Profile For BeanCurdFiend

In my last thread I was frantically asking how I could present my shoddy work history to companies with CDL training programs in such a way that I appear hireable. As a quick refresher I have been working an under the table job since February and I no-call no-showed at two of my last three jobs. One of which was at UPS after my supervisor hit me in the face with a package but I imagine that will still count against me lol.

After some reflection I think I need to set my sights a little lower for now and put in some legwork to become a better candidate in order to have a shot at a trucking job in this market. Probably should not have taken that much reflection but all the bad news about the lack of jobs has been pretty depressing so I was nearly about to throw in the towel before even getting started.

One thing that I omitted is that I was a chronic marijuana user for the past 3-4 years but as of today I am 147 days clean. Considering 99% of the users here suggest waiting one year after stopping to apply for jobs I think I have some time to figure out how I can become a stronger candidate instead of torpedoing my career before I ever get in a truck. Right now I am just trying to figure out how to position myself to make an entrance into the industry.

I thought I could swing working full time at my current job and driving for Uber to get some "experience" but that is not really working out. I live in a sketchy area and my fiancee is always worried that I am going to get carjacked driving at night so I have barely been doing any rides lest I give her a heart attack.

Now I'm looking into local driving jobs and find that I'm kind of at a loss for what kind to pursue. Some examples of listings I have found include...

- FedEx - Beer/Liquor Distributor - Building Supply Deliveries - Electrical Supply Deliveries - Furniture Deliveries - Moving Company

Most of these jobs require me to take a pay cut and the job market in my area is pretty dismal so I'm just trying to make sure a local Non-CDL job will make me look better than a candidate with no driving experience when I go to apply to carriers with company-sponsored training. I would assume that working for FedEx for six months to a year would look good but who knows if I will get in.

I remember reading that a few companies have either dockworker to CDL driver programs or other pathways to get a CDL by working a Non-Driving/Non-CDL position but I was struggling to find them again and was wondering if anyone here was familiar with what companies did such a thing.

Basically the plan is to try and get driving experience and patch up my work history somewhere that will only urine test me so I can take as much time as I need to get more comfortable driving bigger vehicles and wait out until I can pass a hair test confidently.

If anyone has experience trying to get into the industry going the long route like this I would very much appreciate some guidance... they say slow and steady wins the race and this seems a lot more sane than trying to throw myself at the walls of the trucking industry kicking and screaming while not doing anything to make myself a better candidate.

God bless and thanks for reading. 🙏

A clean driving record, proof you graduated a CDL school and a CDL is enough for a lot of companies. A CDL determines you can drive a commercial vehicle, not your work history. Riddle me this smart guy, how do all the Indians get hired?

I don't know why we have to get oddly specific about Indian folks driving semi-trucks but anyways...

I get that there are a few people in this and other threads that don't think employment history is that much of a concern when it comes to getting into the industry. But there are just as many people who make it sound like companies employ so much scrutiny when hiring that they will analyze what you ate for breakfast seven months ago and use that to consider whether or not you are hireable.

While I obviously would like answers for myself I was also hoping someone else might find the info and opinions offered here useful for themselves. Obviously my situation is specific to me but sometimes people go through convoluted s*** in their lives that is hard to account for through traditional methods. Like a background check or employment verification. If you went through a period where things were shaky for a little bit but you were on the straight and narrow you don't want to be looked at the same way as a felon or a terrorist.

At the end of the day I'm wondering if it seems reasonable to keep doing what I'm doing, or if I need to drop everything else and get a job scrubbing toilets or picking up trash at a gas station so I have verifiable employment going forward. And then just wait it out until these last few months are just a blip on the radar.

I'm planning to do company-sponsored training and everything I've read points to the fact that the selectiveness and scrutiny are at an all-time-high. I want to be a competitive and attractive candidate and feel like I'm grasping at straws for a concrete answer on this matter.

I'm sorry if it seems like I am asking to be spoon-fed an answer to my specific problem but I am just confused and conflicted about this aspect of entering the industry. It's not that the requirements are confusing, it's what I would need to do in my current situation (if anything) to bring myself in line with those requirements that is befuddling me for some reason. I don't know if I'm overthinking all of this or if I should be looking for ways to alter my course now before my work history becomes even less attractive to employers.

So from what I've gathered so far my prior work history, being a bit spotty because of my no-call-no-show at one job, may cause me some problems when applying for these companies. That is understandable and something I will have to just take as it comes.

Most carriers will absolutely dive in to your employment history and it will prevent you from being hired if you can't account for your whereabouts.

"Accounting for my wherabouts" is what I was primarily concerned with when I first posted this, particularly with accounting for the last four months since I left my last job.

I guess I will just lay out what I would tell a recruiter in bulletpoints and maybe you guys can tell me if it seems realistic. The first 5 points are an explanation of why I left my last job and the last two unnumbered points explain why I was able to survive without an income and what I was doing with my time before I began driving for Uber.

/// Start ///

1. I left my last job in mid-February. If asked why I left I have documentation of the HR case wherein my partner and I were harassed, etc.

2. After leaving my last job I planned to do gig work driving for Uber while I researched and decided upon different career options. I was in the process of getting the title and insurance of the vehicle my family was giving to me transferred so I could complete the registration process and start driving.

3. Before I was able to get the title and insurance transferred I was rear-ended. We took it to a body shop to get it looked at and it was a month before they were able to get it in to start fixing it. After they got it in the shop it was another three weeks before it was actually fixed.

I have a copy of the accident report that shows I am 100% not at fault for the accident and the reciept from the auto body shop showing when the car was fixed.

4. About a week after the car got out of the shop we all had time to transfer the title and set up an insurance policy in my name. I have reciepts for the car tax I paid, the title transfer fee, and the bill for the insurance. All dated.

5. I started driving for Uber a few days after that (waited for a dashcam to come in the mail) and recorded the first day I drove with them.

~. Throughout this whole period from the time where I left my last job to the present where I am now driving for Uber I have been preparing for a new career as a truck driver. I am living with my family and fortunately did not have to worry about rent or living expenses while I was out of work.

~~. I have been researching the career obsessively to see if it is the right fit for me, looking at ELDT providers and studying for my permit test so I can get all of my endorsements and be more valuable to employers, and working to improve my health so I am more capable to meet the demands of the job.

/// End ///

whew...

I'm sorry if I seem extremely pedantic by continuing to bump the thread and elaborate with tiny details but I didn't title it "Work History Hysteria" for nothing. 😩

I really have been obsessively looking into trucking and how I can get into the industry. I can't tell you how many times my girlfriend had to ask me to put my phone down because all I did all day was work on the High Road Training and read forum posts and articles on here for weeks on end. 🙃

Thank you to everyone who has offered their advice and perspectives so far. Looking forward to more feedback on my situation if you all can spare the time to read my massive walls of text. I appeciate every bit. 🤟

Thanks so much for all of your advice fellas. I'm going to get some letters/references from whoever I can just so I have it in case it will help. Other than that I guess I'll be getting my physical and taking the permit test soon so I'm ready to roll if any companies will take me.

I mentioned earlier that I was doing Uber to reestablish my employment history and this morning I just so happened to pick up a trucker was sent out here to pick up a tractor someone abandoned.

I had a great time talking with him and when I got to see the rig up close and personal it just clicked even more that this is what I need to do. Or at least try my damndest to do.

Appreciate everything so far and I'll continue to post updates. Cheers.

Have you tried looking into Amazon? They have warehouses dang near everywhere and are always hiring. They pay competitive rates and will even pay for your CDL training after you've been with them for a nominal period of time.

Will certainly look into this. My cursory search on this subject didn't reveal any openings in my area but I'll dig deeper soon. Thanks!

As long as you can account for the time being employed you should be OK... [E]mployment verification pre-cdl is mainly to account for where you were (not overseas being radicalized), and that you were employed or taking care of family.

Thanks for clarifying this. Perhaps it would be good to write a letter explaining what I was doing during my time 'unemployed' and have the supporting letters from friends and family like the others have said. Basically just have a narrative that shows I was trying to be a productive member of society and not in jail or training with ISIS lol.

This post is in no way meant to be an insult, but you mentioned numerous times being in a bad place. Are you sure you mentally handle it? The isolation and being so far from home is difficult for many new drivers. Also it seems to affect younger couples more being gone all the time.

No offence taken whatsoever. Thank you for your concern and I completely understand why you would ask such a question. I don't want to go into too much detail but the cause was because of the circumstances I was in at the time (a mix of family, relationship, school, and job-stress issues that persisted over a number of years) and since then I have grown a lot and become a lot tougher. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger I guess.

As far as my relationship goes we'rs figuring out how we're going to make it work. We have goals for the future, no kids, and a lot of grit so we're planning to do everything we can to make it happen. We're aware it's going to take a lot and planning ahead as much as we can.

If you haven't done so, take advantage of High Road CDL Training Program and Apply For Paid CDL Training

Almost done with the High Road program and am waiting until I have this issue cleared up/have acquired my physical and permit to apply for training. Everything on this site has been so useful to help me start taking my first steps and understand what I'm getting into.

Cheers, thanks for all the helpful replies thus far. 👍

Paying you under the table noone will ever admit to. That could bring things down on them.

This is the difficulty I have been dealing with. It's just such a pain because I feel like I'm just going to have to give up this great job and work at a gas station or something for a couple months just to set my employment record straight.

I live in a beachy/touristy area that has seen insane population growth over the past few years and it's difficult to find a job that pays decently or even get an interview for a ****ty one. I got my current job from a Craigslist posting I found at 2am in the morning. 😩

Anyways I hate to be a complainer and I'm willing to do what it takes to get into trucking.

Could you claim that during your under the table gig you have been “self employed”? When I applied for a driving job back in 2018, most of my employment history was as a self employed individual and I was not questioned about this at all. Maybe things are different now.

I guess I could say that I have been running some kind of handyman/landscaping business and that my clients are my family and friends... I've just read a lot about how honesty is the best policy when trying to get into trucking and I don't want something little to bite me in the a** later on. Would love to hear what others have to say about this though, thanks BK.

Something that would be great to get an opinion on is whether or not being an uber driver would be enough for my work verification going forward. Apparently I can request a transcript with my income and hours from the company. I can also keep a logbook to scan and send to a recruiter.

Thanks for everything so far guys. Would appreciate any additional insight into my conundrum, especially about whether or not Uber will cut it as a job if I do it 20-30 hours a week.

Thank you for your reply Bob!

You will probably need some references for your time unemployed. Getting some letters from friends and family, stating that you had been seeking employment, and not locked up will help.

I read about this in other threads related to this subject but was confused as to how to go about it. Of course I can get these letters about how I was on the straight and narrow but how do I get them to seem credible?? I had seen in another thread someone mentioned getting letters like that notorized.

I don't know if I could get a notorized letter from my current employer stating that I have been working for them under the table. If I could it would explain away the whole employment gap but I doubt that under the table work is seen in a positive light. Or maybe they don't care, as long as I was employed.

Would I submit these letters to the recruiters I would be speaking with, how would they come up during the hiring process, etc.

Sorry to ask a million questions guys I'm just trying to claw my way towards a successful entry into trucking. Appreciate any responses. Thanks again Bob, grateful for your insight.

Hey everyone, thanks for taking the time to read this post. I've been lurking here a few months and taking everything in from the articles, Brett's book and your wonderful and informative forum posts and appreciate all the knowledge here.

I am on the cusp of getting my DOT physical and taking my CLP tests. I feel confident that I will overcome these first hurdles to my first job in trucking because I am pretty healthy and have been studying my a** off.

There is one thing that has been absolutely freaking me out though! And that is my employment history. I have done everything I can think of to make sure that it won't be an issue and I'm still not sure it will be enough.

To give the briefest rundown possible...

I moved to a new area with my parents after flunking out of my senior year at college during covid (off to a great start, I know.)

I left school in late May 2021 and arrived to my new home in early June 2021. I was not doing well but managed to land a job doing warehouse and merchandising work.

That job was from Mid June 2021 to Late December 2021. I left when I no-call-no-showed because I was in a really bad spot and couldn't handle it anymore.

I was without a job until February 2022 when I got hired as a barista at a big company. I was there a whole year and met my wonderful fiancee who did a lot to help set me straight.

Everything was going great until we started being discriminated against for being a couple. Despite carrying ourselves more professionally and working harder than the supervisors who had it out for us. After HR and management could not resolve the issue I ended up leaving so the heat would die down and she could keep her job of 3 years without being harassed. That was in February 2023.

I had started looking into trucking a month prior but did not know as much as I know now. Especially the emphasis on verifiable work history.

About two weeks after I took a job working under the table at a restaurant because I couldn't be without an income and I could not even get an interview anywhere else (most job positions I applied for in-person and on Indeed had over 500 applicants).

I knew it was not verifiable work but I actually like it here and am paid better than the other positions I was looking into prior to getting hired here.

I planned to start driving for Uber as well because I am able to request employment verification from them... until some knucklehead rear-ended me at a red light and put my car out of commission until last week.

I finally started driving with Uber yesterday. I am left with a fat four month gap in my employment history though. I basically spent all of that time studying to become a truck driver and researching the industry, working under the table, as well as taking care of my health and domestic relationship. But I don't know if the gap in my employment history is a disqualifier, even if I explain that I was preparing to enter the industry during that time.

I assembled all of my W2s, my Wage and Income Transcripts for the past 10 years (I have only been able to legally work for 8, I'm 24) in the hope that they will smooth over the employment verification process. Where possible I have also reached out to my references, even at the jobs where I made an ungraceful exit to salvage what I could.

I am trying to fill the gap in my history with Uber because the population in my area has become so saturated that it is hard to get an interview even for a job bussing tables.

I have been trying my best to clear everything up with my personal life and am really striving to become someone who can make it in this industry so my fiancee and I can have a better future.

I'm praying that this is something minor that I am freaking out about but I struggled to come up with an answer from browsing the other forum topics on this subject.

I really have tried to find a job and don't mean to come off like a bum. I have sent out hundreds of applications online and gone door to door in a suit and tie with resumes and am just trying to work with what I have at the moment.

Any input at all would be so much appreciated, especially comments on how bad my situation is and what else I can do to remedy it.

Thank you all so much for everything you do!