I would retire about 1 and a half years ago. I am bored and would really like to drive again. I can go through a private school but I have also contacted several companies about working for them. Because I haven't worked in over a year the following companies wouldn't even take an application. Maverick, Prime, TMC, Millis and Central Refrigerated. I am still going to go to the school but am unsure on where I can find work. The School will help of course. It is just frustrating to have a good work record but because I was able to retire early but decided to work again no one wants to give me a shot. Maybe I should just say I have been in jail for the last year or so.

 

Smaller companies will be more likely to make a hiring decision based on their impression of you and not a statistical elimination due to an "employment gap" that is very common in today's workplace. It's not just transportation that has gone this way, retail and construction are 2 sectors I know of that have the practice as well. Doesn't make any sense for a retiree to be penalized at all, but someone who skips between jobs, or has a history of lengthy stints on un-employment? If the HR guy or gal has a stack of apps, that person is not getting the job. Too bad the practice got to be the norm instead of logically selective.

 

It's been two days and I havn't heard from the recruiting dept's of three major companies that I emailed concerning my question. I guess they aren't desperate enough for drivers as of yet. I'm starting to think the mega carriers are just a last chance act of desperation for a lot of people, and the mega carriers know this to be the case. If they gave a crap, it would take not even a minute to reply to my question. Are recruiters even worth anything or are they just marking time like everyone else seems to be doing and calling it work?