Not Enough Recent Experience - The Solution

I'm in a similar situation. I've been out of the truck for 3 yrs and many trucking companies turn their nose up at me. I found Werner, Knight, Covenant, USA, and Maverick willing to take me on. An independent recruiter suggested I go back to my original trucking school and take a refresher course. At my school, refresher courses are free if you've paid for the original schooling. He said, that would qualify me for more openings and I may get a pay rate for my previous driving time. I have not decided how I will proceed. I have an opportunity to buy a truck for cash and run intra-state. If anyone can advise me further, I would appreciate all the help.
Thanks

 

The refresher thing is a scam...bottom line. I could see a company putting you with a trainer for a 2-4 weeks and then you would be set.

 

Exactly. Especially in cases like mine where I am currently employed as a local driver.

 

i read somewhere that at heartland if u had a year of driving u can hire on and go out with a trainer its on there website besides dont alot of smaller companies look past that anyway

 

if you get with the trainer your learning that companies shippers and receivers locations the whole time.
i found that once you been there done that you get in a city in the morning unload and reload and scoot. it makes alot of difference when you know where your going and it comes to you after a while

 

If you wanna learn the business end of it, go with an o/o providing he can get insurance. That is the biggest problem. If you have to suck it up, do six months company first then go with an o/o.

Offer to run second seat and see if he'll teach you about the business. Not too many are willing for obvious reasons but if your honest and want to learn it is the right way to go. It can be very interesting and a wake up call to some. I loved it as I learned how to fuel and improve on my mechanical skills.

KH

 

I stopped trucking in Oct 2006 cuz I got too many speeding tickets(3) within a year. I drove local for a year & a half and otr for 2 years till I racked up all these points & my license was suspended for 6 months. So I took a non driving job that didn't pay as well but I had a lot of OT. Had to pay my bills somehow. Well now after 4 years my record is a lil better & I wanna get back on a rig. I applied everywhere ( local) & no luck. Then I started calling big otr companys and as soon as I told then that I haven't drove for 4 years they said sorry they couldn't help me. So then I rememberd I have a friend that's a dispatcher for a local trucking co. I called him up & asked him if he knew anyone that's hiring drivers? He said yes that his friend need a driver and gave me his #. So I called him and gave him all my info. I was completely honest about everything so he said if the insurance accepts u then ur hired. He called the insurance co & within 3 hours he called me back n said I'm hired! & the next day I took a drug test & without training or refreshing I was in a truck driving local. It felt a little wierd but I'm back on a truck! Its a small co. With only about a dozen trucks ( all Volvos) they pay by the load but as long as I get my experience again I'm good. I don't think the insurance co. Went around checking to c if I have any recent experience.

 

What's getting frustrating is seeing all these students getting hired on, and so far I've had no luck because most of my experience the last 5 years is local. Never mind that I'm still actually driving and know what I'm doing. That doesn't matter. A green rookie seems to be more desirable to these companies than someone who has proven that they can safely operate a CMV.

 

The said thing is most insurance companies with the exception of progressive and another one will only insure drivers that have two or more years after they received their CDL. I called and found this out as some guy wanted to hire me doing a dedicated Orlando, FL to OH to VA dry van run and back. I could not get approved and was told to come back in December of 11'. Supposedly progressive will be going unlimited radius. Right now the coverage is a 500 mile radius from the domicile.

KH

 

i agree totally! i just got a call yesterday, said where i was a local i was out of luck. ROFLMAO!! i can drive a westernstar with a 260`` wheelbase with a 48` trailer down a dirt road 8` wide, load up 150,000lbs of logs, back up 1/4 mile to turn around. i can haul skidders and other equipment on the same roads. i can go from 2am to 8pm drive all over the state but i can`t drive down the interstate for a big co. because i have no otr experiance in 12 years. i have a buddy with 3 accidents in a truck, pealed the roof off a trailer, totalled one truck and flopped one on it`s side. he can get a job otr, i never even scratched a truck. just blows my mind. lol