Long Term unemployment question

I would call ooida it seems like you'll do better as an owner operator. I would pursue this. This is what I did. I bought my truck and starting working. It has been a struggle but its turning around as this time. Had it not been for the disaster in Japan I would have made it easy. Unfortunately, I did not know about ooida at first.
I would try to go LTL, local or regional first. It maybe be more difficult to find a job but many will tell you on here it will bode will for you in the long run.

Most will also ALMOST ALL LEASE PURCHASE AGREEMENTS ARE NO GOOD. I have heard thus repeated over and over. Have someone review any such agreement. Much of this you know to do I'm sure but you asked so......

It seems to me that very few people are happy with the big companies. Many see it as the only place to start...not so!

Harvey Wallbanger has an excellent post about this under the Newbbie / rookie thread. It does sound from your post though that the control over you and the lack of real money will make the big companies unbearable.

Some of the guys on here will help with some good advice...others will just blast you every chance they get. So just weed out the nonsense. I'm with Harvey that its best to stay away from OTR. Now that said I would not change my past one bit. I hauled cars over the road all over the country at first. I was already well traveled but its different in a truck. Even though I do not think I will ever do it again it was what I thought trucking was and i did it.

Go to the section for newbies and rookies...read Harvey's post. This game plan would be my choice.

Good luck and welcome. If you call OOIDA and think its for you send me a PM I honestly will pay for your membership, not because I think your broke but because I believe our industry needs more self starters and that OOIDA is one of the better tools out there to help you accomplish your goals.

 

With your driving experience, you were able to get insurance.....do you think a student fresh out of school with his own authority and no experience would be insurable? I think calling OOIDA is a good idea, but explain in detail that you do not have a driving backround and will be a new student, see if you would even be insurable, before you spend a dime in this direction. They have an insurance division and will be very up front, plus they have some very well trained staff. Stop back an let us know if your insurable right out of the gate as a non-experienced student driver with no over the road training and just a school certificate.

 

:smt017:smt017

 

Companies might be willing to take your unemployment stubs.

 

Don't put the cart before the horse! You need to put in a good year as a company driver first.

You are going to need a letter stating what, where and when you were doing during your unemployment and it will have to be notarized. Besides this you will need any 1099's that you have.

This is a federal requirement and you must account for 10 years worth of work history.

 

You only have to account for the past 10 years if you have previous driving history. Otherwise I believe you only need 3 years history.

 

3 years is the DOT minimum, but many companies still want atleast 5 years for non driving history........often they wait till your in oreintation to drop that one.