Quite the dilema...I have over 9 years OTR, all-season 48 states, no accidents, 3 points and have hauled perishables, haz-mat, concert tours, theatrical productions and I can't find a company that will hire me!

Know why?

Because I've found out the insurance companies run the trucking industry.
I've been off the road since the late 90's running my own business (not trucking related) and recently decided to close up shop due to the poor economy and sales and get back into a truck and put some food on the table and pay some bills. But since I don't have 2 years RECENT experience no company will hire me according to their insurance companies. I've contacted probably over 40 of them and they all ahve the same reason: they'd love to have my experience and qualifications but since I've been off the road to long their ins. co won't hire me.

Huh? They'd hire a student with virtually no experience before they'd hire me with over 1 million miles just because I stepped away from the road for 7 or 8 years? Thats ridiculous!!

I'm not interested in running OTR anymore, regional would be fine so I could at least be home weekends. But my oh my have I found out how difficult this has turned out to be even with a CDL-A license and supposedly a shortage of truck drivers in the industry.

I wonder why?

 

Do the companies want you to go to CDL school again?

 

You could hire on as a student almost anywhere that hires trainees after a refresher course at a CDL school.

You are having problems getting hired on as an experienced driver because companies and thier insurance carriers consider you skills very "rusty" and your knowledge of current regulations to be limited.

 

Yes they've mentioned me going back to truck driving school. Not happening. I'm sure they have their legitimate reasons since I've been out for awhile and I'm not opposed to taking a brief refresher course or something but brief is the key word. I'm pretty selective and not interested in being gone for 6 months on the road anymore but the companies that have expressed an inkling of an interest have said I'd have to go back on the road for 6 months as a second seat and running team.....been there done that and not going back down that road either just to get qualified to go solo. So my options are rather limited at this point. I'll keep looking or just get into another line of work and move on. I've still got a little diesel in my blood so it wouldn't take long to get back into the groove but not running 48 or east coast or team or driving some spine bending equipment.

So we'll see if anything pans out in the next couple weeks or I'll just resort to Plan B as soon as I come up with one.

 

have you looked at SNI? If not why? They will offer you everything you're asking for and more. You take a road test when you get to one of their schools. You pass, you take an abreviated course and depending on whether or not you want to pull tanks, you 'could' be in your own truck within a month and a half realistically if not sooner.

 

Clawhammer,
Keep looking, call some people that you know that have trucks to see if they know of anyone that is looking for a driver.I have been out of a truck for 6 years with 10 years experience and called a guy that I used to work for,he gave me a number of a friend of his. I start Dec. 11 driving for a guy with 2 trucks (07 W900L, health ins., home most weekends.)My belief is the smaller the company the better. Good Luck and keep looking.

 

Thanks for the suggestion bsd. I've put some feelers out already on some smaller company contacts I've had but no openings.

And no rcso, I'm not familiar with SNI.

 

You may want to look at Valley Express out of Oshkosh WI if you want a small company.

 

you know,orange,slow,out of Wisconsin,rhymes with apple cider.

 

I talked to a guy at Covan that was out 5 years and they hired him up lickity split.