My last try to get into the industry..

I was in the position of caring for a family member during invasive cancer treatments for a little over of 2 years. As some may know, cancer treatments aren't cheep and I/my family was financially devastated after the treatments stopped from all the piling medical bills, insurance costs, medications, etc. I know that's a long time to be out of work, but that along with the Covid-19 pandemic, it left me in dire straights.
I've done "under the table jobs" for contractors and landscaper, and had trucking companies contact them to verify, but alas, they want W2 work for recently years and unfortunately, I can't provide that.
I have tried the school route, having received the WorkForce grant here in Indiana only to realize a few days before going to the school(TDI) that I was on the hook for all the extra costs that weren't mentioned and the School could not put in writing that job placement(which the touted as one of the best reason to attend their school) wasn't guaranteed at the completion of the course. I know trucking companies show up towards the end of the course to "Find the best candidate", but they are only looking for the best of the best with the best history. Which is understandable.
But we know "schools and recruiters" will say anything and everything to get you in so THEY get PAID. Anything to get your signature on a dotted line. That's something I've discovered the last year and a piece.

So as many other people, I tried the 'company sponsored' training route.
TMC, ROELH, Keller, Prime, Knight, Maverick, Swift, etc. KLLM(whom I'm currently trying with).
I would out in a app, a recruiter would call me, I'd explain my situation and they'd assure me that would NOT be an issue, just for communication with the recruiter to abruptly end and things go silent on their end. If i had a dollar for every time this has happened, I wouldn't need to go trucking.(Only kidding but you get the point)
In my area, which as been devastated by Covid-19 and the opioid epidemic, you have to drive 1-2 hrs away to get a job and the travel for gas(almost $4/gal here as of writing this) your basically working so you can get to work and pay your taxes. Local places say they are hiring, but no new positions are being filled.
I wanted to get into trucking so bad. I really did, but i don't think that is an option for me anymore.
I have always loved trucks. My dad's family owned the Nation's Largest Truck Salvage in the 60s, 70s, 80s. So i grew up around them. I can't count the number of weekends I'd spend in one of their yards climbing all over old Pete's, Kenworth's, etc. Trucking was a common topic around our family dinner table and at family events get-togethers. All my uncles drove. One being a million safe mile driver for Schneider, having a plaque in there Green Bay, WI HQ and having retired as a regional training manager, and the other being a Owner OP would hauled coils of steel on a flatbed from Pittsburg to customers all over the country.
Even though, with my circumstance, I believe this is my last try to get into the industry. As mentioned, I'm trying with KLLM to get my CDL and drive. Not sure how that's going to work out, but I remain hopeful.
If this doesn't work, I'm going to go back to the warehouse/factory work and beg for a job and live in my car for a few months, sleep in store parking lots while i save money to relocate and get a house closer to where the job is so I'm not driving as far.
That is to say, I haven't only been applying for trucking jobs.
On Indeed, SnagAJob, LinkedIn, ZipRecruiter I've summited hundreds of apps this year alone with only a few call backs, then silence.

Not sure what else to do.

 

You posted you received an offer from KLLM. Did that fall through?
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KLLM pay increase--biggest in the company's history
I just got my offer letter from KLLM and I start at $0.55/mile.
Post by: MLTrucker, Monday at 2:32 PM in forum: Refrigerated Trucking Forum

 

“having received theWorkForce grant here in Indiana only to realize a fewdays before going to the school(TDI) that I was onthe hook for all the extra costs that weren'tmentioned”

Lets back up a bit..
What are the extra costs you would have had to pay?
Is the grant still available to you?
How long is the TDI course assuming you can pass on the first or second attempt?

 

You could call Keller trucking. They were hiring and training new drivers. I’m not sure what they are doing now. Freight has slowed down we seem to more short runs. They have guaranteed minimum pay every week. They have 7 days a week drivers and 5 days a week drivers and 4 day on and 3 days off driver that share a truck so the truck is always running.

They pay $20 hour detention pay after 1 hour and the pay. They pay for every drop and hook and live load or unload. No loads to North Eastern States. They pay $20 hour when truck is in shop for repairs. Because of the shorter runs it difficult to get lots of miles or many more then the minimum guaranteed.

 

Maybe this one. Probably has some gig work that doesn't require a cdl.
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I received the offer letter and I signed it promptly.
After that I didn't hear back from my recruiter for a while. Reached out via email several times and didn't receive any reply. I also called and left messages so I figured she was busy. Then the Director of Recruiting, Wayman Downing reached out to me via email stating "Good morning. When you have a moment, please give me a call to discuss your application to start our CDL program. I want to work with you to ensure you have an opportunity to drive for our company. It is going to take you working with me to get it done but if you are interested, call me. I look forward to connecting with you."
I replied and let him know that I was waiting for the recruiter to get back with me and if I needed anything further I'd reach out. Then I figured since he reached out to me, my recruiter would possibly be available for a call. So I called her and she informed me that they are having issues verifying some of my work history, which I had already emailed her copies of my W2s. She then said they may not be able to move forward since i haven't had a W2 job for a while even with the information I provided from my current "as needed' job from a local contractor I've been working for since mom got sick to help make ends meet. Even called my boss to see if they had reach out to him or his office to see if any type of contact had been made as of yet. He informed me they had not reached out to him as of yet. But the recruiter didn't seem to thrilled with my situation, as is the normal from the other recruiter I have talked to in the past year. So Im going to talk to Wayman, the Director of Recruiting to see if there is anything he can do. If not, then I'm done.

 

There's driving jobs that don't require a cdl. Those will give you a work history.

 

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The tuition is $6995.00 plus hotel, food, class materials, tests, DOT phsyical, exam, etc. I had the money for most of that at the time. Hotel was $500 for the 3 weeks of school but you had to leave on the weekends. The school is only 1hr and 45m drive from me. Id come home on the weekends.
The grant was only going to cover about $3200 of the tuition.
I didn't then or now have the extra $3795 for the tuition on top of the other costs associated with room and board, food, test costs, etc.

I'm unsure if the grant is still available to me as of now or not.

 

I know. I've applied to all of them on Indeed, SnagAJob, LinkedIn, ZipRecruiter I've summited hundreds of apps this year alone with only a few call backs, then silence.