Trucker what?

[Stivala223]

So, I have been a trucker for 24 yrs. Never had an accident or been cited for anything. Took some time off recently and currently. And now trying to get rehired. Trucking companies are telling me that because I do not have 12 months of recent employment, I can't get approved through their insurance. Which means no job. But when I ask if a NEW driver, fresh out of trucking school can get a job, the recruiters are telling me yes they can, right away! These new graduates aren't even being taught how to drive a manual transmission! They are taught on automatics, and when they get their CDL A, they have to have an "Automatic transmission" restriction. So that law enforcement knows that they can only drive automatic eighteen wheelers!!

So, a guy with 24yrs. experience, with no accidents or tickets, and who has driven in combat in Iraq, can't pass muster, but a Newby with NO experience is good to go???!!!!!

What happened to this country???

This ain't the bill of goods I been sold....

 

[GSPHUNTER]

Sorry about your situation. Wellcome to the new reality, it sucks big time.

 

[Jimmy]

Lots of people would hire you instantly, keep looking. Maybe take a seasonal job to get some recent work stacked up, I have guys that do that every year.

 

[Poser]

I've heard of some similar insurance woes. You may have to take a CDL refresher course, in which case, you would presumably be insurable. You might verify that with some trusted industry contacts who are at the decision maker level.

 

[deltadukman]

I'm an insurance agent with some commercial trucking knowledge. The fact is, the commercial trucking industry experiences high loss ratios and underwriting has cracked down. However, if you could put together a good resume, and ask whoever it is you want to work for to submit to their underwriter, they most likely can make an exception or put you on as a probationary driver. You may need to get in front of a true decision maker and not just an employee intake person. Everyone from HR, to agents, to underwriters just look at everything as a black and white list to check yes or no boxes and the days of finding someone to spend just a little bit of time explaining and fighting for someone with experience is no longer. They just want to do as little as possible to get past the day. I see it all over in all aspects of industry. No one cares or wants to do just a little bit of work anymore.

 

[displacedtexan]

Businesses doing what other businesses tell them.

I'm not surprised that an insurance company has an issue with the gap.

Aren't autos becoming the standard?

 

[Superx3]

Depending on location, I’m sure there are plenty of people needing drivers to deliver grain. Harvest is over for the most part so might be getting more scarce.

 

[Stivala223]

I've heard of some similar insurance woes. You may have to take a CDL refresher course, in which case, you would presumably be insurable. You might verify that with some trusted industry contacts who are at the decision maker level.

I JUST got off the phone with a recruiter and she said the same thing!! First I'm hearing of these refresher course places.

 

[Soj51hopeful]

Least the feds are cracking down on the illegal CDL drivers.

 

[pacoalcracker]

lawyers and insurance companies have been conspiring to steal consumers money for 60 years...in home, auto and healthcare. it's racketeering at the highest levels. Combined, they have this country on its knees. They control everything.

no real choice except to take a cdl refresher, and pay up for it too. not sure on the refresher cost, but a cdl full course is around 5 grand.

 

[pacoalcracker]

soj...yeah after a large number of tragic fatalities. if anything, THEY were asleep at the wheel. where is THAT accountability?

 

[Tony Nile]

My BIL recently got his CDL though a 4 week school/course here in AZ , had the option to learn Auto or manual transmissions. He was then hired by a company out of PA who has paid to fly him there for another 5 weeks of paid training in their program. He said they are hiring/putting 28-30 new CDL drivers through their in house training every week. He'll be a regional flatbed driver out of AZ.

 

[Burnsie]

But - still no real good answer why the insurance company would accept a newby straight out of driving school and deny someone with 24 years experience and a clean record. Totally, makes no sense.

 

[Customweld]

Move to Boise and buy yourself an end dump or dump truck and pup. Every swinging john in the valley has one and are working the snot out of them. As for insurance, it's always CYA. There is a ton of liability in commercial rigs.

 

[Poser]

But - still no real good answer why the insurance company would accept a newby straight out of driving school and deny someone with 24 years experience and a clean record. Totally, makes no sense.

As I'm sure most anyone in insurance can explain better, its almost certainly has to do with the risk modeling showing that drivers coming back from a layoff are more accident prone. Since insurance companies are effectively in the business of gambling and, on that front, collecting money vs. paying out money, to an insurance company in the commercial trucking game, “recent training” (even with no real-world experience) is a safer bet for making money and experience that has not used for a while is not a safe bet.

 

[Yoder]

Tell them you are an illegal immigrant. They will hire you no problem in CA. Just don't speak any English.

 

[7RemMag]

25 year old owner/operator here. Been driving truck in some capacity since I was 18. Never had a problem finding work other than when I first started, but that was related to my age more than anything. I don’t know what kind of companies you’re trying to hire on to, but I know my insurance company is really great to deal with. They’re sticklers on exactly two things, and really only one that relates to who they’ll insure-And that is age. My sister recently got her CDL and she’ll be 20 this month. I wanted to add her more so that she could drive to practice than anything. They wouldn’t do it.

Are you trying to hire on with larger freight carriers? Prior to going into business for myself, I worked for a small excavation business. I labored and ran equipment too, but I was the “go to” truck driver anytime the end dump or lowboy needed to run, which was often. To my knowledge, their insurance company didn’t even require a pre-employment drug test.

The only thing I can think of is that most outfits in your area are using the same carrier(which is kind of typical) and that particular carrier is ran by asshats. Maybe try hiring on with a Mom and Pop company? They’re more likely to take better care of you anyway.

If not, grab yourself a truck. Most places end dumps seem to stay pretty busy. Construction trucking is more interesting, and generally pays pretty well.