Comments By Hydra M.

Yeah, you kind of do have to spell it out, if that's what you mean.

No, I don't. The OP is an adult and I'll treat him as such. I don't hold hands or write out life plans. It's like giving someone directions to a destination and including that they have to stop at red lights and stop signs. It's not necessary and if they lack the common sense to know better, that's on them.

I'm not stupid. Thank you for your honesty.

I understand why he's telling you to wait, but that's not going to help you. Like I said, any CDL job will require 10 years of work history. You also don't have a year experience to fall back on for the next 3 years which means you'll have a stale CDL.

I also don't get the issue you have with Western Express. Any company would've done the same thing they did in response to your actions.

I never said I had an issue with Western Express. They did what they wanted to and that's whatever. I have an issue with myself.

We're you with Western Express when you hit the hydrant? You said you were fired from your first job for hitting the hydrant, but it sounds like you started at Western and left and then get fired from a different company.

How long do you think I'd have to wait? Another 4 months for it to be a year? 2? 3 years?

Waiting isn't beneficial to you. You need to accept any job offer you get and get some safe driving time under your belt.

As a CDL holder, you have to list 10 years of employment on each application and your prospective employers will reach out to your previous employers.

The longer you wait the harder it will be to find a job. You'll end up with a stale CDL due to your lack of experience and have another hurdle to overcome.

Western Express was my first company I worked for. No prior convictions or anything, just a young dumb 21 year old that accepted the first offer someone gave me. I worked for them for 3 months and hit the hydrant at the start of February, and then two weeks later I was fired for leaving the scene and failing to report it on time.

I know now what I did was probably the dumbest thing I have ever done in my life, but it seems nothing can change it now.

Perhaps my best course would be to wait out the three years and hopefully get on with a company that offers a refresher course.

Either that or maybe I don't belong on the road at all. I'll direct myself to the nearest McDonald's and stay in my lane. Thank you all for your honesty.

What is your location?

Jacksonville, Florida. I've also read a ton that Florida makes it even harder to find a CDL A job because of how little freight goes out, but I'm willing to go to/do just about anything to get back into driving. I made a dumb mistake and just wish I could fix it.

Can you relocate? By that I mean move to another location and then start applying with companies. Jacksonville isn't as bad as further south in the state. A company with a mostly SE footprint would probably be your best bet. Even then, you need some distance from that incident, which you already know. I would suggest apply everywhere. Use the app Driver Pulse. If the apply at all the known big hitters fails, then start scoping out smaller companies that are SE regional. If that falls through, you are just going to have to wait.

How long do you think I'd have to wait? Another 4 months for it to be a year? 2? 3 years?

What is your location?

Jacksonville, Florida. I've also read a ton that Florida makes it even harder to find a CDL A job because of how little freight goes out, but I'm willing to go to/do just about anything to get back into driving. I made a dumb mistake and just wish I could fix it.

Western Express, CR England, CRST are probably your best shots. Leaving the scene changed it from a rookie mistake to a possible career killer.

I started with Western Express (no previous convictions or anything, just stupid), and I'm unsure of their rehiring policy. Alas, that's what I was afraid of. Thank you for your honesty.

Hello all,

I am in a huge predicament and I no longer know what to do. In February of this year, I made a stupid mistake while working for my first ever company and I believe it has costed me my chance in truck driving.

I hit a fire hydrant and made the stupid mistake of panicking and driving off instead of reporting the incident.

As such, and rightfully so, I was terminated for a safety violation. I have given this incident a lot of thought and wish I could go back and do things differently, but I can not.

Now it is 8 months later and it is nigh impossible to find a job anywhere. Every company I've applied to either auto declines me or tells me I need 6 months clean driving with a class A carrier before they consider me. The problem is, no class A carrier will consider me, and I've heard that B class work won't count as it isn't a combination vehicle. Even second chance companies won't give me one.

Give me your honesty here. Is it over? Should I just throw in the towel? Any feedback is much appreciated.