I am supposed to start CDL school soon, but I just noticed on all these Trucking Company applications they want up to 10 years verifiable employment.

So if I can not come up with that verifcation am I screwed?

 

OK here is the deal.

Trucking companies are going to ask for all periods of employment, unemployment, self employment for the last 10 years. (Note: Attending school is considered employment). Make sure there a no gaps in your employment longer than 30 days. You usually do not need to list exact dates like Jan 5, 1999-April 14 2001, just saying Jan 1999-April 2001 is good enough. If you have exact dates great, but if not do not sweat it.

These companies are going to actually verify the last 3 years. The only type of jobs they will want to verify over that 3 year mark are driving/DOT sensitive jobs.

If you were self employed, unemployed and you can not produce official records to back up that time then what you need to do is get 2 or 3 letters from non-family members that are willing to attest that you were un- or self employed during any given period of time. The best sources for these letters however are professionals like Doctors, lawyers, accountants, etc, but friends and associates will work to.

============================================
An example of a letter would be:

John Smith (you) was self employed as a handyman from Jan 1999 until March 2007. If you have any questions please feel free to contact me at 999-555-1234 or at 1234 America Lane, Anytown USA 45123.

Joe Somebody signs

Notorary signs and puts seal on letter.


I hope this helps you out.

 

They will call and verify non-driving jobs as well. This is how the gaps in unemployed periods are matched against the application. A rookie isn't going to have any driving jobs. That doesn't mean the recruiter won't be calling and verifying the dates of the previous employment, he/she will.

I have a 3month gap and all the recruiter needed was 2 names and contact information so he could validate it. No letter was necessary.

I'm sure each company has their own little quirks, other than what's mandated to them.

bonewalker: definitely call these companies you're interested in before you dump any money into a school. Others may think different, but I don't think it's a wise move to just up and go to a school without having first done your homework with companies, or too let a school place you. You should have already been on the phone with a recruiter and discussed your plans, found out if you're tentatively qualified for that company, and discussed any potential problems that may pop up. You need to be straight up about everything on the application because I was told a big majority get bounced out of orientation for false info on apps, plus the ones that didn't study and failed the pizz test. Of all the recruiters I called I didn't run into one that didn't have time to explain all this crap to me on the phone first. I know you already know this, but the cost of a CDL school is an expensive way to find out if your hirable.

BTW, IRS should have copies of your past filings if you don't keep a copy of them yourself.

 

Thx for info.

 

I thought I'd note this is exactly what I just did to get the job I have now. I'm not even sure the periods where I was between jobs would have counted against me, since I got laid off from the first one, but you can never be too anal about this kind of thing. They do thorough checks on you these days. A lot more hills to climb than there were 10 years ago, the last time I was putting in for work. I'm really amazed at all the picky crap these people dug up out of my ancient and forgotten past. Nothing bad, but I sure am glad there wasn't anything worse than a ticket I got in high school.

 

You can request copies of past years returns from the IRS.

 

I plan on retireing this year from GM after 30 years. I then want to take the rest of the year off just for r 'n r. Then my wife and I plan on selling our home next spring, and after we move and get settled into our new home, is when I will start my trucking career. Will that time between me retireing, till I start my trucking career, be considered a "gap"? I will have been at the same company for 30 years, plus I will be getting a pension check, so I wouldn't think that it would be....but who knows :roll: