Turned down again
 

I have a previous post about my hiring situation,"Sorry kinda long" to which nobody replied. I am updating it here. I have been turned down by every company that advertises on this board. I have never had a ticket of any kind, accident of any kind and 4 jobs in the past 24 yrs. My only mistake was to go to and leave 2 companies orientations in 2007 and leaving JB Hunt. I left them after being told to call from home everyday to check on being issued a truck. I called everyday for 3+ weeks but no truck so I found another job to make ends meet. The company I just worked for went out of business. I did not relieze I was that bad of an emplyee. Be careful job hopping new guys..

I replied to your other post and explained to you what your problem is and why no one is wanting to hire you.

At one time a driver could find a job even if he was switching jobs every 4-6 months, but since it is an employer's market right now drivers with more than one every 9 months to a year are going to have a rough go of it.

That's part of your problem right there. The best jobs I have had over the years is when I went out and met the boss , talked to him, and was hired on the spot on a handshake, before I filled out the application. These companies are recieving a gajillion applications online from a bazillion different drivers. You're one in a bazillion. Go out to the smaller companies and meet some people, and you might be at the right place at the right time.:)

My guess is that it is the number of jobs that is really hurting your ability to find a job. Even though you never actually got out of orientation they are still considered employers by most companies. I don't understand why you would leave a company during orientation.

This is incredible!!! Have things changed that much on the company side!?!?

What better time to leave a company than orientation? It is insane to penalize someone who is still in the investigative stage of a new job. JB used to tell you you were being hired, bring you into orientation, and only then complete the process off vetting you. Basically, they'd tell people they were hired, bring them into orientation, and then tell them they weren't being hired afterall and send them home.

I went to orientation for one of their dedicated Dollar General accounts. When I got to orientation and learned the accident rate, and knowing that every dented door goes on your DAC, I told them I was leaving and went home.

Most of the larger carriers don't fully check out drivers until they get to orientation. From what some of them have explained to me, the reason is that there are so many who fail to come to orientation. They save money by not going to the expense of checking out every driver who says that they will come to orientation. Technically, every driver who comes to orientation is conditionally hired providing nothing pops up on their background check. I don't necessarily agree that drivers should be dinged for leaving during orientation.

This happened to my dad. He quit his job to go work for them and he made it till the second day of orientation when they told him he didn't have a job because of an acident he had.

Honest truth, I went to May trucking's orientation in Sept 07. I passed and was sent home to wait on a driver to pick me up and take me to Oregon to be assigned a truck. I was picked up and we went into Fl to deliver a load. Three days later on the way back north I was in a lot of pain so I contacted my d/m and said since I was close to home I was going to go to the doc. He said if I get out to find another job. I had kidney stone surgery 5 days later. Doc said it was in my bladder and as big as a .25 cent gum ball.

I went to JB Hunt in Oct 07 after May. Finished orientation in Atl and everyone was sent home and told to call everyday to check on truck assignments. I called everyday for over 2 weeks. I guess I was mad when in Tifton Ga about 40 miles from me they had about 20 trucks just sitting. I checked a few times in that time period. When I finally was assigned one they said it was in Chicago. I was told to hop a bus. I said I found another job. Maybe I was wrong?

I went to Arrow in Tulsa. I don't know maybe it was me again. Not enough research maybe. I swear they have 800 trucks or so and 70 people in orientation each week. Everyone in my class just about had some sort of criminal record. Their safe stat score was 98%. One thrusday they sent 10 or so experienced drivers out on buses all over the country to be assigned trucks that were abandoned. That to me sounds like a shady outfit. I passed thier orientation but was not assigned a truck so had to stay at roach motel over the weekend. I thought better and came home. Not my type of company.

Anyway that's the ones I left and why. I was told if you take the drug test it goes on you dac as a job but if you leave before you take it it's like you were not there. I took all three because I didn't know that until recently. Live and learn

It seems to me as though these companies spend a lot of money bringing people to orientation to not have trucks for them. I am surprised that Arrow brings in 70 people per week to orientation.

One thing i would do is stop at all the small companies in your area. It is my feeling you can get alot more done with a face to face meeting with the people in charge. When I started with this new company I am with never talked to them on the phone but my mechanic put me in touch with this company orentation was 7 hours including getting my truck relettered paperwork and a drug test

Arrow had that many in 07- early 08, now I don't know. I can say this. I sent out a mass email from here and Arrow called. I told them I was a rehire and had left orientation last year. She called back thursday and said I checked out and can come to orientation May4. As for small local companies in my area, not many. I have been to 8-10 and they all say I need more experience. I anly have 14 months most want 24.

Most insurance companies require a minimum of 2 years experience. That is the main reason most smaller carriers will not hire those with less experience. Many of the larger carriers self insure up to a point. Their insurance often only comes into play with a catastrophic claim. I am currently talking with one insurance company that requires 3 years otr experience. I am trying to find better rates on insurance. If it means that I can get a much better rate then that is what I will do.

With the offer from Arrow are you planning on going back with them, bigrigjoe66?

I need a job but not that bad. I will mow grass around here first.

I have had quite a few talks with our recruiter (we only have one) since I started. Mostly to get more of a feel for our company from the inside. When I went though the process of getting hired:
1) I filled out the application.
2) They went through my work history and MVR
3) They had me stop by the closest terminal for a road test.
4) They scheduled a physical and drug test.
Only after these steps did they offer me a job and invite me to orientation. They do it that way so they weed out people before they even get to orientation, Saves them alot of money. We had a couple of openings in Texas and they had 12 people apply. 3 failed the drug test, 2 failed the road test, 5 failed to disclose felonies (including 3 with DWI's) and 2 failed the physical. Can you imagine the expense to bring all these from Texas to Wisconsin (All orientation is done at headquarters in Wisconsin) only to find these things out when they got there?

One recruiter that I know with one of the larger carriers told me that when they receive an application the first thing they do after checking over the application is to pull a DAC and MVR. They don't even pull those if there are questions about the application. If things look good on the application, DAC and MVR then they may have them come to orientation. They check further once the applicant is at orientation. This particular carrier doesn't even do a drug test until the applicant gets to orientation. In fact, the first thing the applicant does when they get to orientation is take a drug test. Once that is done they start orientation and check references. They check the first 3 years and if everything looks good then the applicant is offered a job once they receive a good drug test back. If there are questions then they may check back 10 years. An offer isn't even made until they receive the results from the drug test. This particular recruiter told me that the main problem they have with new hires is drugs. He told me that a high percentage will actually take drugs over the weekend knowing that they will be taking a drug test the first thing on Monday morning. :roll:

I am not sure why some wait until the applicant gets to orientation. It maybe due to so many failing to show up.:confused:

If you KNOW you have a drug test, and proceed to do drugs anyway, then you are most assuredly an addict :) I mean come on, if you must smoke that fatty at least wait until after the drug test!

Wouldnt you rather have them not bother showing up then waste your time?

I don't know why they would even bother, either. They know they will not pass the drug test yet they come to orientation and take the drug test anyway. In addition to wasting everyone's time they are also costing the carrier money for orientation, housing, food, drug test and background check.

Knuckleheads are job security for all the rest of us, I guess.

I went through orientation with a guy who got arrested on his first load. Someone noticed him swerving, called the company, and the company called the California Highway Patrol. Dude had a wife and kids. Instead of being able to support them, he goes off to jail, loses his income, loses his livelihood, and will probably have to pay fines in addition to the jailtime.

I hadn't smoked pot for quite a few years. I had been out of trucking for a couple of years and I was partying with some people and, wouldn't you know, took a power drag or two- that's all it takes to mess me up. Anyway, I went back into trucking a few months after that and was a little concerned. Now, to think, guys smoke the ol' mari-hoochie-juana a couple days before their drug test!?!?! All these Darwin Award winners are making it easier for all the rest of us to have jobs.

And I'm pretty sure that these malcontents then race for the nearest internet connection, and spew out venom about how they've been hard done by, by the company.

I clicked on the testimonials and read this one:

Dude,

My frind and I sparked a dube the size of a baby 4arm last night, put on backside of the moon and spaced out for a wile. Thats when my old lady (mom) came down to the bacement and told me I had a gob intreview in the mornin. I took sum of your yourin pills and I past no problum. I am now a fri kook at Mackdonelds.

Tanks again

:lol: "the size of a baby 4arm"!

I bet it was at 4:20

I am always skeptical when I see someone trash a former employer. They are usually trying to cover up their own behavior by focusing blame on their employer. They can always find a reason the employer terminated their employment or they left. It could have been that the dispatcher didn't treat them nice so they abandoned their truck. They are then surprised when the employer wants them to pay for recovery costs and may withhold their last paycheck to help pay for those costs. So they trash their employer on the Internet. They could have tested positive or refused to take a random drug test so it is their employers fault. It had nothing to do with them taking drugs or drinking. They embezzled money or sold fuel and got caught. They are surprised when their employment is terminated or if the employer can prove it has them arrested. It is difficult to prove to the court that a driver is selling fuel, but it is easy for the company to detect.

It is in the carrier's best interest to keep good, reliable drivers. Recruiting new people is very costly for companies. There is no reason to terminate a driver who is doing a good job unless something such as the current economy comes into play. Yet, there are those who continue to blame the employer for their woes.

When I read or hear about a driver trashing their former employer or trying to cause them problems then I suspect that there is more to the story that they are not telling. MUCH MORE!! If you have a problem with a former employer you address the issue with them. You don't go on a Internet forum and spew your venom. I always take things such as that with a grain of salt.

I will say this. Out of all three companies that I attended orientation maybe I did not give Arrow a fair shake. I mean I left one in pain, one never gave me a ride but with Arrow I read a lot of bad stuff here and one other message boards. I read how they were so bad and were bottom feeders. When I got to orientation I had a preconceived idea that they were just that. So when I saw they had 70 plus per class, most had criminal records and all the trucks abandoned all over the country I thought, they were right. Maybe I should have stayed. Maybe they would have been a good fit for me. I now know that most negative stuff here is only one sided. Live and learn.

While you can find a lot of useful info on the net it is hard to filter out the BS from the truth.

When talking about hiring people with criminal records I think it is important to take into consideration what the record is for. Is it for something major or is it for something minor?

While many people can and do go through their entire life without any real run ins with the law it actually is not that hard to wind up with a record that will follow you forever.

I would not discount hiring a driver simply because he had a criminal record. It would depend on the offense and the rest of his background check. It isn't as difficult as you may think to get a criminal record these days. A friend of mine got a ticket a few months ago at a weigh station. It turned out to be a misdemeanor. He had just leased on with a carrier and forgot to take his old expired tag off his truck. I believe that he had his cab card, but left the old tag on the truck. All they wanted is a fine and court costs, but the offense is considered a misdemeanor. So now he has a criminal record. He was extremely upset that he now has a criminal record for something so simple. There are a couple of states where you can be charged with a felony for simply having a gun in your vehicle. In most of the western states or south we don't think as much about having guns. Many of us hunt. Get into some of the communist states such as New York, Massachusetts or California and you could be in serious trouble.

Some states will charge you with a DWI or DUI if you are sitting in a parked car with the key in the ignition or refuse to take a BAC. I think most states consider these alcohol related charges as misdemeanors. Some may consider them as a felony. I think Canada considers them as a felony. We have some nutty laws in this country. You need to look more closely at the charge and total record of the individual. If someone is a habitual offender then I would likely not hire them. One of the best drivers that I have had was a convicted felon. He made a mistake a number of years prior to applying with me. Large carriers would not even talk to him. I checked him out and gave him a chance. He did a good job for me. I have had some with no criminal records who have not done nearly as well.

Apparently, you are having difficulty getting on with any carrier. I believe you stated that Arrow was willing to give you another chance. I don't see as you have anything to lose. I believe you stated that you only have 14 months experience. It is much easier to find a driving position when you have at least 2 years of solid work experience. I don't know much about Arrow. I would also not discount a carrier simply because they had a lot of turnover. The average annual turnover in this industry is about 136%, as I recall. That is only an average. Some will have more and others less. I am not trying to sell you on Arrow or any other carrier, but if you want to get back into this industry then you need to step back and check your options. If you stay away too long then it will be necessary to take a refresher course. That will be expensive. As I stated, you can't believe everything you read on the Internet about a particular carrier. I don't recall anything negative being written about Arrow on this forum. Regardless of whom you finally go with I would count on staying with them for at least a year, no matter what. It will help to over come some of what has taken place in your background. You will find things that you don't like about any job.

As sh*tty of a job as it is... try Food Service Delivery. Most only require 6 months (or less) and the pay is... well... adequate. Do that untill you get your 24 months and move on if you wish. There are a lot of companies who only require 2 years "tractor trailer" experience... not necessarily "OTR" experience. Pay no attention to the "Sky is falling/Gloom and Doom" bunch around here... you'll find something. Good luck.

Now THAT was funny!!! Now I remember why I dont eat at Mickey D's very often.

HEY!!!!! I resemble that remark:D!and the job is not that sh*tty.

You are correct, MOST will take you with six months experience. Some will even take drivers with, are you ready for this, ZERO EXPERIENCE! They prefer to train a driver "Their way".

Just because your a glutton for punishment doesn't mean the rest of civilized society is. :lol: Just yankin yer chain RR... you are definatly the ranking "Food Shoveler" around here. I made it a year and decided my back was more important than a $400 to $500/wk paycheck. :p

It seems to be all in the route you get... some are capital punishment and some are gravy train. I can say this though... when my route went to High Schools... I ate GOOOOD!!!

Yup... I started with a guy fresh out of a CDL mill. It was the first driving job he ever had... even thought the companies website said "6 months experience required."

If it wasnt for them changing my route every week or so, I'd probably still be with them... but getting up at 3am and not getting home till 6pm (manually lugging 20,000lbs daily) got old fast.

That is enough to make even the most season "monkey" want to quit! We had(HAD) the Catholic Schools around here for awhile. That was pure H*LL. The steps,ramps,tight parking lots,tight delivery area,etc. IT SUCKED AND SO DID THE FOOD!!!!!!!!(I know, I went to a catholic grade and high school for my school years). Sad thing is, I use to deliver to BOTH my old grade and high school. Talk about some real H*LL!:lol:(for them:lol:)

Well I dont know about Catholic schools.. but I delivered to public schools where I ate buiscuts and gravy, sausage, bacon, and all the cartons of milkI could drink. The backing sucked, but the food and hospitality was worth it. Plus they fixed me lunch to go as well. I walked out of there with literally two handfulls of food. I ate so much I wasnt worth a sh*t the rest of the day. I dont know... maybe its a southern thing, perhaps they dont feed PA kids as good as southern youngins.

When I went to school the norm was green hot dogs, hamburgers that I really think where made of cardboard, the kind of pizzas you buy for 50 cents at a dollar store, french fries that I think also where made of cardboard, some nasty government canned fruit, mac and cheese that I think was made with more water then cheese, sandwiches made with the cheapest bread on earth, and the cheapest nastiest processed lunch meats possible. That was in NJ.

When I was in high school the food we were served was pretty decent. There were some who complained and others who brought their own lunch, but it was a healthy, balanced meal that was fairly inexpensive. We didn't have nearly so many obese students in my class. In fact, I only recall a couple of students who were much over weight. Pizza and high carb foods were usually not offered. We did have the occasional hamburger and hot dogs. Mostly, it was one meat and vegetables with a desert if you wanted. We were also taught basic nutrition in school.

Wow! I'm in exact agreement with GDOG! Same way at my schools growing up. I remember lunch was .30 cents and we would have something like grilled chicken, peas, carrots, corn, a roll and a fruit dessert. The old ladies in the cafeteria made it all right on the spot. Good stuff for the most part. To this day, still the best dinner rolls that I have ever had! If you wanted an extra milk? 3 cents for white, 4 cents for chocolate. Extra hamburger was dime. LOL Hell, I'm beginning to sound like an old codger here GMAN! What am I to do? Roll with it? LOL;)

I started to say... I wished I coulda bought milk that cheap. :p
I don't even remember what an extra milk cost to be honest. 25 cents I think. My dad used to make my lunch every day. I remember one year for Christmas, I got a Dukes of Hazzard lunch box. I was in tall cotton. No more paper sacks.

I wouldn't have a clue what schools serve now days.

I had a Dukes lunch box in school... I think I still have it somewhere, I seen it not too long ago... cant remember if it was a metal one or a plastic one. I wonder if its worth anything? If memory serves I think its missing the thermos bottle.