Talking With A Trucking Company Recruiter

Hey Fellas (and gals too), I expect to be talking to a recruiter soon from a company I just applied to. I was wondering if there’s any advice you might have about “do or don’ts” or things I should say or shouldn’t say, and if there’s anything specifically I can say that will elevate me in the eyes of a recruiter?

Any tips would be greatly appreciated. I really want to work for this company. Thanks.

Just an update, I received a call from the Schneider recruiter and she’s going to call me tomorrow at 9:30AM to discuss my application. She said it should take about 30 to 40 minutes covering my work history, driving record, and details about the position and orientation.

I’m concerned about my work history since I’ve been retired since 1996, so I have no work history after 1996. I’m a little encouraged though because she saw that on my online application but still called me. Everything else on my application is perfect: background, driving record, trucking school, etc. I hope it goes well. Again, if you guys have any suggestions or tips let me know. Thanks.

All you need to prove is your retirement income for that period of time.....That will prove that you weren't a guest at a state or federal cross bar hotel....So get that paperwork together, and you'll do fine..

Jeff I had the same issue, although not as long a period of time. I had to fill out an affidavit with the date range, and provide 2 witness's who are not related they can contact to verify the information, and put the reason I had not worked. I simply stated I retired and was enjoying my retirement by travelling, home improvement, etc. It doesn't have to be greatly detailed.

Ok, thanks fellas, this could be problem for me, or at the least a major inconvenience. I’ll do my best to comply with whatever they want. Thanks.

I was wondering if I offered to pay for a full background check on myself if that would help my cause? I know I’m guilty until I prove myself innocent, and there’s not much I can do about that unfairness, but I recently moved to Las Vegas severing the few ties I had with my past. I have no paperwork to offer and I only filed a tax return a couple times in all those years, but isn’t the work history really just about a person’s background? A professional background checker could do a better job than I ever could do verifying my background.

My work history has always been the chink in my armor, but I’ve done nothing wrong and I have nothing to hide, yet it looks like the chickens are finally coming home to roost. After coming so far on my journey/ dream to become a truck driver I finally have to confront my work history, and prove myself innocent of any wrongdoing.

Jeff the work history is a big deal in trucking. The reason it has gotten like this is due to the government regulations, and the concern from the federal government over terrorist trying to infiltrate our nations infrastructure with trucks kind of like they did our airways with planes.

This is more than a criminal background check - they are going to do that also, but they want your work history because that shows them that you have not been some nut-job in training for the last 3 or 4 years on how to use a truck for detrimental purposes. A person who can't prove what they've been doing for the past five years is suspect. Work history provides that evidence.

Now, I don't know how you've been earning a living and I really don't care, but you have to come up with something to satisfy their needs. I've found that some companies are more lenient than others on this requirement. If you speak with recruiters about this they can help you know what you might need to satisfy their requirements.

I've helped a couple of guys get employed who had weak work histories and what we did was have two letters written by friends of theirs who simply stated that they were a friend and can verify that this person in question was unemployed during the time from this date to that date and they simply couldn't find employment due to the poor economy. Then we had the letter notarized and put that in there as a supporting document to their work history. What they are looking for in this work history is a timeline, not necessarily proof that you were working, but proof of how you were spending your time. That way they know you weren't in a training camp in Afghanistan for three of the last five years.

In this day and age they are accustomed to seeing people who can't find work. The important thing when you put this timeline together is that you don't leave any unaccounted time slots. Account for everything, even if you were just laying around not even looking or wanting a job. That time will just be considered as a time slot while you were unemployed.

Hope I've helped you understand this a little better and if this has raised more questions feel free to ask and we will do our best to help you out.

I'm sorry I forgot one thing, don't even worry about trying to pay for that background check, they will do that, and it makes you look suspicious that you want to provide your own background check.

Thanks for your reply Old School. I’ve been continuously unemployed/ retired since 1996, and coming up with a way to account for that time away from the workforce seems daunting to me. I’ll just have to wait and see what the recruiter says/ suggests. I know that work history is a government regulation and not a particular company trying to be unreasonable. I do know though that being retired is not a crime, or a suspicious activity, as far as I can tell, but I know it doesn’t matter what I think. I’ll be speaking to the recruiter in an hour-and-a-half, 9:30AM PT.

I was curious about one other thing, which is probably putting the cart before the horse considering my work history, but I was wondering if accepting tuition reimbursement from a trucking company puts you in a situation the same as basically having been trained by the company? Meaning that you’ve given up any leverage or freedom you might have had by going to a private trucking school? Thanks again for your generous, most helpful reply.

I'm sorry I forgot one thing, don't even worry about trying to pay for that background check, they will do that, and it makes you look suspicious that you want to provide your own background check.

I just meant that I’d pay for the background check not that I’d hire someone to do it. Thanks.