What do you do with no RECENT experience?

Please, some advice from experience? I have 2.5 years T/T experience. I want to get back into trucking (I'm by Daytona Beach, FL) but I've been in garbage truck for 3 years so what do you do to be "qualified" again for tractor/trailer? I guess they won't hire me because no RECENT experience .. so what are you supposed to do? Do you pay to go through school again? That don't seem right. Also, why will they hire a student before they'll hire me?

 

Yeah, that's what i really want is food service.. seems like all the ones around here and orlando want recent experience though. I suppose the job market in central florida is over-crowded. i have reefer exp. but not food svc.. even sygma is holding out. Anyway thanks and Merry Christmas

 

James, what area are you from? I'm in East Central Florida so it's even more difficult, because you have to ask does my experience qualify me, AND are you hiring out of Florida. 9 times out of 10 the answer to both those questions is "No," but I do believe there's something decent out there that is suitable for the company as well.

Also I suggest selling yourself a bit, i.e. "all my experience is refrigerated," or some other thing about you that can tie you in to that specific company. This is coming from someone still looking but I've gotten closer to landing a good one by changing the way I talk to these people.

Can't help other than that. I would say get a job as a yard driver at a company you'd like to drive for, to get your foot in, but that would depend on what you have near you.

If and when I do find something (I can't afford to take a refresher course at a school, and don't think it ought to be necessary anyway, but I could be wrong), I can try to get on here, post my experience and maybe someone can learn from it.

I have 2 years OTR Refrigerated, and 4 years other CMV stuff, and I have still learned lifetimes worth of wisdom off this forum. It is a cornerstone of ALL of my research in trucking. So thanks to everyone that posts on here, especially the main people with hundreds or thousands of posts.

Thats all I got,, didn't expect to write this much today, but there ya go

 

Oh and also you're probably well qualified for local beverage delivery companies, such as pepsi, that can pay over 40k/year, pretty good for local. Search "pepsi careers" or "coca cola careers", etc. I have a phone interview with Pepsi, so at least in preliminary terms, I've qualified so far, with no OTR exp. in the last 36 months. So try that if you can... respond and let everyone know any developments