New CDL-A graduate, Can't find work ANYWHERE.

Discussion in 'Questions From New Drivers' started by Cyb3rst0rm, Apr 12, 2025.

  1. Iamoverit

    Iamoverit Road Train Member

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    Maybe they don't like commies?
     
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  3. Rugerfan

    Rugerfan Road Train Member

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    First off you’re not overqualified for any of the jobs you’ve applied to just because you have a class A license. I could teach a monkey to get a class A these days. The economy is also garbage right now so that doesn’t help. Get your weight under control and maybe find a flatbed company to give you a shot. That would get you into better shape.
     
  4. RogerThat72

    RogerThat72 Road Train Member

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    Dude I’m a unit but I’ve seen guys 2x-3x my size. they must be 600+ purple legs taking 1 step at a time with 30 second breaks per step.

    go to a mega carrier and get experience. While doing that work on your weight and stay active while out on the road. Since I stopped driving I lost 100lbs. Diet, eating right, following through with a plan, and staying active.
     
  5. Chi Town Steers

    Chi Town Steers Road Train Member

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    You’re way too fat, first of all. Extremely overweight employees are less valuable, and pose a higher risk.
    Secondly you’re in a horrible hiring area. Get a zip code on your license from within 50 miles of Chicago and you’ll be offered jobs that week.

    if you’re serious, it’s simple, get a zip code on your license from a big hiring area. Aka move. Hot markets are Chicago, Kansas City, Atlanta, any city on the east coast.
     
    Last edited: Apr 12, 2025
  6. Chi Town Steers

    Chi Town Steers Road Train Member

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    Ding ding ding ️
     
    born&raisedintheusa Thanks this.
  7. Atlanta trucker

    Atlanta trucker Road Train Member

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    Get rid of the communist in your picture and you might get a job.
     
  8. Cyb3rst0rm

    Cyb3rst0rm Bobtail Member

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    That would defeat the entire point of why I got my CDL. Good salary + ability to stay in a low cost of living area. $60-70k a year buys a nice house and a nice lifestyle here, 60-70k in a city is starvation wages. Regardless I don't think relocating is in the cards considering I don't have a personal vehicle right now, I have $30 to my name, and the only reason I'm not homeless is because I'm staying with family. The people telling me to lose weight, like I hear you but there is absolutely nothing I can do about that short term and I need to find work yesterday. The point is I have a 2 year DOT card, I've already been given the all clear to operate this equipment medically and that's all any company should need to know. Its not my fault if they have bigoted preconceptions about what work I can or can't do. I doubt any work on a semi is going to be more strenuous than hauling around a van load of heavy ### auto parts all day, which is literally what I was doing before. I'm just kind of disappointed and surprised that based on what people are saying in this thread, it seems to be kind of industry wide even though I don't think I would be the largest person at any given truck stop at any time.

    At any rate, I appreciate all the useful advice that's been given here. I'm going to go through the thread and get applications sent out to all the companies everyone has listed if I haven't already applied to them. I don't even really care what specific type of work I end up getting right now or truly what the wage is. I just need work so I can start getting experience under my license. If there was a company that hired every CDL-A driver for min wage no questions asked I'd sign on without hesitation at this point.

    Admittedly, I wouldn't have quit my prior job if I had known the trucking industry was in a down turn. I just remember during COVID hearing about how truckers were making more money than ever, and a CDL was a golden ticket to the upper middle class and thinking to myself "and here my ####### is sitting here driving a cargo van for a slave wage with no prospects for advancement". Guess maybe I should have jumped ship back then. Oh well, hindsight is 20-20.
     
    nextgentrucker Thanks this.
  9. Chi Town Steers

    Chi Town Steers Road Train Member

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    No one cares. You need to wake up and smell the roses buddy. You’re in a #### hiring area, during a recession. You did no research before quitting your job. The easiest thing to do is change the zip code on your license. I didn’t say anything about moving. Get creative big boy.

    western express should hire you, I saw some really fat dudes working there when I worked for them
     
  10. Cyb3rst0rm

    Cyb3rst0rm Bobtail Member

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    Western is first on my list of places I'm sending an application out to.
     
  11. bryan21384

    bryan21384 Road Train Member

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    He's in Illinois. The state of Illinois is not a bad hiring area. In fact, that's one of the better states to live in if you're wanting to be a trucker. You don't have to live in a major city necessarily to find a good job. You just have to be in a state with a lot of commerce going in and out. He has to keep applying to all companies. One will bite.
     
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