Worried about CDL being stale and becoming unhireable?

I had a 16 year gap in driving. Had no issues getting another driving job just had to go on a trainer's truck for 4ish weeks which I was fine with as I had never driven a Class A outside of the CDL school setting and really had no real world experience.

 

So they have a driver with 30yrs experience show up and theyre going to send them out to be evaluated by someone with 3? That’s pure ####ing genius right there. If you want to hire and retain experienced drivers insulting them first off is NOT going to be a good start. That may be the root of their problems in that area.

 

I did almost ten years and was hired as if I was a brand new driver.

 

The (other) REAL question here is--are YOU becoming stale--& unhireable???....

--Lual

 

Stale CDL is really a bit of a myth. It's really about background, tickets/accidents, employment history. If there are hang ups in any those areas, you will have a difficult time with most decent companies. If you are clear in those areas, then a refresher course may be needed, but there is no real concern of not being hireable.

 

So they should just take every driver at their word that they can still drive? A real professional isn't so easily insulted and recognizes the need to be evaluated. We are talking professional drivers, not amateur wannabes.

 

A road test you can usually tell who has their ducks in a row and who don't. Plus their employment backround. I sure wouldn't be to thrilled to go out with some "trainee" (which I think a lot of trainers are) for a few weeks. No problem doing a road test.

 

Although the current environment is a bit conducive to driver's being out, experience has been that carriers either follow their insurance company's advice, or they don't. Was off between 2-3 years and when I tried going back with my previous company, I got the "insurance won't cover you" BS. Now that could be an age related discrimination aspect, or it could be legitimate. In my opinion, their loss. I got a local job to 'refresh' my skills with recent driving, but the onus seems to be that for OTR driving, companies tend to want more recently active driving time. Look at most of the ads for drivers, and you'll see varying time on road requirements. 9 months, 1 year, 2 years...etc. Those are give away's that they may not hire you if you have no experience. Driving records have a fall off time, and usually after 2-3 years any recent driving incidents fall off, even though insurance people keep their own records, possibly, since if you omit information of violations, they catch you lying and refuse you. Bottom line is, find out. Don't go to an orientation without knowing what they want up front...as you'll be refused at their terminal with perhaps them not paying your way back. They can be jerks like that. Start local, get local driving experience with no incidents and then you should be a better risk for an OTR shot to those that may play the insurance says game.

 

I totally agree that after 1 year of experience, the idea of going out with another driver for "training" is ridiculous. If a driver comes in with at least a year of recent experience, then no training should be needed. The only exception I can think of is if a driver is going local after being OTR or regional and needs to learn the unloading process with that company.

 

No, you’re talking about professional drivers. I’m talking about truck drivers.