Need advice on getting a driving job with a unique situation
 

Okay, here's the deal.

My dad has been a truck driver for the past ten years, give or take. In 2002, when I turned 18, I started riding around the country in my dad's truck. I did loading and unloading for him, being paid the lumper fee by his company, and I did his route planning and things like that. I made fairly good money from the lumping so I never got any other employment, and when I turned 21 he started teaching me how to drive.

However, my dad and I don't always get along real well, so we decided it was best for me to go to a trucking school--I went to Werner's school over in Hastings, Nebraska. Some really screwed up circumstances went down there, and one of the instructors ended up failing me for something after the driving test was already finished, and I couldn't take it again because the school was over. Because of that incident, Werner won't even look at me now.

I went back to riding around with my dad again, and eventually I learned enough from him to pass my CDL test in Kansas. I thought I was golden then, but as everybody knows, the insurance companies that basically run the carriers these days wouldn't consider me without a school certificate...except for Swift, who my dad worked for.

So Swift hired me and I drove around with a trainer for nearly three months. During this time I had one single non-injury accident, for which I was not ticketed and was told by the police I was not at fault (the passenger vehicle in the right-hand lane blew a tire and came over into me). However, the accident still went on my DAC report, and Swift decided to let me go.

After a few months of fruitless searching for another driving job, I decided to go through a local grant program to pay for a training course, and I graduated two weeks ago with a certificate of training.

Now I'm running into another problem: Because I rode around with my dad for so long doing lumping and whatnot for him, my work history is basically worthless, and that one accident on my DAC report combined with being a recent school graduate basically confuses the **** out of recruiters.

Anybody have any ideas what I can do? Which companies I should apply at, etc?

Here is what I would do.

On your applications list the time you rode with your Dad and did lumping for him as being self employed. Then get 2 or 3 notorized letters from people, not related to you, who know what you were doing.

When you talk to recruiters and put in applications I would explain that you were privately taught how to drive and obtained your CDL on your own but after the incident, even though it was non preventable, you had while driving for Swift you felt that additional training would benefit you so you decided to attend an actual CDL school to make you a better driver.

When putting in a paper application I would include a separate note explaining the above unless there is a space on the application for personal remarks. Also when you send in a paper application include copies of those letters I mentioned above and then when you are hired somewhere take the originals to show the company during orientation.

That is some really excellent advice, thank you very much.

Thats some great advice , but I would add one thing. Get a copy of your DAC report and see how the incident is reported, such as "involved in a lane change accident" or "car hit truck and was non preventable" there's a world of difference!

Unless I am mistaken this incident in question happened while he was employed with Swift, and if that is the case it will not do any good to get a copy of his DAC as Swift does not report employment and safety info to DAC.
If it was not for that then yes, getting a copy of his DAC report could be valuable.

I would get a copy of your DAC anyway, so you can be prepared for when you talk to the recruiters.

...If you are not to old, join the Navy and see the world. You can drive later.