Return to OTR: My Journey Back

Hey folks,


It’s been a minute. A few years, actually. But thanks to an unexpected layoff, it looks like I’m sliding back into a semi and hitting the road again.


I’ve held my CDL since ’09, though I didn’t really put it to work until 2020. Landed an OTR job out of Jonesboro, AR, ran there for a bit, then hopped over to Crete. Did well with them too — even with family drama and life throwing wrenches into the gears every other week.


I stayed with Crete until around June 2022, then switched to a local gig that didn’t truly need a CDL… right up until last month. I kept my license and med card current the whole time, so I was hoping those years would still count. Spoiler: most companies don’t see it that way. Depending on who I call, I’m basically treated like a rookie all over again.


But screw it — I’m dusting off the tire thumper and checking the srw on the cb… First qr was to my old outfit, Crete. Figured I’d start where I left off. They acknowledged the application, but apparently their system took one look at my time off and hit the auto-reject button. Never even got assigned a recruiter — Pulse app just sat there looking at me like, “yeah, that’s cute.”


Tried tossing apps at a few other companies too, and got the same cold shoulder. Which is why I’m back here, digging around the forums and trying to figure out what I missed while I was gone.


Looks like I’m going to have to aim at beginner/second-chance outfits just to get my foot back in the door. Melton ended up emailing me the next morning, so at least someone out there thinks I’m still worth calling.


I’ll keep updating as things move. And if anyone’s been through this “CDL purgatory” after time off, I’m wide open to suggestions.