Applications - How to handle 10 year history?

[Iron_Weasel]

Well, I got my letter from the state and TSA approving my Hazmat application, so now I have all possible endorsements (well...no school bus or passenger) on my shiny new CDL.

I've been waiting for my HME so that I could apply to Crete only to be confronted by them (and others) wanting 10 years of employment history.
Problem being, I'm only 26 and have been out of high school for a grand total of 8 years. Secondly, being so young I have quite a few periods of unemployment (was still living at home with ma and pa) that were 6 months or more.

More recently, I have been unemployed (i.e. Stay at home dad for a 5 & 3 year old) since March of this year. During this time, the wife was bringing home the bacon. I have noted that on Crete's application that they want "professional reference" verification of unemployment from a doctor, lawyer, judge, etc.

How am I supposed to have my unemployment verified? :nervous:

[larryh31]

You can list any school attendance that you had as part of your 10 year employment history.

Did you participate in any activities such as church, sports, volunteer work or anything else during your periods of unemployment? If so you should be able to get a letter from them stating your whereabouts during this periods of time.

[toner]

i've only ever heard of folks wanting a 10 year work history if you have been driving that long. that's crazy! we only ask for the last 3 years for drivers with less than that much experience. i would think that if you explained to your recruiter there that 10 years ago you were SIXFRIGGINTEEN they would understand that.

as far as verifying unemployment time, you can get letters from folks (crete wants drs/lawyers/preists, etc?) stating that you were unemployed from X to Y ("I can attest to the fact that Iron Weasel, Esq was unemployed from march of 04 to september 04"). 2 or 3 of those for each period would suffice.
also, whatever you do - KEEP COPIES OF THE LETTERS FOR YOURSELF. that way if 6 months down the road you aren't happy with wherever you end up, you don't have to go through the trouble of getting more letters.

[ken_o]

dont wory about it im the same age been driving since i was old enough too. any time you have to put 10 year employment history just write school or leave blank its none of their business what you did as a minor.

[Rev.Vassago]

Well, I got my letter from the state and TSA approving my Hazmat application, so now I have all possible endorsements (well...no school bus or passenger) on my shiny new CDL.

I've been waiting for my HME so that I could apply to Crete only to be confronted by them (and others) wanting 10 years of employment history.
Problem being, I'm only 26 and have been out of high school for a grand total of 8 years. Secondly, being so young I have quite a few periods of unemployment (was still living at home with ma and pa) that were 6 months or more.

More recently, I have been unemployed (i.e. Stay at home dad for a 5 & 3 year old) since March of this year. During this time, the wife was bringing home the bacon. I have noted that on Crete's application that they want "professional reference" verification of unemployment from a doctor, lawyer, judge, etc.

How am I supposed to have my unemployment verified? :nervous:

What you need to do is explain any gaps in employment. As long as they are justified, you shouldn't have a problem. When they look at employment gaps, what they are looking for is things that will put up "red flags", such as being fired, or excessive workman's comp claims.

[Iron_Weasel]

On Crete's application, it says and I quote from their app. "Verification of unemployment (unemployment payment history or professional reference. Professional reference: Doctor, attorney, Minister, Judge, Banker, Businessman, etc."

I can probably get a letter or something from my mother for the periods I was unemployed while I was still living at home, but the rest are going to be had to come by as far as verification goes. I have never filed for unemployment in my life, so I can't use unemployment payments.

Besides that, most of the jobs I've held over the past 8 years have been typical teenage/twenty-something jobs such as being a fast food cook, pizza delivery, retail cashier, etc...only within the past 4 years did I get a "real" job, For the past 4 years I have been (or was) a mechanic and worked at two separate Dodge dealerships.

I can tell this is going to make an interesting job search.....

[toner]

most places won't accept verification of unemployment/self employment from anyone who's related to you - theory being that mom or dad are more likely to be willing to fabricate than someone else.

10 years employment verification for a noob seems a little overkill, personally. i mean, what happens to a 21 year old? "i can verify that from 1997-2004 joey was playing with his tonka trucks"?

but seriously - if you've been consistently employed for the last 4 years i don't think you'll have any problems finding a job.

[Rev.Vassago]

On Crete's application, it says and I quote from their app. "Verification of unemployment (unemployment payment history or professional reference. Professional reference: Doctor, attorney, Minister, Judge, Banker, Businessman, etc."

I can probably get a letter or something from my mother for the periods I was unemployed while I was still living at home, but the rest are going to be had to come by as far as verification goes. I have never filed for unemployment in my life, so I can't use unemployment payments.

Besides that, most of the jobs I've held over the past 8 years have been typical teenage/twenty-something jobs such as being a fast food cook, pizza delivery, retail cashier, etc...only within the past 4 years did I get a "real" job, For the past 4 years I have been (or was) a mechanic and worked at two separate Dodge dealerships.

I can tell this is going to make an interesting job search.....

Your best bet would be to call the recruiting department at Crete, and explain the situation. They will be able to tell you exactly what they are looking for.

This is why you should always keep a resume on file - just so you have this information. You never know when you will need it. :wink:

[chapchap70]

As far as your recent unemployment where you stayed at home with your kids, you can put "homemaker."

I believe it is a D.O.T. regulation that carriers have every one who drives for them's CDL driving history (if any) for the past 10 years. This may be why they ask for this. On my current resume, I have all the driving jobs I have had for the past 10 years with gaps in it when I wasn't driving CDL for this reason. Ask them if they are asking you to do this because of the regulations. You cannot put down any jobs that you didn't have. :lol

If you put down that you were working for a trucking company in 1996, that may cause red flags!

[Iron_Weasel]

I figure I'll just call them tomorrow and talk to someone extensively in regards to the issues. I've had several driving jobs, but they were restricted to pizza delivery and driving a mini-van (Chrysler Town & Country) as a "courtesy driver" for a dealership when I was 19.

Thanks for the info.

[Uturn2001]

Attending school counts as employment.

Companies are only going to be verifying the last 3 years of your employment information, especially for new drivers.

If you were unemployed in the last 3 years then you can use unemployment benefit records from the state or you can get 2 or 3 letters from non family members who know you were unemployed during that time frame(s). "professional" letters (doctors, ministers, etc) are best but Crete and most other companies will accept others if neccesary.

[BanditsCousin]

Attending school counts as employment.

Indeed it does! I used that as my 10 year when driving for United and Allied. They just want to know where you were, and that you did something. Parenting is more than "nothing", as its a full time job!

[dieselgrl]

i've only ever heard of folks wanting a 10 year work history if you have been driving that long. that's crazy! we only ask for the last 3 years for drivers with less than that much experience. i would think that if you explained to your recruiter there that 10 years ago you were SIXFRIGGINTEEN they would understand that.

Hey toner, Arrow got me for the ten year requirement too. :wink: But like was said, I just went back to high school and that was that. When I was driving for Swift, I had to explain to four different people that at the time I was only twenty one because they were ready to let me go for not having all ten years on my application. I eventually got it straightened out....but word to the wise, keep the address and phone numbers to your old high school handy until you have that 10 year background!

[honestashol]

OK. You guys have given out some very useful info here and I thank you.

I have had a lot of jobs in the past ten years, like 15 - 6 quits, 7 fired (all from poor performance for biting off more than I could chew) and 2 current with the longest unemployed time at 6 months. The one recruiter I spoke with said they were mainly concerned with my attitude at the time of leaving each job, no punching the boss, theft, etc.

I have never been rewarded for being truthfull, in fact my entire resume is fiction. But I've never been faced with Homeland Security.

I can't say OTR is the right fit for me, but I want to try. Its a stupid question, but what do you all think my chances are?

[qwertyuiop_shelly]

Hi...like you...I have mainly done daycare...but had many 1 week and one month type jobs that I quit. Mostly side income to get me over HUMPS....like before moving, or before going to Truck driving school..(like now) or when I wanted to buy something special before Christmas...worked a week, then quit! Texas is a NO NOTICE STATE...Meaning, they can let me go for NO REASON...and at ANY time they deem...but I have the same right too.. .I can leave a job with absolutely no notice....and it is counted as OK in Texas to do so. BUT...I NOW want to go to trucking school...and I wonder if all these one week and one month jobs will not allow me to get into a truck driving career. I want a company to sponsor me and pay for my training and schooling at school...but I am UN SURE about listing all the one week and one month jobs I have had...I have gone through about 3 jobs the last 3 months..left one job cause of giving me no breaks whatsoever...while the smokers got all the SMOKERS BREAKS they could handle(worked one week)...left another job cause they should of been closed down due to health dept. reasons...(cafe) and I could not take the filth any longer.(one week worked their too)...quit my last job after one month....so I could now go to truck driving school..........so you see....I do not want to list these 3 places on my application.....can I get away with NOT listing them? Will they care? I mean....it is and was a short amount of time....and I wonder if that would look bad to quit 3 jobs in 3 months. Before that I had 2 other stable jobs that lasted many years.
Thanks for the reply....
qwertyuiop_shelly

[qwertyuiop_shelly]

Just bringing this forward...My questions in the last post I feel would also help MANY people with the same issues, not just myself. I would LOVE to have some replies as this situation reall concerns me. Thank you very much.....qwertyuiop_shelly

[madii'swife]

Just bringing this forward...My questions in the last post I feel would also help MANY people with the same issues, not just myself. I would LOVE to have some replies as this situation reall concerns me. Thank you very much.....qwertyuiop_shelly

Generally you're better off creating a new topic, rather than adding on to someone else's thread. You'll get more results that way, and it won't be confusing to anybody.