What are your thoughts on this...

I don't disagree with you. I certainly don't defend oppression. This guy literally has a job waiting for him right now.

 

I have heard of some companies requiring the driver keep $500 - $1,000 in escrow to cover minor damage to the truck/equipment. I seem to recall the companies that do this will take a small amount out of each payceck until the escrow account is fully-funded. I can't speak to how common this practice is, but I have heard of it.

 

Where ya located at? Climate Express will hire you for sure. The fact that you haven't driven in 4 years doesn't mean anything over here. Long as you have no accidents or speeding tickets, they'll take you. There was a guy in my orientation class that was out of a truck for 4 years and they brought him on. I know one thing: you don't forget how to drive a truck. PM me when you get a chance, I got the info necessary.

 

You can also keep your CDL valid by self-certifying to your state that you are/will be using your CDL in one of the 4 categories that does not require you to keep a current DOT Medical Certificate. You can't use your CDL in activity that would require a valid DOT Medical Certificate, but it's cheaper and easier to change your self-certification, meeting your state's requirments, than keeping a valid DOT exam just to maintain your CDL which you are not using.

 

On this site I would use the search bar for the company name, as you seem to have already done. I would also ask the company you are interested in to have one of their current working drivers, doing the work you are considering doing for them, to call/text/email you. Don't work for any company until you have communicated with current working drivers at that company doing the work you are getting hired to do. Those drivers know the pay, benefits, schedule, management atmosphere, etc. Ask those drivers open-ended questions, how much do new guys make, what is your schedule, when do you get home/go out, whatever you need to know. Asking "is this a good company?" or "is the pay good here?" don't really tell you what you need to know. Every person has a different definition of "good". Shady companies won't lift a finger to answer your questions, or will tell you what they think you want to hear. Talk to the drivers there.

 

Lots of newbies do 30 seconds of internet research and find a company that TELLS them "you are un-hirable to everyone but us" when it's not true. Sometimes a driver is unhirable except for the one company, but it's claimed a LOT more than is real. Saying you only have our option for work is commonly told to people so they accept an inferior pay/conditions. MANY or MOST newbies enter the industry as if they are almost beggars, when they should not adopt that view at all.

 

That wasn't my point at all. The guy wanted to know if escrow was something to worry about. It's not.

 

Lots of companies are doing that because of all the job hoppers. Company pays for bus fare, physical, hotel rooms just to get them started. Then 3 or 4 weeks later the deadbeat abandons the truck 500 mile away. I can understand making some guys pay into an escrow account. If they want to pull some stupid crap.... let them pay for it. I know you guys will say just don't hire people like that. You'd never fill a truck. Have you looked at the crop of so called driver's out there?

 

I'm probably misreading your comments roughly saying "why are you guys opposing escrow/ why are you guys talking him out of this company". There are some legitimate companies that are requiring company drivers to keep an escrow account. I can't say how many companies are like this. It seems to be few legitimate companies doing this, but I could be wrong. There are also shady and illegitimated (let's call them Chicago/Eastern European/Russian/1099s) companies requiring escrow with no intention of ever returning but a fraction of that money.

I don't know if the OP is actually considering the only trucking company in his area that will hire him, or not. Lot's of people say "nobody will hire me" and on this board many times that means my 30 seconds of Googling didn't produce 5,000 companies promising to hire me today. Lots of the initial desperation is often because in some people's mind or internet searches only the 5 biggest trucking companies exist when there are ten thousand companies, maybe multiples of that number. If the OP has done a genuine and exhaustive search and ONLY that company that is requiring an escrow account is his only chouice and due diligence shows that company is above board and many/most drivers with no truck damage routinely get that money back, I would agree that seems like a good decision. Requiring escrow from a driver doesn't suggest a high quality company to me. I'm more security-minded than others who may be opportunity-minded. Both approaches bring their particular risks and different failure modes.

 

I understand the legitimate reasons and uses of an escrow account and how it protects a good employer. I recently left the industry, but I never worked for a company requring such an escrow account in 28 years. I've barely heard of the practice and I'm on the forum a lot for many years. I'm not the measure of what is normal, but I would not consider it normal if I was looking for a CDL job.