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How's your MVR? If it's not clean and you have some serious offenses in your past, you're screwed. Most companies cannot and will not hire somebody with a wrecked MVR. It's just too much of a liability these days. It's the insurance companies who have the final say when it comes to hiring a new driver.
This thread is high on google's index for a lot of phrases and words and was recently resurrected so I'm responding..
You're suppose to go in to a company school which then hires you on after a couple months, or through a private or college school with recruiters.. You then get that two-years on your social security record and then you basically have companies chasing you wanting to bring you on.. Seriously, experienced drivers get chased down by companies wanting to hire them 24/7..
You can't even take the skills test without an accompanying driver with the proper equipment and license, and now days most states won't even let you then without going through a school or company for training..
Companies like C.R. England and Swift will take on just about anyone for training and hiring. If they turn you down you're pretty much screwed without O/O startup funds..
To people suggesting owner-operator: A used truck and trailer costs a house and then there is the LLC costs, so yeah good luck with that..
An '09 thread. I'd like to think this guy found something by now. I know the milk hauling outfits in my area are always hurting for people. Perhaps it's time to consider a move if it hasn't been done already.
Just about all of them that I've applied for, want you to have at least 6 months experience, 1/2 want at least one year and maybe 33% want 2 years or more.
How the **** can you get experience if no one will hire you?
It's extremely discouraging. I was real excited to get my CDL when I got it. Now I don't feel any different than I did before I got it, since 90% of the companies will not even look at you if you don't have actual driving experience.
There are a good amount (not a lot like a few years ago) driving jobs out there, so it's not so much that there aren't jobs and it's a dying industry.
I have a class A CDL, but for positions that require a class B or C (or even no CDL) I can't get those since they want experience. A class A has no restrictions (except for endorsements like Hazmat and Tanker which I have) while the other ones do. Go figure.
Is there anyone who is finding this out to be true as well (or knows of someone who is running into the same thing)?
Thanks.
Old thread, but here is the answer.
You have to drive OTR with one of the mega carriers to get your experience first. The mega carriers self insure, so they hire entry level with no experience.
You have to drive OTR with one of the mega carriers to get your experience first. The mega carriers self insure, so they hire entry level with no experience.
Correct you have to pay your dues first because you haven’t proven yourself to a local company. JB Hunt and Schneider, and England, and Swift are always hireing right out of school drivers. What amazes me people think wow I’ll go to Truck driveing school get my CDL and make tons of money that’s wrong because new drivers working OTR jobs are paid by the mile. And if you’re late for a delivery or pickup you are docked pay. My brother drove steel haulers and they are paid by the weight of the load.
You have to drive OTR with one of the mega carriers to get your experience first. The mega carriers self insure, so they hire entry level with no experience.
Not entirely true. The beverage companies are always looking for young and healthy candidates who aren't afraid of lots of heavy lifting. The only problem is their back and knees will become problematic at some point.
The thing with commercial driving is, they want to hire people send them to their driver training, then keep you around for at least a couple of years of long-haul driving (usually with a contract that dings you for a very expensive training course if you don't stick around for X amount of time).
Once you have two years experience, anyone will hire you. Problem with LTL driving is, that's what everyone wants to do. Home every night. So the good companies have all the candidates they want and then some, and there's usually some kind of bidding / seniority system for the good routes.
And frankly I'm not unhappy to know that people aren't getting hired to propel 20 tons of steel down the highway at 70 mph when they have no experience doing so and nobody watching over them.
I worked security at a steel plant in Portland, OR and we had a few truckers (Females) who not only were driving those 20 tons of steel, but had their kids (1-3) in the cab with them....THAT'S SCARY!
The thing with commercial driving is, they want to hire people send them to their driver training, then keep you around for at least a couple of years of long-haul driving (usually with a contract that dings you for a very expensive training course if you don't stick around for X amount of time).
Once you have two years experience, anyone will hire you. Problem with LTL driving is, that's what everyone wants to do. Home every night. So the good companies have all the candidates they want and then some, and there's usually some kind of bidding / seniority system for the good routes.
Maybe try dirt haulers?
Probably explains the abundance of bitter, over-the-road guys who've been hauling refrigerated, irregular route freight for 5-10 or more years. No local positions back home or where they want to live. So rather than quit and deal with a reduced paycheck or none at all, they're pretty much forced to endure the BS until they either blow up and get tossed, or bad medical DQ's them into minimum wage work.
Sad reality for many a driver, really.
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