Advice On Getting Back Into Driving After A Break?

TDLR; I made the mistake of job hopping during my first 12 months of driving. I left the industry for 6 months, and want to get back into it. I am afraid of choosing the wrong company or position again and am looking for advice on my situation.

Hello everyone. I'm a long time lurker, but I am hoping that someone here can provide some advice. I graduated from CDL school in June of 2021. Right out of school I started at a mega carrier that misrepresented their training program, and after 3 months at the company, I was still considered a trainee. (Not because I still needed training, but because the company based the training off of truck miles, and my trainer took frequent, extend hometime). Long story short, I decided to leave that company.

In November I was paired up with a "small startup trucking company" by my state's Workforce program. I drove as a team for that company from 11/2021 to 5/2022. I left that company because the company was in serious financial trouble. They stopped paying me, and didn't have money to fix maintenance issues with the truck. I am still in an ongoing case with the Department of Labor to reclaim quite a bit of money in unpaid back wages. I have copies of all of my driving logs from the Keep Truckin app they used, as proof for my time there. As a result of the wage claim, and the behavior of the business owner, I feel like that job can't be considered "verifiable OTR experience" because I really wouldn't want a future employer contacting this company. The business owner has since driven off the other two employees that were working there when I left.

I then got a local position hauling steel for a company that builds commercial steel frames. That was a decent position, but I quickly learned that local flatbed is not for me because of the pace of securing and delivering multiple loads a day. I enjoyed flatbed while OTR, but local was a different story. I worked there from 5/2022 through 8/2022.

I decided after working for 3 different companies in the first year of my career, to look for a non-CDL job. I took a local warehouse job because I thought that maybe I was burnt out from my experiences, and that a break from the industry would help me get some perspective on my situation. I was in my warehouse position from 8/2022 to 11/2022. I left that position because I needed to have a surgery, and I didn't qualify for a FMLA or normal leave of absence. I will be cleared from my medical restrictions at the beginning of March. However, the other issue that I am having is that I was also prescribed pain meds for my recovery, but have now been off of them for a while. I would definitely pass a urine test at this point, but I won't pass a hair follicle test. I know that I can provide documentation for my prescription, but I have seen drivers have had issues with companies over prescribed pain meds, and I don't want to deal with a hassle because of that as well.

I guess I am hoping someone can provide some advice, or suggest a company that might take me on? I've been doing research on companies and their driver requirements since I left trucking, but it seems like a lot of information is outdated. I know I should have made different choices, and probably should have stuck with the first company even with the training run around, but I can't change that at this point. I got my CDL because I was hoping to change my circumstances for the better. I knew it was going to be difficult, but I liked the job, I liked being OTR. I didn't realize just how much the company you work for would absolutely make or break the experience. Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated.

Which Mega Company did you start with? That will tell us a lot on how to answer your various questions.

Hi PackRat, thanks for the reply. I started at Prime Inc in the Flatbed Division back when the mile requirements were 40,000 truck miles, which they said would take 8-10 weeks. I made it to 33,000 miles and they changed the policy on critical events. In my first 2 weeks on the truck I had a critical event that included a hard turn and hard brake, which they counted as two events. I was then told by my trainer that if I had 3 critical events, my training would be extended by an additional 15,000 miles, so I drove very carefully after that. Two months later dropped the policy from 3 to 2 critical events, and informed me that they would be extending my training time. At that point, I told them I wanted to go home and wait for a different trainer. They asked me if I was still interested in training a month after that, and I told them no.

Prime? Really? The most common complaint we see about them is that they were someone's first choice but were declined for some obscure reason.

Give me your closest city and I'll give you three recommendations.

I'm hoping some of the current and past Prime flatbed drivers and driver trainers will see this and comment. At this point all I can suggest is you apply everywhere. I doubt that going back to Prime, Inc. will be an option. You asked for another trainer, then did not wish to continue paid training after going home? What did that cost you? What is it costing you in the long run?

If you are fortunate enough to get hired, stick with it. If you cannot commit to doing this 100%, then I suggest you pursue something else. With your minimal time behind the wheel, don't be shocked if you are required to go out with a trainer, starting all over again. While you may not believe you need further training, your two critical events illustrate you do. An over speed turn "hard turn" (this is where trucks roll over on off ramps) and the hard braking (this is failure to maintain control of the vehicle). The longer you aren't using that CDL , the less appealing you are to any reputable company, even more so with your limited experience.

Pacific Pearl, thanks for responding. My closest city is Dayton, OH.

Prime? Really? The most common complaint we see about them is that they were someone's first choice but were declined for some obscure reason.

Give me your closest city and I'll give you three recommendations.

I understand what you are saying regarding asking for another trainer, but by the time they got back to me, I had been home for a month and I was looking elsewhere. As I said, the Critical Event happened in my first two weeks, which I have not repeated in the subsequent 11 months of time behind the wheel that followed. They changed the rules in September, 2 months after the event happened, when I had only 7,000 of my 40,000 miles left. If I had continued with training, I would have had to do 22,000 miles, which is why I was looking elsewhere.

With the second company, I was paired with them through the Department of Labor's Workforce Office in my state. With that, I thought that there would have been some level of security regarding things like getting paid. I was OTR in a team position for 6 months there, but I stopped getting paid. I didn't get paid for weeks, so I left.

With the third company, I did my best to make it work, but it was physically exhausting for me to strap and chain, haul, then deliver multiple steel loads per day, and doing nothing but city driving. I realized that wasn't for me pretty quickly, but I pushed myself to make it work for as long as I could.

After 3 different jobs in my first 12 months behind the wheel, I figured I would stop, and recollect myself, before jumping into another driving job that would either be ill suited to me, or downright exploit me. I am aware that I have made these mistakes, and that my work gap is leaving me at a disadvantage. That is why I bothered to ask for suggestions. I am aware that I am still new, and that I still have a lot to earn. I am owning that. However, I don't feel that I am in this position because of a lack of commitment. I am in this position because of stupid naivety, and choosing bad companies for me. I am asking for help on how to accommodate for my blunders, and move forward with a career that I've wanted for a long time and pushed myself for. I do not want my efforts to have been in vain.

I'm hoping some of the current and past Prime flatbed drivers and driver trainers will see this and comment. At this point all I can suggest is you apply everywhere. I doubt that going back to Prime, Inc. will be an option. You asked for another trainer, then did not wish to continue paid training after going home? What did that cost you? What is it costing you in the long run?

If you are fortunate enough to get hired, stick with it. If you cannot commit to doing this 100%, then I suggest you pursue something else. With your minimal time behind the wheel, don't be shocked if you are required to go out with a trainer, starting all over again. While you may not believe you need further training, your two critical events illustrate you do. An over speed turn "hard turn" (this is where trucks roll over on off ramps) and the hard braking (this is failure to maintain control of the vehicle). The longer you aren't using that CDL , the less appealing you are to any reputable company, even more so with your limited experience.

Pacific Pearl, thanks for responding. My closest city is Dayton, OH.

CDL A Regional Truck Driver | Avg $93 K Dayton, OH 800-935-3131 Company Driver | $93K | Dry Van | Benefits after 30 days Requisition ID: 903 Chris 585-510-1850Pay & Benefits Full-time CDL-A truck drivers are eligible for:

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Top 50% Avg. Pay $1,596 / week

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Crete Carrier Corporation strives to be the best trucking company in the nation. We strive to bring on experienced drivers with top safety records. We require:

Valid Class A CDL One year of tractor-trailer experience DOT physical and drug test (urinalysis and follicle testing) Company in-truck driving test Acceptable safety record No DUI or DWI convictions in past 5 years No positive drug screens or events in past 5 years Minimum age of 22 Owner operator trucks must scale 44,500 pounds

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Locations: Lincoln, NE, Lenoir City, TN, Mechanicsburg, PA, North Salt Lake, UT, and Wilmer, TX Hunt Transportation orientation in Omaha, NE Owner operators paid to deadhead to orientation site Lodging and meals paid Classroom training and road test

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401k retirement account with company match Profit sharing after one year of service - $18 million in profit was shared with employees in 2022 alone (equating to an additional average per driver bonus of 4 cpm or 5.5% of annual salary) Health, dental and vision at company group rates IRA Contribution Plan provides annual incentive payment to driver Discounts offers from retailers and service providers Driver achievement recognition Higher education scholarships for dependents Driver referral bonus of $500 for every hire upon completion of orientation Additional $0.01 per mile referral bonus for every mile your referral drives in their first 12 months of employment

Policies and Programs Rider Program

At Crete Carrier, Shaffer Trucking, and Hunt Transportation, we think it’s important for our drivers to have a healthy work-life balance. That’s why you can always take friends and family out on the open road with you with our no-cost rider policy.

Authorized passengers include:

Spouse One child, stepchild, foster-child, niece, nephew, or grandchild 4 years of age or younger (provided they are accompanied by the non-driving spouse or adult) One child, stepchild, foster-child, niece, nephew, or grandchild 5–18 years of age, with or without the non-driving spouse or adult One adult 19 years or older

Pet Policy Program

And for family members of the four-legged variety, Crete Carrier and Shaffer Trucking are allowed to have two dogs or cats on the truck. Their combined weight cannot exceed 60 pounds. Driver Referral Program

The Driver Referral Bonus just got better! You’ll receive $500 when your referred driver completes orientation and any required training. AND you’ll get $.01 for every mile they drive during their first 12 months of employment. Our drivers are our best recruiters. Share your Crete/Shaffer experience and get a nice bonus. Discount Program

Our drivers enjoy year-round discounts and special offers from several national and local companies. The truck driving program includes everything from cellphones to restaurants. Scholarship Program

Dependents attending an accredited 2- or 4-year college/university anywhere in the United States are eligible to apply annually for scholarships. Additional scholarships target students attending the University of Nebraska and Southeast Community College in Nebraska. Million Mile Program

Once a driver has exceeded one million career miles driven, they join the Million Mile Club. Decals are added to the driver’s truck to recognize this achievement. Safe Driver Program

Earn awards for safe driving! We follow the ATA guidelines when honoring your commitment to safety. The criteria we follow are 12 months of employment, 100,000 miles/year, and no preventable accidents in the last 12 months. The awards that can be received include ATA pins, patches, cards, certificates, award letters, plaques, safe driving rings, dangles, and rings with diamond chips.

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