Unpaid Internships In Trucking?
 

Here's my situation. I graduated from Sage Driving School in June of 2005 with a Class-A with all endorsements except HazMat. Started with a flatbed company but ran into trouble when tarping loads in the summer sun. Got headaches, mini fainting spells, and some sort of heat exhaustion attacks. I guess I just can't work out in the summertime sun. I got fired, and shortly thereafter got a job driving tri-axle dump trucks in our local construction industry. Did that for a year and greatly enjoyed it.
Then, in September 2006, I unexpectedly came into a large inheritance. The house I inherited was an old fixer-upper and I quit my driving job to stay home to work on it and keep an eye on all the contractors I had hired.
This took several months, and by the time I was ready to start driving again, the local "construction boom" had ended. Most of the dump truck companies were out of business, and those that survived stopped hiring.
Since I had also inherited a considerable amount of money, this turn of events didn't present a hardship for me. I've been coasting along, unemployed, for several years.
However, now I'm going stir-crazy. I'd like to be back behind the wheel again.
My biggest problem is the lack of an over-the-road resume.
I have an idea I'd like to bounce off of you guys. Would it be possible to become an unpaid co-driver just to accumulate OTR experience? Would this result in a useable resume I could present to trucking companies sometime in the future?
This might seem like a crazy idea, but I have enough money in the bank to where I can afford to work for free for awhile. The only thing I'd ask is that my employer/co-driver feed me while I'm on the road with him. I don't want this enterprise to actually COST me anything, even if I am working for free.
Is this idea even feasible? Any opinions and advice would be appreciated.

You make an interesting proposal. If you have kept your CDL during this off time then you might find a smaller company or independent who might give you an opportunity. Most major carriers will want to see some experience during the last 3 years. It has more to do with liability and whether you would be able to get covered by their insurance company. You might check with some of the training carriers such as Swift, Millis or Roehl. I don't think Schneider is currently hiring inexperienced drivers. For most carriers you will be considered as not having any experience. If you want to start driving and have the resources you could buy your own truck and trailer and get your authority. If you have a clean MVR and kept your CDL up then you could likely get insurance.

Gman, what do you mean by "keeping up" my CDL? Mine doesn't expire until 2011. However, I just looked in my wallet and discovered that my DOT Medical Card expired a month ago. Since I haven't been driving for a living in the last couple of years, I didn't think it mattered. Was I mistaken? If it looks like someone is interested in hiring me, I can just go to the doctor and get another medical card, right?
By the way, I'd rather not buy my own truck because I have absolutely NO experience in the "business" side of the trucking business. I'd rather just work for someone else.

What I meant by "keeping up your CDL" is that you have kept the CDL without allowing it to expire. Since insurance companies usually look at the length of time you have had a CDL you could actually appear to them to have had more experience than you actually have had. For instance, if you received your CDL in 2006 then you could appear to them as having had 3 years experience. If you plan on pursuing a career in trucking you should continue to get a physical before it expires. Most carriers will ask for a copy of the long form and/or wallet card to be sent with your application. Other paperwork they may ask for is a copy of your CDL and Social Security Card. Some will not even start the approval process until they have these documents along with the completed application.

I don't recommend getting your authority without having current driving experience, I mentioned it as an option. I don't think it is a good idea for most people to get a CDL and immediately go out and get a truck and their authority. Most who do this without any experience do not make it. I don't recall any who are on the forum who have done this and are still in business. This is a tough business, even when the economy is doing well. It is much more difficult to deal with when we are in a depressed economy. Even those of us with many years experience are having difficulty. The failure rate is high, but some do make it.

It would be much wiser for someone new to this business or those with limited experience who have been away from it for several years, to either take a refresher course as a means to get back into the business, or find a carrier who is willing to put you with a trainer for a few weeks or months until they feel you are qualified to run solo. There are some carriers who will train those who already possess a CDL. I have no idea what their policy might be for those who have their CDL but no practical experience for several years. The best thing to do is make some phone calls to their recruiting offices and see what they say. I would not go out and take a refresher if I could get started without the expense. I would suggest finding a carrier who will put you with someone with several years experience. There are those who will make a trainer out of someone with as little as 6 months experience. Someone with so little experience doesn't have enough experience to offer much in the way of training.

Working for free is kind of stupid to be honest.

Why not get a job driving a dump truck or something local again ?

Stupid? Maybe. Desperate? DEFINITELY!
If any local company was hiring dump truck drivers these days, I'd have been working long ago. I've been pestering everybody for the last two years. I'd much rather work locally than on the road. Nobody is hiring around here.

Home Depot, Lowes, and many other companies hire CDL drivers, just keep putting in applications, you will pick up with someone.

Have you thought of moving to a more booming area, like Texas ?

If Swift and England thought there was a market to get unpaid interns they would take it. You are in a positive situation since you dont need the money to live on. Try posting an ad on Craigslist, What is the worst that can happen?

Sounds like another Republican plot that is working, get folks so down and desperate that they will work for food and a park bench, all while Bush Senior and Cheney steal trillions for themselves and their oil company clients !!!

NEWS FLASH!! NEWS FLASH!!!

A democrat is now sitting in that chair!!! He is learning quick though!!! :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: