Submitting Applications- Dos and Don'ts

I've now graduated the classroom portion of my CDL training course and I've begun the 4 week long in-truck portion if the course. I'm to the point where I'd like to begin submitting applications to some companies. Are there any dos and don'ts? Any recruiters here that might be able to help? Things that recruiters want to see from a fresh out of school CDL graduate?

I have a fairly clean driving record and I can get a recommendation letter from my previous employer, as well as one from my CDL classroom instructor.

However I only have 18 months of verifiable work history, which I understand companies are required to obtain 36 months. I have been unemployed for the past month as I have been attending CDL school during that time. Prior to the 18 months of verifiable work history I was in a situation that did not allow for me to work a regular Monday to Friday job and I so I did odd jobs and some under the table work for a local body shop.

How do I best explain this without disqualifying myself or seeming like a couch potato? Do I need to give all of this information on my initial application? Should I wait until I talk to a recruiter to explain my situation to them?

 

Just fill out the applications and answer the questions without adding information that isn't asked for.
Several companies will hire you.
Don't let recruiters try to trick you into thinking you're their friend; they're not.
Keep answers short and on point.

 

If you go to the large companies it's very common that they use an online form going though IntelliApp. They will request a continuous timeline of what you have been doing in the past. If there are any gaps in employment, they'll ask for details, such as unemployed, looking for work, attending school, or taking time off to do whatever. If you were doing odd jobs, just put that down as well.

It's no big deal, they just want to know what you were up to. The most important thing is to be honest. They will verify it all, and will be more concerned with honesty than some gaps, or odd jobs. Like Chinatown said, short and to the point. Truthful, but don't overshare more than needed.

 

The BIGGEST mistake you can make at this point is to get discouraged, if you get several "no" answers....up front.

Stay the course. Keep trying. Don't give up!

As suggested above--fill out the apps as honestly as you can--but don't provide info for which is not asked.

The world respects and rewards those who will outlast the problem.

There's really plenty of work out there--someone will (finally) hire you.

You just need to play the odds out....to finally get a "yes" answer.

Forget TMC--as discussed in other threads, there are plenty of other good flatbed companies out there.

If I were pursuing flatbed--TMC would be my LAST choice.

Why? In short, they are basically obsessive/compulsive neat freaks.

You will spend WAAAAAAY TOO MUCH time cleaning and polishing your truck!!!!

--Lual

 

This is kinda the answer I was looking for. I don't want to volunteer any information. I'm not sure if that body shop would verify that I worked there or not. They might, but I don't want to count on it.

Also how thorough is their verification process? Are they going to call and talk to whoever answers and ask if I worked there, yes or no? Or are they going to want records to back it up?

 

99.9% of the time it's simply a phone call to hr, or whoever answers to that title when asked on the phone. As for verification, not really. Most companies don't really care what you did, they are just ticking off required boxes to get the application process finished.

 

I appreciate it. It seems a little bit crazy to me that some companies are unwilling to hire someone who had an employment gap at a young age (I'm 24 now) solely for that reason. I wasn't out doing drugs or robbing banks. I wasn't in jail. I simply had some other things to deal with.

 

Technically I was self employed. But is that answer going to suffice for their "verification process" or will they want something to back it up?