Companies Are Not Interested In Hiring Me Without A Recent Job History

After talking to several companies they seem to want a recent verifiable work history. That's fair enough. But I still want to train and drive.

I have not worked in the USA since 2003 in Guam for 8 years. Before 2003 I have a good verifiable work history including 4 years driving aircraft fueling tankers in Virginia where i got my pilots license too. Since 2003 I've been out of the country traveling and just returned early 2020.

Thanksgiving weekend it hit me. I decided I wanted to drive trucks. I still have the traveling bug in me. I don't want to do the same thing every day at the same place. Also, with the pandemic it seemed like a good choice of work as to limit my exposure.

I'm in San Diego and have been looking into schools and I don't find myself getting very excited about the schools here. I called a school to ask some questions and asked along the lines of why I should pick that school and what they offer vs. other schools. I was told that the instructors were very cool and not so strict and would go easy on me. After I got off the phone I was thinking I should have asked if the examiner would go easy on me too. Two of the bigger schools if not the biggest here are United Truck Driving School and Western Truck School. They both share the same training yard. Whats up with that? We aren't that short of land here unless they are owned by the same people. Its a dirt lot shaped like a long narrow triangle with no facilities other than an outhouse and no shade. It just looked too narrow and cheap. I guess a truck/trailer could do a u-turn at the wider end of the lot. Actually I just measured the lot on Google Earth. The widest part at the entrance is 50-52 meters wide. More than I thought. From there it just got more narrow. The other two sides taper to a point a ways down. I only measured the max width.

I thought about going to a school in the Los Angeles area there so many schools only 100 miles away from me but I would have to pay for lodging and it would cost as much as school for 6 weeks in a motel. Plus I would need to get up there for a few days just to check out the schools to see which one might be for me. Arizona even has many schools.

So I was thinking paid training and called around and did online applications. That's when I realized my work history is going to be an issue. Originally I wasn't considering paid training cause I read about less than ideal living conditions at paid training facilities.

Now I'm confused and worried. If I go to a school and get my CDL will any companies hire me considering my work history? I don't have any other issues. No tickets or DUIs, no arrests, warrants or other legal problems ever, no drug use and don't drink for 2+ years, excellent credit. Damn, I'm a good catch!

I know there are more companies I can look into. I have read a bit about C.R. England and CRST and am holding off on contacting them. But what if I do talk to them and my work history is an issue with them as well? They seem like sort of last chance. Maybe my impressions are wrong.

I will get a DOT medial card and my CLP by end of this month. I've been studying as well as doing research.

I have read about convicts being trained and hired. Don't I deserve a chance too? ;)

Do you good & knowledgeable people have any ideas, points of view or advice?

Cheers & Good Year to you All

BTW...I applied for paid training on this website before I posted this.

Ty. Welcome to trucking truth.

After reading your story I think paid training with (anyone) that is willing to accept you would be the way to go. If you pay for a cdl and then apply , your work history will still be an issue with some of the companies. A cdl is a great thing to have but without experience you are still seen as a liability. Lots of folks think that companies are going to knock down their door to hire them but that’s Just not the case. Don’t believe everything you read about companies online. If a company is willing to give you a shot when others aren’t , don’t you think they might deserve the same consideration? There is a guy who just posted on the main forum about his experience with CR England. It would be worth asking him some questions. Good luck! I hope you can find a way to get your foot in the door!

Damn, I'm a good catch!

I have read about convicts being trained and hired. Don't I deserve a chance too? ;)

Hello Ty, welcome to our forum!

When I got into trucking I did it for a second career. I had thirty years of solid employment - all of it at the same job! I thought I was the perfect catch! Great credit, solid work history, no criminal convictions, blah, blah, blah. I was the poster child for the best candidate you can hire! Guess what? No one wanted me for some strange reason. I got more rejections than you can imagine.

I graduated at the top of my trucking school. I had a 97 average score. The fellow with the lowest score in my class and could barely shift gears in the truck got accepted by Roehl before we even finished our schooling. The response I got from Roehl was, "Sorry, we had better candidates to choose from!"

Hiring new rookie drivers is a crap shoot. There is nothing about them that will give any trucking company a clue whether or not they will adapt and become professionals who can contribute to the company's goals. There are a good many high school drop outs with terrible credit who may very well turn out to be better truck drivers than me or you. There is just no way to tell about anyone's future in this career.

That work history requirement is a Federal regulation. It came about after 9/11. It is in place not to assure the companies that you are a good solid employee, but rather to keep foreign terrorists from infiltrating our transportation industry and doing damage with trucks like they did with airplanes back in the day. Anyone who hires you must have your work history records on file. That is a FMCSA requirement. They cannot meet that requirement with you.

Since 2003 I've been out of the country traveling and just returned early 2020.

You are a big red flag! You've been out of the country for 17 years! Honestly I think you would do yourself a huge favor by establishing some stateside work history. Surely you have some sort of skills or talents that would allow you to keep a job in San Diego for a few years. That's what I would recommend. Establish some work history for yourself and then jump into trucking.

Howdy, Ty .. welcome to TT, and hope you stick around!

Old School .. got to thinking after reading your AWESOME reply (as always....) and just wondering 'out loud' as I often do .. WOULD A DOCK TO DRIVER program work for this instance?

Banks?

Bobcat Bob?

Thoughts?!?!?

Just my 2 pennies ....

~ Anne ~

You are a big red flag! You've been out of the country for 17 years! Honestly I think you would do yourself a huge favor by establishing some stateside work history. Surely you have some sort of skills or talents that would allow you to keep a job in San Diego for a few years. That's what I would recommend. Establish some work history for yourself and then jump into trucking.

Ty. Welcome to trucking truth.

There is a guy who just posted on the main forum about his experience with CR England. It would be worth asking him some questions.

Hi Papa Pig,

Thank you for taking the time to respond. I believe I saw the post you are referring to and I did give him a reply.

Hello Old School,

Thanks much for sharing your insight and experience.

Damn, I'm a good catch!

I have read about convicts being trained and hired. Don't I deserve a chance too? ;)

You do know that was meant as a joke, right?

You are a big red flag! You've been out of the country for 17 years! Honestly I think you would do yourself a huge favor by establishing some stateside work history. Surely you have some sort of skills or talents that would allow you to keep a job in San Diego for a few years. That's what I would recommend. Establish some work history for yourself and then jump into trucking.

Red flag? Why? There are millions of people living, working, going to school and just plain hanging out in countries that are originally from other countries. In America we welcome people from all over the world. They don't expect to get "red flagged" by their home countries. Unless they come from countries with oppressive governments. I'll stop myself there, even though my opinions don't stop there.

As far as working for a few years and then trying to break into trucking...That's not an option. I don't give up that easy and I have only been trying to educate my self for 6 weeks now and I only really started diving in after the holidays. So yeah, lots to learn.

Again, I appreciate your input.

As stated.... Anyone coming from another country trying to drive a vehicle that can easily and has been used as a bomb is going to be scrutinized. Even those here for 20 years must submit employment for the last 3 years. So why would you expect someone from outside the country. They are fearing radicalization which has augmented thanks to the internet.

Like it or not..it is required. Good luck finding a company that will take you. Even if you pay for school....it could very well be wasted money if you cant get hired.

Ty, your opinions are fine and good, but when you are dealing with government bureaucracy they carry no water. I gave you the facts so that you could educate yourself. I left one thing out, which may be of interest to you. I left it out because I'm not sure it would work in your case. Here it is.

I have helped several folks over the years get past this work history problem by getting three of their acquaintances (not family members) to write a letter stating that they are your friend and are familiar with what you have been doing over the past 17 years abroad. The letter needs to explain in some detail what you have been doing overseas and provide detail of which countries you have been in. They will need to provide a phone number and an email address so that they can be contacted for verification. The letters need to be notarized also. I would make sure these letters are from people who lived here in the states during your time abroad.

All the folks that I know of who had success with this strategy were not lacking work history due to being abroad. They were here maybe taking care of an ill relative or something of that nature. It is an acceptable way that some companies will accept, but I am not certain how it will work for your situation. Good luck sir! That work history requirement is a problem, and you fit right into the profile of folks they are trying to screen out. We wish you the best!