What the? Turned down for garbage truck driver job

Driving a straight truck is just like driving a darn bobtail for pete's sake.

 

Sounds like they pissed quite a few off. Dang truck drivers will quit in a heartbeat, lol.

 

Yeah but all the crap you had to put up with to the point of everything smelling like crap I don't blame you.. ...and I thought I had to deal with some crap. lol

 

Around here, they would not hire a guy who had been OTR for many years. He had driven a tow truck and smaller trucks in the past as well.

Said that he would not be happy with the miles.

I expect it was because they want a certain type of person that they can control and dominate.

 

Perhaps...after he told me that, i wasnt sure if I really wanted the job anyway. it almost sounded like he was telling me I was gonna get screwed over.

 

lol... I read your posts here and have to say I am glad to see it is not just me that ends up in interviews with people that make no sense what so ever.

I have worked in several jobs over the past 25+ years that have required me to drive various equipment; like straight tank trucks, box trucks, cargo vans, limousines, tractor trailers, and various other vehicles.

About two years ago, while attending college, I decided to finish my degree in logistics management by attending Clark State Community College in Springfield, Ohio, where I also earned a certificate in Commercial Transportation. As part of the certificate portion of my education I earned my Class-A Commercial Drivers License with every available endorsement. As a result of my education I have been told by local trucking companies that I am over qualified for a driver position. "Too smart too drive" is what I was told by Dayton Freight. Seriously? I know many, many drivers that I consider to be extremely intelligent and many more that are at least as intelligent as myself; maybe more so.

I have demonstrated to prospective employers that I have experience operating similar equipment to what their company uses. And yet, I have been told that I "have no experience that relates to the job for which I've applied." No experience? For example, locally, Lowe's operates a straight truck with a Moffett lift. Applied, interviewed, declined. WoW! I served with the US Navy and US Navy Reserve as a Storekeeper and operated straight flatbed trucks and all terrain lifts. I was even the training NCO for my unit. I also, operated various other straight trucks over the years as well as many types of fork lifts. I even worked for a local building and maintenance supply house as a delivery driver; granted, it was twenty years ago. But to say "No experience" seemed a bit off.

I had another company that is known for operating day cabs and 35 foot trailers tell me that I "did not have the experience it takes to drive a "Big truck" like that." Keep in mind I had driven OTR for a major carrier for the previous nine months where I operated a condo sleeper and 53 foot dry van in and around Chicago, New York City, and virtually every other city East of I-35; and did so incident free.

I received a call from UPS in October for a position as a seasonal "Feeder driver" in Columbus Ohio as a result of an application I had submitted online. After arranging with a young lady to show up at my house at 07:00 to get my kids ready for school due to the early appointment with UPS; 08:00 appointment. This cost me $100.00 as she had to drive 30 miles to get to my house. After arriving at the UPS terminal on Trabue Road in Columbus Ohio I found out they had never even read my application, OR any others there. Out of seven of us there, only two drivers had the minimum TRACTOR TRAILER EXPERIENCE REQUIRED. Five out of seven of us left with no job offer. The two that were qualified declined the job offer; one had been told on the phone that it was for a full time permanent position doing line haul and the other stated he was not sure he wanted to drive an hour and a half for a temporary job that would "Not lead to permanent employment."

I applied to, was interviewed by, and declined by the Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA) for the position of bus driver. The letter stated my "driving experience does not match COTA's requirements..." What?? COTA freaking hires people with NO CDL AT ALL!! COTA hires off the street and trains from scratch if need be. There were two drivers in the orientation that had CDLs; a JB Hunt driver with seven years experience and myself. I do not know if the other driver was hired; I was not.

A company that is not willing to train is a company that will not invest in their people; hire, burn out, replace. I am sure sooner or later a good company will be there for us. However, don't sit and wait on one; find another job, even if it is another industry. The trucking companies will be hurt in the long run as qualified drivers are thinning out due to medical requirements, regulations, declining pay, and poor treatment; all seem to push qualified drivers away. I receive offers all the time; just not by local companies. I will hold out for a better offer or another career choice.

My friends, there are just some dumb ### employers out there.

 

To a point it is, I mean, a left turn is a left turn no matter what vehicle you're in, but different types of driving jobs require different types of skills.

Example.. driving a dump truck you need to know how to maneuver in sloppy muddy conditions. An OTR driver who's use to bumping docks and driving down the highway might not have these skills.

A flatbed driver needs to know load securing and a trash truck driver might not have these skills.

This is why just because you have experience in one field, it doesn't necessarily make you a prime candidate for all of them. I have found this out by working some different jobs and to me it's what makes truck driving fun and interesting.

 

They were probably afraid the first time you backed up you would turn the steering wheel the wrong way.

 

Without exception, every person, everywhere, in every job did so for a first time somewhere. Past, present, and will be so in the future.

The company just does not want to invest in an employee; it's not you, it's them. Don't take it personal or it will drive you crazy.