Comments By Dave P.

OK! Thank-you!

I would add how long they have known you, and they have personal knowledge since retiring you have lived within the USA.

Old School and PJ. Let me run this letter draft by you and get your thoughts:

I _________having known _________ can and do attest to the fact that _______has been retired since October of 2015. Also I know that it is ___________intent to re-enter the workforce.

I would provide space for signatures, Notary Stamp and Notary Signature.

Your thoughts…..

I’m so sorry about your husband. I cared for my wife for over a year. Nothing compared to your experience but I do understand the emotional toll that takes on a person. I understand that when the time comes I will have to drive with a trainer for a period of time to show the company I can do the job. If your brother is a trainer let me know where so I can avoid him😂😂. I’m pretty easy going and can get along with most folks but it’s very difficult for me to tolerate an unsafe, unprofessional driver. BTW, I live in Washington now but I’m a Butte boy at heart born in Helena.

My situation was a little bit different in the fact that I drove for 5 years and then was off 22 years, 18 of which I was taking care of my Traumatic Brain Injured husband. The company that hired me talked to their insurance company and because I had driven previously, even after all that time, I had to give 10 years of work history.

My husband was being cared for by Montana's Workman's Comp and they put him on domiciliary care. That basically was me caring for him. I did that for 6 years as a paid caregiver. However, my name wasn't in the domiciliary letter. So I did use the domiciliary letter that he needed care, but I had to have three friends vouch that I had been caring for him for 18 years. Once I got those notarized statements, I was hired on to drive. The only thing that irked me, was lack of recent experience, so I had to drive with my brother for 6 months. Fortunately, after 2.5 months I was able to get off the truck from driving with him....he's a scary, aggressive driver 😝

Laura

Hey Old School and PJ, thank you so very much for that advice. This is why Boards like TruckingTruth are so valuable. It’s not like I had been selling crack on a street corner for the last 9 years. Primarily my goal here is to see the Nation. Something I did not get to do as a regional driver. Secondly, I thought at the same time I could help out moving freight and maybe pass along some things I’ve learned about driving and this business to new drivers starting out. I would think that recruiters would be eager to fill seats with qualified drivers, albeit rusty, but the two I spoke with sounded like they were reading a script and didn’t like their jobs. I guess everybody can have a bad day but I always tried to leave my bad day at the gate and focus on the task at hand. Thanks again to you folks. I do appreciate you.

Today I thought I would look into a couple of the larger OTR companies. I gave recruiting a call and got a hurdle I never saw coming. To clarify, these were companies that provide CDL training. Because I’ve been retired I do not have any current working history so, even though I’ve driven truck for 25 years, I don’t qualify. I don’t know why this is but I’m sure there is one. My option now is to attend a private school forking out 5k plus and then sign on with a carrier that has a tuition reimbursement program to try to recoup some of that cash. I’m OK with this. I would rather have gone the other way but I believe this may be a test of my resolve. Thanks all for your input and ideas. I wish you all safe travels, a heathy life and dry pavement with the sun at your back.

In your case, it could also be good to look into smaller companies that might be eager to have a driver with your expertise, experience and safety record. They might be willing to let you test out in one of their trucks and put you to work solo in pretty short order they might have more flexibility to work with your circumstances than the megas.

Cast a wide net and you will find something suitable.

Thanks, I will check that out. For 5 years I did cryogenic bulk transport (liquid oxygen, nitrogen and argon). The loading and especially unloading requires a very specific skill set. The first time you open the doghouse on the back of that tanker it’s very intimidating. Many, many valves.

Thanks for that info. I was looking at Prime along with a few other companies. So if I go through Primes training to get my CDL back is there any flexibility on the number of miles/hours I would need to run team or are those requirements set in stone? I feel as though it would not take me too long to knock the rust off and get back in the groove of driving a truck. Getting to know the companies ELD’s, dispatch software and paperwork would likely be my bigger challenges. I appreciate the fact that you train new drivers. I’ve thought about doing the same thing.

My company requires driving experience in the last 6 months without needing to go through training.

Even if you had an up to date medical card, you would still go through a refrssher course then the normal team training.

Coming from a local CDL school, my company would pay you less in training and require more team miles, so it is actually quicker and financially better to come directly to the company.

What Ryan says is true. I've been a CDL instructor for five years. Last year I called Walmart transportation dept, inquiring.

With no recent OTR experience I would not be classified as experienced enough to get a fat bonus and a higher mileage rate.

I’m not thinking I deserve top tier wages. I’ve been gone for almost 10 years and things have changed. I’m humble enough to know I’ve got some learning to do. What I do have is an ingrained sense of safety and a depth of knowledge about the industry. I think I can certainly be an asset but I’ll have to prove my skills.

Thanks for the suggestions. I know I’m going to be rusty and one thing we all learn from this business is the time you stop learning is about the time you hit the ditch. I appreciate you. Be safe!

Hello Drivers, I retired from driving back in 2015 after 25 years behind the wheel. I was in LTL for 20 years, mostly in Linehaul and all regional (PNW). My last 5 years was also regional in the Northwest hauling HazMat tankers. In 2016 I surrendered my CDL because I thought I’d never do that again. Well, at 70 years old I’m finding out that even with a decent pension my desire to see the States probably won’t happen on my own dime. I don’t really want to go to a Mega Carrier to get my CDL back so my question is if I go to a local truck school and get my CDL would a large OTR outfit hire me as an experienced driver, just a little rusty, or would I be treated as a raw newby? I don’t want to go to the expense of forking out 4K plus to find out it will be difficult to get hired. I know this probably won’t mean much but over my 25 years I only had one chargeable accident (backing) and no citations, not even a scale ticket. I would also consider mentoring just to pass it forward. I appreciate your feedback and advice. Also, folks, spare me the “what the heck you thinkin’ driver?” Every once in a while I ask myself the same thing😂😂😂. Be safe out there!

Because of the amount of time that has passed since you last drove, on paper, you will be treated like you are just starting out. However, your experience will definitely give you an upper hand. I think May Trucking and Prime would be two companies with which to begin your search.

Thanks buddy. BTW Good on ya’ for getting behind the wheel at “our age”. I just never did get to see the U.S. so it’s kind of a bucket list thing for me. I’ll certainly post back here as I progress into these uncharted waters.

Hi Dave! What an interesting situation you have. I really don’t know the answer to your question, but I wanted to say welcome to you. I’m 71 and am a complete rookie compared to you. I don’t even have 3 full years in yet.

If you got your CDL back, I would think you would easily find a job, but that’s just my guess. I wish you lived east of the Rockies where my company operates. They are very old guy friendly.

So I will be interested to see what the other more knowledgeable drivers here will tell you about getting your license renewed. I’m certain they can answer your question.