Notarized letters explaining gaps in employment history

I'd use a non-family member and say something like "I attest that John Smith was not working in a DOT-regulated field from 01/07-06/07. He was a homemaker during that time period."

I have a similar 2-sentence letter from a friend covering a period of self employment, and it has been accepted at 9 out of 10 companies (the exception being May Trucking)

 

One guy on here posted his letter said, he couldn't find full time work due to the economy, so was just doing odd jobs and simple home repairs, lawn care, etc while looking for work. Had a neighbor and a couple of family members sign it.

 

I wrote a letter like that for my husband. His recruiter told us what had to be included in the letter. He's been with his company since August, so I guess it was acceptable coming from his wife.

 

My buddy had to get a notarized letter stating that he was looking for employment during his time being unemployed. The company he went with required 2 letters.

 

I do believe they need this for unemployment benefits in some cases.

 

There is no DOT requirement to get notarized letters explaining gaps of employment. That is purely something a particular company may require and another may not.

They are required to have on the application your last three years of employment. If you've driven before the last three years you must have all employers you drove for in the last ten years by law. There is no requirement for listing all non-driving jobs for the last 10 years.

http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/rules-regulations/administration/fmcsr/fmcsrruletext.aspx?reg=391.21

The carriers generally make you jump through more hoops than regulations themselves do.

 

When I started at Pride Transport they didn't require anything like that. I had a three year gap in employment in my last four years when I started. I was disabled at that time, but they didn't even require paperwork for that.

The reason they go above and beyond is because they're taking a chance on new drivers. Even with a good background and steady work history there's a good chance a driver won't make it long due to the job and the OTR lifestyle. For some, they've probably seen a higher percentage not make it that had unexplained gaps and things like that so they wanted more documentation. Who knows, maybe they think if you're willing to jump through hoops you're someone who is more likely to work hard. Maybe they just think it's funny that they can start making your life a PITA before you even start working for them.