Profile For Mark O.

Thank you for your prompt reply Starcar!

I have just used my friends truck to practice for a couple of hours and take the CDL practical exam and then I have done a few trips for him. Unfortunately, my friend is just a one truck operation who goes through brokers and such for his loads and thus cannot really make use of me, or should I say he cannot stand staying home with his family, for the next year while I am driving his truck.

It seems like the recency of experience issue is my greatest obstacle at this point.

I am willing to dole out some money for training to get my career back on the road quickly, do you think I should signup for an independent driving school (Though it seems like a bit of training overkill, it seems like some of these schools have connections that can get around the one year recency of experience requirement) or do you think I should try to seek a company that will train me in their own in-house school?

Thank you again for taking the time to consider my situation and giving me a thoughtful reply.

PS I am a product of Kirkland, Washington, so I suspect we have some common driving experiences.

Hello fellow truckers,

I would appreciate it if you could advise me on how to get my truck driving career restarted.

I am 55 years old and have a little more than 10 years of heavy haul RGN trailer, related heavy equipment hauling and flatbed experience throughout the western states with a clean MVR. For the most part, the only driving I have done is related to heavy haul, so I am more than light on van, refer, and other such experience. For the past 25 years, I have been a businessman and owner/partner in unrelated industries. Recently, I successfully sold my business and would like to return to truck driving and especially heavy haul, if possible.

Using a friend's truck, I recently re-obtained my Class-A CDL in Florida, Hazmat certification, and TWIC validation. To get get back up to speed and obtain some recency of driving experience, I have been doing some for my friend's dry van driving for him.

Now, I would like to get a job driving with the goal of getting back into heavy haul at some point. It appears, from the online driver job sites that experienced heavy haul drivers are in considerable demand. However, before I start my job search I want to make sure I have a handle on the current job market for a driver with my background. The questions I have for my fellow drivers are: In today's job market is my lack of recent experience going to hold me back? Age? Lack of recency of experience insurance requirements? Some other factor I have not considered?

Any assistance and advice you current drivers can offer will be greatly appreciated!