Returning To Industry After 10 Year Absence

Looking for advice, Let me start by saying I'm 50 years young, started my first commercial driving job in 1989 at 21 years old on a chauffeurs before the inception of the CDL program. Grandfathered in with class A, carried it until June 2008 when I got a OUI, surrendered CDL next day a got regular operators license, went to court Jan 09, plead guilty, CDL license was suspended until 2010 but my operators was only suspended 2 months courts screwed up, at which time CDL had expired, I was not at a driving job but still employed at same company, Paving/Demo company (I went to high school with owner) I was running heavy equipment and never tried to go back to driving.

I got tired of living out of hotels for months at a time so in 2013 I started my own lawn care business, closed it Nov. 2017. Last 3 winters there has been little to no snow in Indiana so I have been spotting trailers as a non CDL driver. I decided to stay at latest company. Hate this company not the work

Stopped at BMV on way home from work a month ago and picked up CDL test book, read General Knowledge section that night went next day past that section, went home read Air Brake Section went next day passed it, then home again read Combination Vehicle section, back to BMV next day an passed it, hadn't looked at book in over a decade, not much has changed as far as road rules, took physical passed it now hold CDL A learners permit, waiting to take road test on Aug. 15th , not worried, I can drive better than most ( sorry I sound conceited but 19 years experience)

I've drove everything but doubles an triples and liquid tankers. I have drove box trucks, dump trucks, framed an frameless dump trailers, dry powder tanks, flatbeds, hauled heavy equipment an peddled LTL freight. I was always a local driver never OTR.

Long story short I've been talking to a few companies about potential jobs and keep hearing same excuse "no recent experience" which i understand why they want "experienced drivers" insurance doesn't want the risk of accidents by newbies which I am not. Again 19 years an I guarantee more than a million miles under my belt with thousands going backwards. But still hearing excuses, I understand a lot of the companies I drove for are no longer in business or have been sold off an yes its been 10+ years.

I am old school and miss the good ole days.

Should I be forced to start over an treated as a driving school graduate with zero experience? Never have went to a school, don't need too, I can drive a truck, never damaged a commercial vehicle. Currently zero points on license an will have CDL again in 2 weeks.

My complete driving record from 16yrs old shows my previous years of holding CDL license but insurance companies seem to not want to acknowledge this experience, Really, how many people held CDL for that many years and did not drive commercially, are they that stupid?

I know I can become an Owner Operator easily, but I want to simplify my life an just go to work for a good company, drive next 20 years get some sort or retirement an be over it all.

Any advice?

Welcome aboard Jeff.

My complete driving record from 16yrs old shows my previous years of holding CDL license but insurance companies seem to not want to acknowledge this experience

That's correct. Insurance companies only care about recent experience. I agree that it's sort of odd, but that's how it's always been done. So at minimum you're going to have to go through a refresher course at a Private Truck Driving School or go through a Paid CDL Training Program.

If you're going to go through a refresher course, make sure you have some pre-hires first. Don't just assume someone is going to hire you because you had a lot of experience in the past. Maybe some mom-n-pop with 25 year old beater trucks will lie to their insurance company to get you onboard, but no reputable companies are going to put you in a truck without some training first. Unfortunately a good number of carriers won't hire anyone with an OUI in their past, so that's going to be another thing to look out for.

If you go through a Paid Training Program run by one of the trucking companies they would fast track you through their program and get you on the road as quickly as possible. The faster they can get you in your own trucking hauling freight the sooner they're making money and the happier you'll be. So that would be their plan.

I know I can become an Owner Operator easily

You can buy a truck easily but you'll have a hell of a time getting insured. And that's a very short-sighted way to look at things anyhow. You're going to consider buying a truck and doing everything it entails to run a business just to avoid a couple of weeks of refreshing your skills?

My advice - chill out and go with the flow. Don't sweat a little bit of refresher training. It will be easy and fun. Don't make a big deal out of nothing.

Besides, you're going to have to prove yourself to any company that hires you anyhow. No one is going to take your word for anything. Until you get out there and show them you can crank out 3,000 miles a week safely and make every single appointment on time they're not going to consider your experience to mean anything anyhow. There are plenty of experienced drivers who aren't very reliable, productive, or cooperative drivers.

So you'll just have to take it easy for the first 3 - 6 months and go through the process of getting back into this and proving yourself again. If you're that good it won't be any problem at all.

Just curious, Jeff.. what part of the country do you call home?

I'm in Indiana currently but will be moving to Florida in next couple years,

Okay, Indiana, is definitely in the hiring area for the company I drive for, West Side Transport based in Cedar Rapids, IA.

Justin Walters is head of recruiting. Call (319) 390-4466 during business hours (central time). Call him and explain your past experience. The worst they could say is no. We have taken inexperienced drivers who haven't been in a truck almost a year out of cdl school. I've also seen them take drivers who have zero OTR experience and count their local driving experience where many companies will not.

You have plenty of experience, but it's been years, so nothing recent. If they're willing to give you a chance, tell them you're willing to even road test in cedar rapids IF YOU HAVE TO. Our orientation is done in Glenwood IL (south Chicago) and their road test is pitiful lol.. around the block basically. The owner of our company was a driver himself and a very nice person. He believes in giving people a chance if they believe they'll be a productive driver. If you can come up with more than 6 months verifiable experience you shouldn't even have to go with a trainer.

Good luck. Like I said, the worst they can say is no, that you need a refresher or whatever, but just talk to them. I've seen them do crazier things.

A wise man once told me "The trucking industry almost completely transforms every 5 years".

Saying that time traveling back to 2013, grabbing a driver and dropping him into trucking in 2018 would be a gigantic difference. Sure, driving, shifting, turning is the same, but the trucks, the rules, the regulations are completely different.

So I can imagine that the differences are different in 2018 than it was in 1999.

Remember, trucking is a performance based job, so I'd at least get a refresher or just start over again. It will come back to you faster than everyone else, and you'll rise to the top sooner than the rest.

Would you use a doctor or a lawyer who hadn't really practiced professionally in 19 years? I know it stings, but I promise there will be new things to learn from when you first hung up the CDL.

Drive Safe - and keep a good attitude - and you'll be back at the top before you know it!

Susan D. Thanks for West side, i spot at pepsco, Orily Rd. Plainfield, we have 10-20 of your wagons on our lot at any given time, lots of day cabs running in and out all day long, your drop yardis down on troy ave. 10 minutes from home, I'll stop in thete and talk to them, please no offense wish they would teach how to drop wagons properly, i have to slam into trailers to get under them, constantly see drivers drop bags before getting out and lowering landing gear then leave them 4+ inches from ground which lowers the trailer even more when they pull out, but its not just West Side, it happens in every company, i understand the difference in tires, (low pros) 22.5s vs 24.5 s but when there is snow, i have to get a run from 30' away and hit them as fast as i can just to get under them an if I'm not ready to grab brakes i'll slam pin or it just stops me all together then I have to get another run at it. I was taught to get out crank gear down to 1-2 inches from ground unhook then drop bags an pull out, but it seems alot of drivers are lazy an dont want to crank that handle a few more revolutions. Lots of heavy loads in our lots. Not all drivers though. Like I said it happens in all companies.

As far as schools won't go ever, waste of time for me and i dont need a trainer with less experience than me telling me how to drive. I could teach most of them a thing or 2. Regs havent changed that much, mostly hours of service, pre pass and elogs. I have a current FMCSA reg book now, been reading it. I used some of the first elogs way back in the 90s when running for a paper company, printing, copier, any paper and packaging products, basically multiple stop delivery work out of a pup with liftgate, 25+ stops and over 200 miles a day, teamsters 135 gig. Had to put in info every time i changed highways, every stop all day long, just a real PIA had a little, key like thing had to take out at night and insert into a box in warehouse to upload info. I still can fill out paper logs and can be taught the elogs easy enough. Trucks are same for most part, they have not changed that much, Automatics in more now. Still same weight limits, in a 5 axle combination vehicle for most part, depending on axle rating and tires, like floats on front . I have hauled heavy equipment in 4 axle tractors, 3rd rear axle was a tag axle and used trailers with flip up rear axles. Ive pulled spread axle trailers with tag axles

I will never run OTR i will only run for hourly pay and if mileage i will still be home every night/day. There is all kinds of local work around indy, $20-$30 hour doing 50 hours and weekends off. Like ive said I like sleeping next to my wife( shes a RN ) and enjoy riding my harley too , wouldnt get much with either if on the road all the time. All my experience has been local, i am a local driver, and still will be a good one again. as this site recommends start OTR because local work is for the more experienced /skilled driver, local is all i have done so way not do what I always did before. As they say, find something your good at and stick with it only reason I didnt was my OUI in 08. I have still been around the industry spotting, started last november 1 until present Amazon then Pepsico, winter before november 1 to march 31, at Amazon, winter before november 1 to march 31 Home Depot, ran my mowing business April 1 to October 31 each year and prior winters was on docks loading trucks. I see how many drivers, that in my opinion , should not have a CDL let alone a basic operators, so many more can barely speak english, sad state for the industry.

Anybody can drive down the road but few can do city work productively LTL type multi stop, Even less can load the wagons which gives a person even more of an understanding how freight rides in trailers.

Its still all about moving freight safely and productively.

I do appreciate everyones suggestions believe me I do, its only been 10 years since I drove its not that long ago really.

The 15th, day i take my skills test, is right around corner, i will pass, I know trucks, every system in them and how they operate and what to look for, and what terms (words to use) to pass Pre-trip especially the brake checks, and as for the driving not a bit concerned about that moving as many trailers as i do all the rust is gone.

I jumped into 1 of our daycabs today thursday and moved 10 trailers in and pulled out 10 and parked them, still can smoothly take off, stop and slide them gears without a clutch just like I never stopped driving for 10 years. I can double clutch too.

I passed this sites practice tests first try also.

I spoke to owner of company i was driving for back in 2007-12 when i got my OUI in 08 and did other work for his paving/demo compay after be will verify (and still have w-2's plus w-2s back all the way to 98 which verifies experience was in trucking, transport, cartage named companies, wade cartage(tennessee transport) robey cartage fathers, jeff robey truck lines,Sons, R&R Trucking, (Jayden Transport wifes, Mann Bros. Trucking husbands ) i got phone numbers so most of this experience can be verified.

So it will come down to word "recent" and how much pull company has with their Insurance.

As my agent with Progressive said How many years have they held a CDL is how they ask question, Correct answer is 18 in my case and I will have a new copy of my Complete Driving record that will be (embossed) with seal within 2 days of application that can be sent/faxed/emailed to insurance company to verify that. No where in regs does it say they can't use a complete and full record but it does need to be at least 10 years not a 3-5 year record per DOT and company needs 10 years at least of work history, I got that. Once i get license back on 15th i will be Iegal to drive the class of commercial vehicle i'm licensed for per DOT regulations.

If the words "recent experience" was a regulation there would never be a new driver enter industry it couldn't happen.

I keep feelng its time for a Discrimination Class Action Lawsuit against Insurance industry. Different Insurance companies have different rules, maybe its time for DOT to regulate the insurance companies in regards to CDL drivers.

Federal Government sets regulations in the trucking industry, NOT the insurance companies.

Insurance Companies just want to limit claims that's why they want experienced drivers, everybody knows and agrees but they can not circumvent Federal Regulations to do this, its why i feel its discrimination plain and simple.

That's my opinion.

That's my opinion

Sir, everyone gave you solid information. You can ignore it all and go with your opinions if you like. I'm not really sure what you were after in the first place, unless maybe you just wanted an opening to let us know how much smarter you are than those of us who are actually employed as professional drivers.

I see how many drivers, that in my opinion , should not have a CDL let alone a basic operators, so many more can barely speak english, sad state for the industry.

At the same time you admit.......

my OUI in 08

I don't mind having someone behind the wheel who doesn't speak English as long as they have enough sense to be sober. I don't think anyone with an OUI should be on a soapbox bragging or judging anyone.