Haven't Driven A Rig In 10 Years But Have 17 Years Local Driving No OTR Experience
Topic 3222 | Page 1
****y, welcome to Trucking Truth. I'd also like to say I'm sorry for your loss.
You'll find a lot of helpful, experienced drivers on this site. I've found it very helpful.
I'm preparing for school myself, but have done a lot of research. I'm sure another experienced driver will add to this discussion soon enough, but based on my research, most companies will have you take a refresher course. I don't know the cutoff time, but after a certain time of not driving, they'll want to have you take a refresher. Perhaps you can call the companies you're interested in, and ask their recruiters. Sounds like you already know that you'll have to probably take a refresher, depending on the company. I think the rule of thumb is that the main or mega carriers will enforce this. You might find a mom and pop operation that will overlook and count your experience. I don't know how much of this is dictated by insurance companies.
WOW! I guess your name is considered profane based on this forum's censor! 
Welcome aboard!
Is there driving jobs out there that will hire you if you haven't been in a tractor trailer in 10 years but have kept your cdl's and medical up to date and drove that many years local?
In short, no.
And or do you have to go through a refresher course, to get hired to drive OTR or Shorter runs. Thanks, DM
In short, yes!
Unfortunately you're going to be handled by the major companies as if you never saw the inside of a truck in your life. I'm not even sure a refresher course will do it for those companies. You might find a little mom-n-pop company or owner operator somewhere that will work with you and give you a chance to show em what you can do. But the major companies are likely going to require a full training program from scratch.
If you want to get on with one of the majors and get rolling as quickly and inexpensively as possible, your best bet is probably the Company-Sponsored Training Programs. They'll get you through your training and out on the road as quickly as possible. But you can also apply for pre-hires and go through a regular private truck driving school if you'd rather have your choice of companies after graduation.
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
- Any combination of vehicles with a gross combined weight rating (GCWR) of 26,001 or more pounds, providing the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of the vehicle being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 or more pounds, or any such vehicle towing another not in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any vehicle, regardless of size, designed to transport 16 or more persons, including the driver.
- Any vehicle required by federal regulations to be placarded while transporting hazardous materials.
OTR:
Over The Road
OTR driving normally means you'll be hauling freight to various customers throughout your company's hauling region. It often entails being gone from home for two to three weeks at a time.
Owner Operator:
An owner-operator is a driver who either owns or leases the truck they are driving. A self-employed driver.
Dm:
Dispatcher, Fleet Manager, Driver Manager
The primary person a driver communicates with at his/her company. A dispatcher can play many roles, depending on the company's structure. Dispatchers may assign freight, file requests for home time, relay messages between the driver and management, inform customer service of any delays, change appointment times, and report information to the load planners.Pre-hire:
What Exactly Is A Pre-Hire Letter?
Pre-hire letters are acceptance letters from trucking companies to students, or even potential students, to verify placement. The trucking companies are saying in writing that the student, or potential student, appears to meet the company's minimum hiring requirements and is welcome to attend their orientation at the company’s expense once he or she graduates from truck driving school and has their CDL in hand.
We have an excellent article that will help you Understand The Pre-Hire Process.
A Pre-Hire Letter Is Not A Guarantee Of Employment
The people that receive a pre-hire letter are people who meet the company's minimum hiring requirements, but it is not an employment contract. It is an invitation to orientation, and the orientation itself is a prerequisite to employment.
During the orientation you will get a physical, drug screen, and background check done. These and other qualifications must be met before someone in orientation is officially hired.
Pre-hires:
What Exactly Is A Pre-Hire Letter?
Pre-hire letters are acceptance letters from trucking companies to students, or even potential students, to verify placement. The trucking companies are saying in writing that the student, or potential student, appears to meet the company's minimum hiring requirements and is welcome to attend their orientation at the company’s expense once he or she graduates from truck driving school and has their CDL in hand.
We have an excellent article that will help you Understand The Pre-Hire Process.
A Pre-Hire Letter Is Not A Guarantee Of Employment
The people that receive a pre-hire letter are people who meet the company's minimum hiring requirements, but it is not an employment contract. It is an invitation to orientation, and the orientation itself is a prerequisite to employment.
During the orientation you will get a physical, drug screen, and background check done. These and other qualifications must be met before someone in orientation is officially hired.
Company-sponsored Training:
A Company-Sponsored Training Program is a school that is owned and operated by a trucking company.
The schooling often requires little or no money up front. Instead of paying up-front tuition you will sign an agreement to work for the company for a specified amount of time after graduation, usually around a year, at a slightly lower rate of pay in order to pay for the training.
If you choose to quit working for the company before your year is up, they will normally require you to pay back a prorated amount of money for the schooling. The amount you pay back will be comparable to what you would have paid if you went to an independently owned school.
Company-sponsored training can be an excellent way to get your career underway if you can't afford the tuition up front for private schooling.
HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.
Just found this site today and had a few questions I wanted to ask! First: I got grandfathered in when they started the CDL's I had a A license and was not driving for a trucking company but a very large company with it's own trucking dept. I drove around 17 years all local No OTR experience at all! They least that trucking dept out in 2004 but I kept a job working inside for 8 more years till they laid a bunch of us off in 2012. We did get our retirement but it ain't much (which is a whole story by itself). I'm 58 years old and spent 35 of those with that one company. I lost my wife in 2008 and both my kids have been gone for years so I'm ready to get back in a rig and this time not worry about being gone since it's just me! Question: Is there driving jobs out there that will hire you if you haven't been in a tractor trailer in 10 years but have kept your cdl's and medical up to date and drove that many years local? And or do you have to go through a refresher course, to get hired to drive OTR or Shorter runs. Thanks, DM
Thanks guys
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
- Any combination of vehicles with a gross combined weight rating (GCWR) of 26,001 or more pounds, providing the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of the vehicle being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 or more pounds, or any such vehicle towing another not in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any vehicle, regardless of size, designed to transport 16 or more persons, including the driver.
- Any vehicle required by federal regulations to be placarded while transporting hazardous materials.
OTR:
Over The Road
OTR driving normally means you'll be hauling freight to various customers throughout your company's hauling region. It often entails being gone from home for two to three weeks at a time.
Dm:
Dispatcher, Fleet Manager, Driver Manager
The primary person a driver communicates with at his/her company. A dispatcher can play many roles, depending on the company's structure. Dispatchers may assign freight, file requests for home time, relay messages between the driver and management, inform customer service of any delays, change appointment times, and report information to the load planners.HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.
Brett is right about the way that most trucking companies look at people's experience, there really are very few who would give you a shot. But I do know that Western Express has, or at least did recently have, a program just for drivers in your situation. If I remember right the way it works is like this:
You attend a brief orientation.
Then you go out with a trainer for 2 - 4 weeks, or until the trainer feels that you are proficient enough.
Then you get paired up with another person who is in a similar situation as you, and you will team drive with that person for 4 weeks.
After that they assign you a truck and you start running solo.
This is an over the road company with some regional positions available. They run a fleet of roughly around 1,500 dry-van trucks, and 1,000 flat-bed trucks. You can ask for a recruiter by calling 1-800-316-7160, or you can go to their website @ www.westernexp.com.
I'm not a recruiter, just happened to be familiar with them since I navigate one of their flat-bed trucks all across the country.
Regional:
Regional Route
Usually refers to a driver hauling freight within one particular region of the country. You might be in the "Southeast Regional Division" or "Midwest Regional". Regional route drivers often get home on the weekends which is one of the main appeals for this type of route.
Over The Road:
Over The Road
OTR driving normally means you'll be hauling freight to various customers throughout your company's hauling region. It often entails being gone from home for two to three weeks at a time.
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Just found this site today and had a few questions I wanted to ask! First: I got grandfathered in when they started the CDL's I had a A license and was not driving for a trucking company but a very large company with it's own trucking dept. I drove around 17 years all local No OTR experience at all! They least that trucking dept out in 2004 but I kept a job working inside for 8 more years till they laid a bunch of us off in 2012. We did get our retirement but it ain't much (which is a whole story by itself). I'm 58 years old and spent 35 of those with that one company. I lost my wife in 2008 and both my kids have been gone for years so I'm ready to get back in a rig and this time not worry about being gone since it's just me! Question: Is there driving jobs out there that will hire you if you haven't been in a tractor trailer in 10 years but have kept your cdl's and medical up to date and drove that many years local? And or do you have to go through a refresher course, to get hired to drive OTR or Shorter runs. Thanks, DM
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
OTR:
Over The Road
OTR driving normally means you'll be hauling freight to various customers throughout your company's hauling region. It often entails being gone from home for two to three weeks at a time.
Dm:
Dispatcher, Fleet Manager, Driver Manager
The primary person a driver communicates with at his/her company. A dispatcher can play many roles, depending on the company's structure. Dispatchers may assign freight, file requests for home time, relay messages between the driver and management, inform customer service of any delays, change appointment times, and report information to the load planners.HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.