Some hire rookies and some not.

Time alone does not a good driver make.
When you look at an applicant, you don't know them from Adam. All you have to go on is basically paperwork. Their work history, their MVR, their DAC (if applicable), their prior experience, etc. And you have to make a judgment call based on that.
Now let's say you're running something that can be particularly touch... for example, a frameless end dump. Experienced driver or not, if you've never pulled one, you need some guidance. And you really don't want to be concurrently having to explain that AND how to drive a truck in the first place to a prospective employee.
So there's that to consider.
On the flip side of that coin, you may recall in the past I've mentioned that most of my driving experience was in the construction industry in some form... much larger loads, lots of oversize/OD stuff, lots of access trails that the typical highway driver won't see... yet, when I had to bite the bullet and take an OTR gig, I was told by a recruiter at Roehl that I wasn't an experienced driver because I didn't have six months recent OTR time, although I'd love to see these six month "veterans" do the jobs which I did, haul the loads which I did, and operate under the conditions that I did. Most of them would be gone within a couple weeks.
Guess it all comes down to perspective.

 

I am a rookie.. I have just around 6 months experience.. I am solo now.. and I learn and develop everyday..
Rookies have a lot they got to learn and develop... I know each week I get better at things.. and I am not just talking about the driving.. that is the easy part.. I know that I was able to be far more productive this week.. the main reason is all the learning that I experienced the weeks before..

I know rookies dont like to hear it.. but, the truth is we are more of a risk and liability then we realize... why.. because we can make a simple mistake that can cost the company money...
For example.. we had a new driver this week who was just off the trainers truck and has been I nis truck for two weeks.. he gets a load a nd afger ne drops it ne is to go the rail hard to pick up an empty reefer of the ramp.. well, he missed an exit.. easy to do.. got to the shippers 40 minutes later than expected... it took him awhile to get his trailer dropped.. he ended up running out of hours.. so he did not make it to the rail yard to pick up the empth off tne ramp.. so, a yard dog grabbed and put I. In a spot to be picked up tomorrow.... only that costs money.. the company bas to pay for that trailer to be pick up and and parked by the yard dog and charged for the space..
now, that is just a missed exit...
but, most companys want to hire a dependable driver... and you need to realize that more rookies will not last a year.. in a CDL class of 10 only 2 will last a year.. the other 8.. accidents, tickets, violations.. and the most common.. they quit... can not handle or do not want to handle the stress of the job or the stress of the job causes health issues..

So when a company hires a rookie... they are making a big gamble.. taking a big risk and chance.. and majority of rookies are very unaware of that..

I am not bashing rookies.. as I said.. I am a rookie. and I get reminded of that everh day, sometimes several times a day.. not, by experienced drivers.. by the nature of the job...

Like this afternoon.. deadheading north along I 29.. I have travel that stretch of road many times.. ut, today the wi d was having fun with me.. and me a rookie... fighting the wind with an empty trailer.. wondering if it is too windy to deadhead... wishing I knew for sure... but, that is something experience teaches you.. wondering if a stro g gust of wind could blow me over... wishing the stupid cars would just pass me already and not ride along side of me while tne wi d is pushing me their way.. wondering if I sent the completed macro.. should I pull into a truck stop.. I am only for miles away from home..

Now all of of that was about 10 miles of the 487 miles I drove today.. it is not a peaceful easy feeling being pushed around by the wind.. Neither is knowing that you are the one responsible.. responsible for handling the truck and for the decision whether it is safe to do so and if I have the necessary skills... the wrong decision can fatal.. and rookies dont have the experience..

 

Easy answer is cost of insurance. When I retrained a bit over a year ago it cost m O/O brother $1000 per month in added cost.

Some companies get business from customers by letting them know their drivers all have X years experience, which might be important to the customer that lost a $250,000 shipment after a rookie rolled the truck. How many brokers or salespeople are on the phone to a customer that just lost a critical load? Training companies tend to have customers that want rock bottom pricing. Trucking companies that need experienced drivers tend to serve higher end customers.

 

My company runs some really temperature sensitive stuff as well as high value and hazmat loads. They also have customers that have been with them for decades and they don't want relationship messed up either. So its probably just the nature of the business conducted that newer and younger drivers arent hired on. Other companies it may just be purely an insurance thing.

 

It cost between $5000-8000 to train a rookie. A smaller company doesn't want to be bothered.

 

And with no way of knowing how that rookie is going to do, if they will last.. what are they goi g to do the first holiday they are miles from home and family.. I know I spent Thanksgiving at a Truck Stop in Laredo TX.. a company doesn't know how a rookie is going to respond to things like that... Some just abandon the truck even under a load..

An experienced driver has a track record that the company can check and have a better idea of what they are getting for that $5000 to $8000

 

All I want to do is earn an opportunity, I met with a recruiter and they said they wanted someone with at least 2 years of experience. But! They have other driving duties available so I can prove to them I have the skills. Awesome, we'll see.