Starting From Scratch

Hey guys and gals,

I have a dilemma and need some input on my situation if you don't mind responding to it with the knowledge you guys have on the trucking industry as a whole...

Ok, so I have a Class A license with no endorsements and an Automatic transmission restriction on my license. I have about 4 years experience with a large straight truck with air brakes hauling utility poles (I worked for the electric company). I have gone through a lot this year. Lost my job early in the year and am still looking. Put my house up for sale and literally with my last unemployment check was able to sell the house and have some decent money. Then about a month after that my wife and I filed for divorce and we have a 2 year old daughter together so needless to say at 36 years old, I'm literally starting over.

I figured id keep my Class A and look for work with that but in order to get my auto transmission restriction removed, I have to have a behind the wheel test and retake the written exams again to continue to keep it here in California. I have already passed the general knowledge, air brakes, combination, tanker and doubles/triples tests and only have hazmat left to do with my behind the wheel scheduled on the 29th of this month. I added the endorsements to try to make me as marketable as possible.

I don't have a truck driving certificate or school I've graduated from, the previous job had in house training from people who taught a week long truck driving school for us on the basics. I've been learning manual transmission shifting and been doing pretty good at double clutching with a friend who teaches me in her vehicles she delivers. This was the job I was testing for and supposed to apply for here once I completed testing, but that recently fell through cause they're on a hiring freeze. So................

Where can I go with this, what can I do? I don't hardly have any bills so starting from the bottom is ok and what I may have to do. So do I bite the bullet for a few with someone like CR England or CRST or Swift or am I marketable enough to apply to somewhere more decent? I've heard a lot of bad things about those companies mentioned above so I'm scared to even go that route. I feel like In-N-Out might be a better #### option at this point even with part time hours, at least id get to see my daughter. I'm just trying to get back on my feet to some normalcy ya know. I know I'm not the only one out there going through this but any help on a direction to go would be appreciated.

Thank You

 

I've mostly heard only really bad things about CRST & CR England on this site and it makes sense. They are all over me trying to recruit me so i wonder if its for more reasons then one. They seam very shady to me.

My next question is this.....

Lets say I do get hired by a company, what do I need to know going into it that will benefit myself knowing before someone possibly tries to screw me over on signing something? What about leasing or owning a vehicle? I just want to work. I don't want to buy a rig, I don't want to lease. I don't know enough about trucking so I apologize if what I'm saying doesn't sound correct.

The more I know going in, the better off I'll be and thats where I'm hoping to get everyone's help on this.

I gave nothing against Swift and it sounds like a great option. I would rather do short haul trucking versus long haul but beggars cant be choosers. I'm also applying to local companies for the concrete mixer trucks. Id love to stay local to be able to see my daughter as much as I can but I'll do what I gotta do for a job.

Thank you for the input, anything more would be appreciated.