Can I Get Some Advice?

I got my CDL in February of 2023 and had my first and only accident in September 2023 in a CMV , where I was driving along I-80 in about 30mph winds ( doing appropriate speeds ). I lost control of the vehicle and hit a guard rail causing damage to the front right of the truck and popping the right steer tire. The truck was towed away, no one was hurt or killed, there wasn’t even damage to the trailer, just the truck. I was given a citation for “ loss of control “, and was terminated due to this incident. I have about 6-7 months of experience with 3 of those months as a lease operator. I’ve applied to all of the second chance companies out there that I can think of, however all I have been told was “you need 6 months of clean driving” or “ we don’t hire Floridians. It’s now May of 2024 and I’m still having trouble finding a CDL job. I hope my situation was clear for anyone who reads this and would appreciate any advice or criticism given.

Welcome, Devin!

Yeah, being in Florida makes this a huge challenge. Not many companies hire from Florida.

Other than moving your home residence, all you can do is keep applying like crazy to everyone possible and take the first or best opportunity that comes your way. Things are slow right now in trucking, so hiring standards have increased.

You might look for some local opportunities as well, like dump trucks or hauling propane. You might have to take anything you can get while you wait for the next opportunity to open up.

Devin, as Brett stated, it’s a tough driver market now. It’s scary to me how difficult it can be to land a job even with a decent record.

For you right now, the important thing is to keep your foot in the door and your head in the game. Try to get a type CDL-B driving job of some kind to stay current and survive until the job market improves. And consider getting out of Florida to a better trucking location if you can.