Having No CDL Is Better Than Having A CDL A With No Recent Experience.

I find this to be the craziest thing ever. I have been off the road for 7 years and want to get back to driving. I have my CDL A but my Medical card just expired. I have 1 year doing coast to coast and 6 mos experience running NE regional. I have applied to several companies only to hear I need to take a refresher course. But on the same token they will accept someone with no experience or CDL and train them. I get the fact I would need some refreshing. But if you train, wouldn't it be just as easy to put an experienced driver in a truck with a trainer for x amount of weeks? That experience driver will be making the company money a lot sooner than a student. It just boggles my mind the fact is if I had let my CDL go years ago I would be in a better position than I am with my CDL. Does anyone know of any companies that would take someone in my position other than Western Express? I just want more options. I'm looking for a NE regional gig, preferably flatbed.

Every company does things their own way. Did you have e logs and qualcom? Just take the refresher for a few days and go to work.No big deal.

I don't think they'll send you on the road with a trainer if you take the refresher course, will they? I mean, they might. I'm not sure. But you might just be able to take a 30 or 40 hour refresher course and go solo.

Every company does have its own policies though and I'm not sure what the requirements would be from company to company.

It's not the companies saying you have to take a refresher course. It's the insurance companies that are demanding the refresher course.

LOL E logs were just becoming popular when I last drove. I think Werner was the only company that used them in all their trucks. As far as the refresher goes I have no issue with doing it but my wallet does. Most of the companies require something like 60 hours. The school out here is charging $700 or $800 for the refresher.

Celadon will pay for everything. Lots of other companies will also cover the expenses. Just call around.

But what I'm saying is if you have an experienced driver and you run schools and provide training. Why not hire the experience driver and have him/her take some of the courses with the students?

Because the refresher is different, shorter, and not the same structure. Companies arrange their refreshers differently. Just because someone has experience doesn't mean they are good either. Definitely call around and see who will work with you on it. Get it over with and get rolling.

@XCELERATIONRULES, thanks I will give them a call.

But what I'm saying is if you have an experienced driver and you run schools and provide training. Why not hire the experience driver and have him/her take some of the courses with the students?

Some of them may. Here's the current list of companies with training programs. Add Celadon to that list also. We haven't put them in yet.

But it makes sense that they would do that. Let you go out there and do a little backing, a little shifting, drive around a bit, and head out solo. That's the theory that makes sense to me, anyhow.