Refresher Course?

Hello y'all. I'm Mike.

I got my cdl-A several years ago. I drove locally for 1 1/2 yrs, then quit to fix my house and sell it and move out of state. Drove b's with booms and moffetts, a's with & w/out moffetts, automatics, manuals, oldies and nearly brand new trucks too. Fast forward 2 1/2 yrs and I'm ready to use my cdl once again. I haven't worked or drove for 2 1/2 years. I can only work locally. I've applied to around 15 different jobs so far and got 1 interview but I backed out of it because it was low paying and more lumber yard work then actually delivering. That job was through a staffing agency and through another staffing agency, I think my resume was sent out to 4 and then I applied to 10 via Indeed. No luck, save the 1 ****ty job I passed on.

Do I need a refresher course? I've read some write that very thing on other threads, but I'm pretty sure I'm special and don't need to do that kind of bull****. If I need a refresher, how long must it be? In my area (southern MO), I've got trucking schools offering 1 week for $1,750, 2 weeks for $3,000, one offers a 3 fricken week refresher for $3,200. It took me a month to get my cdl and I probably could've gotten through it in 2 weeks, so I cannot imagine 3 f'n weeks. It would be horrible and my wallet would be so ****ed.

The school offering 3 for $3,200 claims that this long period is for insurance purposes. I said, who's insurance? She said the trucking company. I said got damn it!

So, am I wasting my time trying to save some loot and sanity by choosing the 1-2 week course or am I wasting my time because either automated trucks or illegal alien invaders are going to take my job pre-2030?

You can probably start over anew with paid training from a company that trains drivers who already have their CDL. Your experience should be an advantage. Check out the links from this site:

Paid CDL Training ProgramsApply For Paid CDL Training

• Trucker's Career Guide: Choosing Your First Truck Driving Job
• Article Category: Finding The Right Truck Driving Job
• Forum Topics Tagged "Choosing A Trucking Company"

Do I need a refresher course? I've read some write that very thing on other threads, but I'm pretty sure I'm special and don't need to do that kind of bull****.

Some companies, maybe most, will require X amount of experience within the past X years. They want recent experience.

Is driving over the road an option you are willing to consider? You can get paid training with an OTR company. I think Schneider has a relatively short training period. They might even have positions in your area for more local or regional drivers. You'd have to ask them about that if you speak to a recruiter.

It might be beneficial to approach any interviews as if you are a new driver looking to brush up on skills that may have diminished over time. It's good to be confident but you definitely don't want to give the impression that you are above that sort of thing. Or else you might be viewed as a driver who is unwilling to adapt to new methods or learn new skills.

Companies can afford to be more picky about who they hire bc currently there is a lower demand for drivers. Your experience might benefit you, but you still want to show that you are willing to learn.

Check indeed or craigslist. Your local only requirement will certainly narrow your options.

Check schneider and tmc. I know in the atlanta area they both do local delivery for home depot. If they do it in your area maybe that would be an option for you. Those positions often are area specific.

Both will probably put you through a refresher so I would not waste money doing it without securing a position.

In terms of the big carriers you don’t have enough experience for the time frame you listed. Just the way they look at it right or wrong.

Small companies are solely at the discretion of their insurance carrier. Mine requires 2 years experience within the past 4 years to accept. Insurance carriers are not all equal, so another may accept your experience.

You just have to keep beating the bushes.

Thanks for the links BK. Thanks for the advice RealDeihl. Thanks for the names and advice PJ. I was wondering why I couldn't get companies like xpo to call me back. I did get some feedback from a carrier that works for fed-ex and it's been too long since I've driven. I will call schneider and tmc. I'll call Wilson's too. I know they train otr. I'm not bummed about it. I chose the route I took and got important things done and it will cost me some time and/or money. You guys are great.

I've applied to approx 12 jobs on indeed, including one today. The other 11, they've either passed or said nothing. I've had 3 interviews. 1 didn't sound too hot, driving a class b & working in a lumber yard. Another through a staffing company that lied and said it was a class a and this company doesn't even have commercial trucks. Scum bag. HR Staffing in MO. Watch out for those folks. 2.5 star review's on google. I went to an interview today for the same job I had 2 1/2 years ago, but with a different company and doing the same work. Drywall delivery. Tough job but it pays very well. I think that will be the first job I didn't get in an interview. I'm always offered a job during the interview.

Does anyone reading this know of a trucking company training while driving but home 2-3 times a week?

Btw, TMC is home weekends, or so the recruiter said. Not a bad option.

I wouldn't totally discount the temp agency route. I used to work on a dedicated account at Ryder and now the only way they hire is if someone does 3 months with an agency. Also the Penske group that hauls out of the same place I do now uses drivers from temp agencies.

The problem is your success is going to be totally on you. Since you are "just a temp" you are not going to get much support. That means you will have to be extra vigilant about everything.

Stick with it a few months and and you will have some recent experience to hang your hat on. Also if they have some clients you like you may just luck into an offer with them.

Staffing agencies are hit or miss imo. I had a great one find me my first and only cdl oriented job. That's 1 out of 3. They're mostly liars from my experience and I'll avoid them like the plague from now on. Roehl trucking told me I've got a cdl so they wouldn't train me. They said I should do a refresher course but that's not going to get me a job. Experience will. I might have to dump this cdl. In MO, you're discriminated against, I mean held to a higher standard concerning traffic violations.

I wouldn’t ditch the CDL. I was out of work for a year and a half due to a medical issue and ended up losing my job over it. I couldn’t pass the DOT physical due to the recovery from that operation but once I could, I got it done and got my class A back after it was downgraded. If you can handle the drywall delivery (I did that for a very short while… not my idea of a good time), you should look into other local delivery jobs. Maybe start with Pepsi or coke or even alcohol. I delivered beer for many years. It was a lot of hard work but it led to one of the best jobs I ever had and that was delivering milk. Find a local school and get the refresher course knocked out and find a company that will hire with just a few months of experience. Around here, there are companies hauling fuel like I am that are hiring drivers right out of school to haul fuel. Get some endorsements under your belt too and that will help out as well.

The problem is none of these places want to hire me because it's been too long since I've driven and it doesn't appear that a refresher course is going to help, neither would endorsements because my driving experience is too old. I believe it is an issue with insurance companies. I'm going to call a few schools in my area tomorrow and try to get a consensus on exactly what to do. I've spoken with hr and recruiters and they're not too helpful as of yet.

Does a company exist that trains while driving, but home 2-3 times a week? I'm going to have to part ways with this license or go otr for at least 6 months. Pretty sure these are my only 2 options.