Welcome aboard Gunner!
Don't sweat it about jumping around on your recent employment history. The main thing they want to know is where you've been. This whole employment history thing is a mandated rule by the FMCSA to make sure the trucking companies aren't unwittingly hiring people who want to take a truck and use it as a means of terrorism. As long as you weren't in a training camp in Afghanistan for the past two years you will be fine. Just make sure and fill in all time gaps, even if there were periods of unemployment, just put down that from such and such a date you were seeking employment.
Another thing for you to consider is that you do not have to go through a full fledged training course again. You can just do a refresher course from a driving school and not have to shell out the full price. Check with some recruiters from the companies you may be interested in and see how many hours they require for a refresher and then find a school that is willing to work with you on that amount of training.
The CSA is a Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) initiative to improve large truck and bus safety and ultimately reduce crashes, injuries, and fatalities that are related to commercial motor vehicle
The FMCSA was established within the Department of Transportation on January 1, 2000. Their primary mission is to prevent commercial motor vehicle-related fatalities and injuries.
What Does The FMCSA Do?
How strict are these companies with previous employment? I was employed as a sales executive with a software company for 12 years. I resigned from that job in sept of 2012 because I was miserable and finally decided I was ready to try something new. Since then I have been back and forth between real estate, software sales......again, and car sales just to keep food on the table, and find the right career. I'm now back in real estate but want to finally get into trucking which I should have done years ago.
Are my last 2 years going to look bad because I've kinda been all over the place? Or will the stability of the 12 years be the main focus? Trucking is something I've wanted to do for years but only now is the timing right. I actually got my cdl back in 2002 but never used it. It's still valid but I would have to go through cdl school again. Anyway, is it worth it or will my scattered last 2 years make it difficult? I don't want to shell out 6k on school again to find out that no one will hire me because of what I mentioned. It would be pretty disappointing to find out I can't get a trucking job because I have had a couple of years going through a transition/career change. Any thoughts? Am I over thinking the employment verification process?
Start off by calling company recruiters and asking them the same thing. from my experience calling and asking is the best bet... If your CDL is still valid, then a refresher course would be good idea. Check out some of the companys on the Company-Sponsored Training or Trucking Companies. Call and let them know, fill out applications and call again... I don't think it'll cause much of an issue, but give it a shot.. Worst thing they will do is say no....
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
The Substance Abuse Professional (SAP) is a person who evaluates employees who have violated a DOT drug and alcohol program regulation and makes recommendations concerning education, treatment, follow-up testing, and aftercare.
A Company-Sponsored Training Program is a school that is owned and operated by a trucking company.
The schooling often requires little or no money up front. Instead of paying up-front tuition you will sign an agreement to work for the company for a specified amount of time after graduation, usually around a year, at a slightly lower rate of pay in order to pay for the training.
If you choose to quit working for the company before your year is up, they will normally require you to pay back a prorated amount of money for the schooling. The amount you pay back will be comparable to what you would have paid if you went to an independently owned school.
Company-sponsored training can be an excellent way to get your career underway if you can't afford the tuition up front for private schooling.
About that employment history, they just want to make sure that you haven't spent the past few years in your basement plotting an evil act or building a bomb. You have hopped around but give them a good reason and I think you'll be off the hook there. I don't think this will have as much effect on you as you think.
You should mention your entire past to the company. They have many ways of finding out everything about you and if they do find something that you failed to list on your application then you'll be fired very quickly, and they won't pay for your travel expenses to get back home. Honesty is key here.
I wouldn't go to a private school until I have multiple prehires from companies. A prehire is basically a company committing to hiring you upon you graduating. So unless I have many job offers lined up I wouldn't get into private schooling. There's a great chance that you might end up spending thousands and when you graduate and have your license every company still won't touch you.
Read the above links.
Also, have you thought about a company sponsored school? That way you won't have to worry about getting hired once you have your license on you. Its a guaranteed job upon graduation. Consider it. Here's the info:
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
Pre-hire letters are acceptance letters from trucking companies to students, or even potential students, to verify placement. The trucking companies are saying in writing that the student, or potential student, appears to meet the company's minimum hiring requirements and is welcome to attend their orientation at the company’s expense once he or she graduates from truck driving school and has their CDL in hand.
We have an excellent article that will help you Understand The Pre-Hire Process.
The people that receive a pre-hire letter are people who meet the company's minimum hiring requirements, but it is not an employment contract. It is an invitation to orientation, and the orientation itself is a prerequisite to employment.
During the orientation you will get a physical, drug screen, and background check done. These and other qualifications must be met before someone in orientation is officially hired.
Pre-hire letters are acceptance letters from trucking companies to students, or even potential students, to verify placement. The trucking companies are saying in writing that the student, or potential student, appears to meet the company's minimum hiring requirements and is welcome to attend their orientation at the company’s expense once he or she graduates from truck driving school and has their CDL in hand.
We have an excellent article that will help you Understand The Pre-Hire Process.
The people that receive a pre-hire letter are people who meet the company's minimum hiring requirements, but it is not an employment contract. It is an invitation to orientation, and the orientation itself is a prerequisite to employment.
During the orientation you will get a physical, drug screen, and background check done. These and other qualifications must be met before someone in orientation is officially hired.
Pre-hire letters are acceptance letters from trucking companies to students, or even potential students, to verify placement. The trucking companies are saying in writing that the student, or potential student, appears to meet the company's minimum hiring requirements and is welcome to attend their orientation at the company’s expense once he or she graduates from truck driving school and has their CDL in hand.
We have an excellent article that will help you Understand The Pre-Hire Process.
The people that receive a pre-hire letter are people who meet the company's minimum hiring requirements, but it is not an employment contract. It is an invitation to orientation, and the orientation itself is a prerequisite to employment.
During the orientation you will get a physical, drug screen, and background check done. These and other qualifications must be met before someone in orientation is officially hired.
Pre-hire letters are acceptance letters from trucking companies to students, or even potential students, to verify placement. The trucking companies are saying in writing that the student, or potential student, appears to meet the company's minimum hiring requirements and is welcome to attend their orientation at the company’s expense once he or she graduates from truck driving school and has their CDL in hand.
We have an excellent article that will help you Understand The Pre-Hire Process.
The people that receive a pre-hire letter are people who meet the company's minimum hiring requirements, but it is not an employment contract. It is an invitation to orientation, and the orientation itself is a prerequisite to employment.
During the orientation you will get a physical, drug screen, and background check done. These and other qualifications must be met before someone in orientation is officially hired.
A Company-Sponsored Training Program is a school that is owned and operated by a trucking company.
The schooling often requires little or no money up front. Instead of paying up-front tuition you will sign an agreement to work for the company for a specified amount of time after graduation, usually around a year, at a slightly lower rate of pay in order to pay for the training.
If you choose to quit working for the company before your year is up, they will normally require you to pay back a prorated amount of money for the schooling. The amount you pay back will be comparable to what you would have paid if you went to an independently owned school.
Company-sponsored training can be an excellent way to get your career underway if you can't afford the tuition up front for private schooling.
When a violation by either a driver or company is confirmed, an out-of-service order removes either the driver or the vehicle from the roadway until the violation is corrected.
Ahhh man, Old school beat me.... damn!

Son of a bee sting! Old School beat me by a minute. Dammit!
Are my last 2 years going to look bad because I've kinda been all over the place? Or will the stability of the 12 years be the main focus?
Gunner,
The past employment thing is not so much a review of your flakiness or lack thereof as much as the Federal Governments requirement that you let everyone know where you were employed so you are not (hopefully) some sort of foreign terrorist who recently came through the southern border to get in a truck and take down two buildings - or something like that. Your recruiter (when you establish a relationship with one or more of them) will want accurate info about the last three years if you are NOT a driver and the last 10 years if you ARE a driver. Not so much to judge you on your loyalty to one employer as to make a value judgement as to your loyalty to common decency as in not being one of THEM! Anyway, gather your info, make sure it is accurate and make your applications so you can be checked out. It's a simple process if you do your homework. And make sure you have good contact info for your former employers because the info you provide WILL be verified. Get ahold of someone at your former employers and make sure they are going to respond to the inquiries made in a timely manner so you are not held up in your attempt to get into a school or company sponsored training program. Good Luck,
Jopa

A Company-Sponsored Training Program is a school that is owned and operated by a trucking company.
The schooling often requires little or no money up front. Instead of paying up-front tuition you will sign an agreement to work for the company for a specified amount of time after graduation, usually around a year, at a slightly lower rate of pay in order to pay for the training.
If you choose to quit working for the company before your year is up, they will normally require you to pay back a prorated amount of money for the schooling. The amount you pay back will be comparable to what you would have paid if you went to an independently owned school.
Company-sponsored training can be an excellent way to get your career underway if you can't afford the tuition up front for private schooling.
Wow gunner. Within 4 minutes you got a nice lengthy response from 4 different posters...
Just because I'm old, don't mean I can't take you youngsters.
Damn!! EVERYONE beat me . . . nothing like being redundant, eh?? So no one's driving right now, everyone's sitting at their computer, typing away? What timing . . .
Jopa

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How strict are these companies with previous employment? I was employed as a sales executive with a software company for 12 years. I resigned from that job in sept of 2012 because I was miserable and finally decided I was ready to try something new. Since then I have been back and forth between real estate, software sales......again, and car sales just to keep food on the table, and find the right career. I'm now back in real estate but want to finally get into trucking which I should have done years ago.
Are my last 2 years going to look bad because I've kinda been all over the place? Or will the stability of the 12 years be the main focus? Trucking is something I've wanted to do for years but only now is the timing right. I actually got my cdl back in 2002 but never used it. It's still valid but I would have to go through cdl school again. Anyway, is it worth it or will my scattered last 2 years make it difficult? I don't want to shell out 6k on school again to find out that no one will hire me because of what I mentioned. It would be pretty disappointing to find out I can't get a trucking job because I have had a couple of years going through a transition/career change. Any thoughts? Am I over thinking the employment verification process?
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
SAP:
Substance Abuse Professional
The Substance Abuse Professional (SAP) is a person who evaluates employees who have violated a DOT drug and alcohol program regulation and makes recommendations concerning education, treatment, follow-up testing, and aftercare.