Seeking Advice - I Have A CDL But No Experience...what To Do

TLDR; I have my CDL but didn't finish OJT and haven't been in a truck for a year...do I have any hope of getting hired...and who should I try?

Last year I went with TMC to get my CDL. Made it through class, and got in with a trainer. Full disclosure...I was not very confident in my abilities, but I was safe. Had a couple of GPS issues. 1) Trainer drove after I hit the rack, so I had no idea where I was when I woke up and needed to start driving. I checked the truck's GPS and my GPS. We were on the correct road. Both GPS said to turn right, but I had to turn left instead. Training Manager chewed me out and said last chance. (Now I'm paranoid I'm getting released). Next event...The trainer helped me trip plan, he was unfamiliar with this route. I get into Corsicana, TX and the route we planned is now a restricted route...I didn't know what to do and since I saw a truck traveling on the opposite way, I continued, looking for a place to pull over. Wrong choice...got released.

Spent the next year looking for work other than driving, but I can't get a job that pays enough to pay all the bills. Any advice on who to try and get on with?

This first part didn't get you in trouble, but it says a lot about you and your awareness.

I had no idea where I was when I woke up and needed to start driving. I checked the truck's GPS and my GPS. We were on the correct road.

Did you happen to ask your trainer where you were and the general directions (main roads, etc.) when you changed shifts? You mentioned the GPS said you were on the correct road, and you were still lost? What kind of GPS do you have? Ill bet the company GPS is for trucks, not just autos. How about yours?

Then both GPSs said to turn right, but you went left. Why was that? Construction? Were you in the wrong lane? Did you have enough time before the turn that you could ask the trainer? The key thing to remember is that you were holding the steering wheel when you went down the wrong road.

The wrong direction must have been really wrong to get chewed out for it, so even if your trainer shrugs shoulders, it should be no biggie. That's what maps & GPS are for, anyway.

Strike Two: Restricted routes. In the OTR sector of trucking you will drive most of your miles on unfamiliar roads. I'll assume you saw a sign that said restricted route. There is often a warning of restrictions while you still have a chance to to turn off the route. Did you have the chance to ask your trainer? (That's their job, you know - to help you learn when there's a problem.)

So TMC feels they have a new driver that gets into trouble. (Many times this "trouble" falls back on the company, too!) And it's Hasta la vista for Dusty.

It's hard for a newbie to get hired after a year of not driving. So outside of truck driving, we can't offer much else. Overall, though, it sounds like you spend a lot of time reacting to circumstances, rather than working out the problem. In both situations it looks like you had several chances to take the initiative and work on a solution. Paint the saying Take The Bull By The Horns on the ceiling over your bed. And follow that principle.

1. We didn't change shifts. We were not team driving. He chose to continue driving after I hit the rack. I woke him up when I started driving but he was still half asleep when I pulled out of the truck stop.

2. Both GPSs (Truck mounted, and my phone (google maps/trucker's path) told me to turn right...I turned right...both GPS were wrong. (they hadn't aligned to the direction I was facing.) The GPS plan was for me to turn tight go down the road 2 miles and make a U-Turn, when I could take a left from truck stop. I knew I was on the correct road, so I wasn't lost.

3. I accept that I screwed up.

4. The issue with Corsicana...the road used to be a truck route and the only sign that says it isn't is at the right turn you have to make. Both I and the trainer did the route planning. This was the route HE planned.

5. I understand that I should have reacted sooner on that last one.

My gps will frequently do that. I just ignore them doing it. Ive had sometimes that Ill do google street view where Im at to get my bearings. Ive also gotten out of the truck and walked it to see. Admittedly, It can get confusing at times.

Another good policy you can institute out of this is never drive until your properly awake at the start of your shift. Doing a pretrip will give you a good fifteen, twenty minutes of shaking the cobwebs out. I wake up an hour or two before I start driving, drink my coffee, eat, get motivated and then go.

The stuff is in the past, you cant do anything about it now except change your patterns.

After a year of no driving, you undoubtedly have a stale CDL. Id apply everywhere that has company provided training and go through their school if possible, as in from the ground up. Id try the second chance outfits like Western and see if you can get a bite. Market is really thin right now. If you can get a conversation going with a recruiter, Id take full responsibility and present a plan on how you learned from your mistakes and will be a safe productive driver going forward.

Although its a longshot after a year, you could also try reengaging with your original employer and having that conversation.