Nobody Will Hire Me After Termination. Should I Give Up On Trucking?

I am a USMC veteran who just got their CDL this year. I live in Northeastern PA near Wilkes-Barre and Scranton. My endorsements include HazMat , Tanker, doubles and triples. Automatic restriction. The only thing I have on my MVR is reckless driving charge. The offense was in 2021 but due to the pandemic court was stalled and conviction was not until 2022. This charge was before I had a CDL, in a personal vehicle. There was no accident, property damage, or any injury involved. I have no other violations or any accidents on my MVR.

Basically I had to swerve out the way to avoid an accident when a driver from opposing traffic veered into my lane. The lane I swerved into had a cop in it, he had to swerve as well and ended up spilling his coffee and food all over himself and the inside of his patrol car. He was not a happy camper at all, the guy who veered into my lane was long gone and he didn’t feel like going after him so I got stuck with the charge and had to pay a $300 fine and that was it. I could not afford a lawyer at the time so I got what was the best possible outcome at the time.

I understand the charge is a strike against me already but I was still able to find work despite it. I went with the first company because they were the only ones offering me at least regional with no experience while everyone else wanted me to do OTR. I accepted the job but the pay was very low so I left after 3 months for the second company. I lasted a month with them. I have 4 months total verifiable experience. No citations, reportable incidents, or anything.

I’m only explaining this because I know people will ask what happened. At the second company I had a hard brake incident. Safety messaged me to pull over immediately and call them. Then they messaged me again about where I pulled over, called them for that as well. The next week I was called in to the terminal to speak with a supervisor. It was about the two things safety addressed.

I explained to the supervisor what had happened, apologized, accepted responsibility for it, and said it would not happen again. He said that wasn’t a good enough excuse, started to scold me, belittle me, said I didn’t take the company and the job seriously, and accuse me of lacking integrity. I told him I didn’t appreciate his tone or accusations, and that if he called me in there with no resolution and just to make me beg for job as he power trips I could just empty out the truck because there was no need for that kind of disrespect. He told me that because of my attitude he was firing me for a company policy violation. Now I need to stress this to those who are reading this…there was never an accident. There was never an altercation with this man. Or anybody at all. There is a reason why I am mentioning this.

I can’t find a job anywhere now. My DAC only says I left my first job voluntarily, and that I was terminated from my second job for a company policy violation. Everyone is telling that because I was fired from my second job I need to do 6 months somewhere else first. My first employer won’t take me back because they want information that is not on the DAC report. They want to know if there were any accidents or altercations, and I have absolutely no idea why they would need that information if it’s not on my MVR or DAC. I don’t know why they are even looking for that in the first place if I or my second employer haven’t said anything about that.

I have even spoken to my second employer about this, and I will give them a lot of credit because these people took the time to stay on the phone and explain to me that if anyone else is calling them for information all they will tell them is that I was terminated for a company policy violation and that’s it. I appreciate the safety and HR people for talking to me for nearly an hour explaining this.

There is nothing about any accidents or altercations. The woman I spoke to from my second company is just as confused as I am and said she doesn’t understand why a termination for a company policy violation is presenting such a problem for me. Even the specifics of why I was called on the road or brought in to speak with with that supervisor would not be disclosed to anyone and all they can legally tell anyone is company policy violation. She said that nobody has called them. I am taking her word for it.

I called back the recruiter that I am now dealing with from my first company, he is telling me that my case is in review until they get information about accidents or altercations, and that my second company is not responding so they will not be able to hire me without that. I DO NOT know why they are so focused about an accident or an altercation. No idea whatsoever.

I asked who they were calling and he gave me the number to some random Indian woman from NJ who doesn’t speak English. I tried giving him the proper number to who to speak to and he says that he can not take the number but that the safety department probably has the correct number because they said that they did speak to someone from my second company. If they did speak to somebody what is the hold up then?

After all that has happened should I give up on trucking? Is it time to hang the towel?. I am almost in tears as this is truly the only job I have felt is right for me since I got out of the marines. There is always something holding me back…lack of experience, my reckless, employment history, my termination from my last job, something.

Unfortunately, in this freight market, companies are being extremely picky about who they hire. The reckless conviction, regardless of personal vehicle is a very big stumbling block as it is. Add in a termination for a company policy violation, the company sees: driver not willing to follow the rules. Now, you put your record against a driver with a pristine record, a year or more at a single company, who do you honestly think they are going to chose?

If you can get company 2 to respond to company 1, that will probably be your best shot. If that doesn't pan out, you may be stuck driving class B just to get clean drive time between your incidents.

This answer would be different in a different freight market.

Hello Devil Dog,

First off thank you for your Military Service!!

The real issue is an extremely soft freight market. Company's can afford to be ultra picky on who they hire. Furthermore, with revenues down they also look to avoid any drivers with past issues from the risk management standpoint.

With that said, one angle may be to look at a local Class B opportunity to keep you busy until the economy is off life support and we are back into a normal freight environment and there is once again a "shortage" of truck drivers and companies will need to get more drivers into trucks. In the meantime if you keep your record clean it may put you in a position to get back into an 18 wheeler in the future.

Just one approach. I am sure other members will have ideas as well. Godspeed!

You have some home daily options based on your location. I'd put it a few applications to see who bites.

There's ABF in Wilkes Barre, Abarta Coca Cola in Pittston, JP Mascaro in Dunmore, Old Dominion is opening a building in Tannersville (Auto restriction might be an issue), Pitt Ohio is hiring in Hazelton, a bunch of FedEx ground contractors in Pittston and that's just off the top of my head.

Putting in applications will feel like a full time job, but what do you have to lose?

When putting in applications, on that reckless driving offense answer the question properly. Differentiate between the date it happened and the conviction date.

I forgot about Estes. They picked up a good amount of Yellow's freight and they're hiring otr drivers in Scranton and Leighton.

Unfortunately, in this freight market, companies are being extremely picky about who they hire. The reckless conviction, regardless of personal vehicle is a very big stumbling block as it is. Add in a termination for a company policy violation, the company sees: driver not willing to follow the rules. Now, you put your record against a driver with a pristine record, a year or more at a single company, who do you honestly think they are going to chose?

If you can get company 2 to respond to company 1, that will probably be your best shot. If that doesn't pan out, you may be stuck driving class B just to get clean drive time between your incidents.

This answer would be different in a different freight market.

Thanks for your response, but to be honest I think at this point it is obvious that company one is giving me the run around. Company two is willing to respond, company one is just full of it or at least that recruiter is.

Devildog, have you looked into any farms nearby? With harvest starting they are always in need of drivers. Another route is construction but they will be winding down in the next couple of months.

I accepted the job but the pay was very low so I left after 3 months for the second company. I lasted a month with them. I have 4 months total verifiable experience.

I told him I didn’t appreciate his tone or accusations, and that if he called me in there with no resolution and just to make me beg for job as he power trips I could just empty out the truck because there was no need for that kind of disrespect.

I think I know what the problem is.

B Y thinks out loud:

I think I know what the problem is.

D.D. Trucker, if you need a further explanation, check out this fable I wrote here 10 years ago and recently bumped up: A Fable for Our Time

Thanks everybody for the replies. I was able to find a new company after their recruiters told me no four times in a row. Recruiters can be some of the Most incompetent people I swear to God.