How To Gain Experience When I Have None

Hello everyone!

Later this month, assuming I pass the test, I'd like to find some part time local runs.

As expected, most company's are wanting folks who have experience. With the driver shortage, do I stand a better possibility of getting hired with NO experience for part time local runs?

I am open to any and all advice / suggestions or leads on who/what company to approach.

I am located in Sioux City, Iowa (100 miles north of Omaha) where Iowa, South Dakota, Nebraska meet.

Nick I do not have a whole lot of time to reply...

There is a reason most companies want experience for local work. Rookies make lots of mistakes... this fact will be compounded 2-3 fold running local.

See these links:

• Truck Driver's Career Guide
• Brett's Book: The Raw Truth About Trucking (free online version)
• High Road CDL Training Program
• CDL Practice Tests

Good luck. Others will chime in with more info.

I'm not sure what you mean by local part time runs.

do I stand a better possibility of getting hired with NO experience for part time local runs?

No. A lot of companies that offer part time work have insurance carriers that require experience in exchange for a lower rate. Insurance companies don't care about driver shortages.

The only place I can think of that offer part time local work is FedEx ground contractors, but at bare minimum they require 6 months experience with an accredited school.

Why are you wanting to go strictly localized to begin?

The only place I can think of that offer part time local work is FedEx ground contractors, but at bare minimum they require 6 months experience with an accredited school.

Same with the Amazon contractors around here. You can work as few as two or three days a week for them, but they (or more likely their insurance carrier) also require 12 months experience, or 6 plus an accredited school.

My question is why you're looking for part time work. Do you already have a job, and want to do driving as a side gig? That would be tough given Hours of Service regulations. Any work done for pay, even if it's not driving, counts as being on duty, so it's not like you can go directly from one job to another. They'd pretty much have to be on different days, so they're separated by 10 hours off-duty. Plus, gaining the skills and experience to be a safe, productive driver takes a while even when you're doing it 60+ hours a week. I question whether it's possible doing it just a few hours here and there.

I question whether it's possible doing it just a few hours here and there.

...or safe.

If you're willing to drive an hour Hy-vee DC in Cherokee is looking for full and part time drivers. It says they require 1 year experience but depending on their needs they may overlook it. I don't know exactly how it works up there, but I work at a subsidiary DC to Hy-vee. Where I'm at in Ankeny we can choose hourly or mile/stop, Hy-vee drivers don't have that option they're only mile/stop. I don't know the exact details of their pay as I rarely run into them but the other Hy-vee DC in Chariton gets a daily rate, mileage pay (not sure what it is, we're 51 cpm) and $12 a stop. I've talked to numerous full time drivers that hit 100k no problem. Chariton is union, cherokee is not. I believe part time work was one of the things they made universal, but the way we handle it in Ankeny is anytime we need loads covered they send a mass text to ask full timers to volunteer to work extra. If they still need loads covered they'll send out a text asking part timers to volunteer, it's never forced. The downside of doing it this way you may go a month or more without work then find them asking for 2 months straight depending on their needs.

All-

Thank you for your input! Greatly appreciate it!

I was hoping to get my feet wet part time as I hold a full time professional position. Because this all so new to me, I had thought doing local runs on Saturdays or nights but its looking like this isn't a pick & choose like working a part time gig at a Casey's or Kum & Go.

The plan was having my CDL in my back pocket as a "plan B" or a "just in case SHTF here at our family run business".

It would be nice to find part time (hauling grain for a farmer or something) simply to gain the experience. But if I read between the lines here, it looks like go big or go home. I'm not opposed to that. Income could be a challenge as I am 6 figures now here in Sioux City, Iowa.

Again, appreciate everyone's advice thus far and am open to hearing more!

I've got my CLP and test with the DOT later this month.

You'd think it'd be easy to find someone here who would allow me to drive with them to gain some experience that way too (I expect to pay that individual for their time and truck use too)

Anyways, thanks again!

I've got my CLP and test with the DOT later this month.

You'd think it'd be easy to find someone here who would allow me to drive with them to gain some experience that way too (I expect to pay that individual for their time and truck use too)

Anyways, thanks again!

Between 'Covid/Co'crap' and super crazy insurance rates, there are many hurdles impeding that hope & wish. I was lucky in 2010 & up to 2013 to have that luxury w/ my other half, who drove for an O/O at the time. Good luck, nowadays. You could 'try' posting an ad, but again, BE CAREFUL!

Have you studied our goodies on here? G'Town shared the links. It's gonna be uphill for a bit, it so seems.

Wish you the best!

~ Anne ~

ps: Have you checked with a Community College? I hear that some 'DO' HAVE those opportunities. Worth a shot!

pps: If you are, in fact, making 6 figures, you DO realize .. it'll take a few years to get to that in trucking, right? Why don't you look into LTL/linehaul, off the bat? Just my 2cents!

ppps: Many states are paying 7 to 10 K SIGN ON bonuses for bus drivers; and that IS a part time job. CDLB, but .. still !