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.
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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 ? |
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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?
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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 !!!
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NEWS FLASH!! NEWS FLASH!!! A democrat is now sitting in that chair!!! He is learning quick though!!! :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: |
Funny you should mention Bush and Cheney. Fox had a few news clips of Obama this morning talking about all the billions of dollars he is spending and in one he said we are OUT OF MONEY!!! Helllloooo.......It is too bad that he has never had a real job so that he could understand that you cannot spend money if you are BROKE??!!! Perhaps we should just impeach him now while we can still pay the interest on all this nutty spending he is doing. :angryblue:
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If the oil clients weren't there how do you plan on fueling your truck? |
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Who started a fraudulent war that drove up oil to world records and fueled Exxon's record profits for any corporation ever while GM and Chrysler are bankrupt costing millions of jobs ? Quote:
Face it guys, Bush Senior stole two elections, then stole trillions on war and oil fraud that destroyed the entire banking system and the world economy. Do you still wonder why you guys can't make a decent living to this very day ? It's not Obama's fault, he is the only one that stood against that clown Cheney and still is to this day, I hope he approves the congressional investigations pending against Cheney and "W". |
I made a lot more under Bush than I did under Clinton.
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I did well under Bush as well, Bigmon.
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I am not sure what fraudulent war you are referring. It wasn't a war that drove oil prices through the roof. It was speculators and OPEC. By the way, you may not know it but it is in the government's best interest for this country to have high fuel costs. You see, much of the cost of our fuel is taxes at various levels of government. Some of these taxes are a percentage of the cost. The higher the cost the more taxes are paid. I am not sure what correlation you are making between Exxon's profits and two mismanaged auto companies. I am also not sure where you come up with millions of jobs being lost if GM and Chrysler go bankrupt. Bankruptcy doesn't necessarily mean out of business. With the government running them they could easily go out. Quote:
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If he can do it be home every weekend and make money I'm sure anyone can. Why work for someone else when you can do it yourself and make more money? |
I am glad things have worked out for your dad, charged. Unfortunately, he is the exception. I wish that wasn't the case. Where most people get into trouble is not having enough capital to make a major repair such as a transmission or engine. If you get your authority and everything goes well then that is great. However, things don't always go as planned in life. I have had several former owners over the years who have driven trucks for me. All of them lost their equipment after they had a major breakdown. With most it was related to the engine. Look, I don't want to discourage anyone from getting their authority. Frankly, I think that is the best way to go in this business if you can afford it. If you have no driving experience or have never owned a truck then you will go through a learning curve. If you are lucky and have enough money then you can survive the learning experience. There have been instances where some have started on a shoe string and made it. I just feel that it is better to be honest with those starting out as to what to expect. If you don't plan for the worst then you are one breakdown from being out of business.
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He drives a 2003 international 9400i eagle automatic with a I think a 430 hp c-15 cat but could be 475hp. His tractor is ugly with steel wheels and no fairings but it has hauled everything he's needed it to. He has a used all aluminum 48' spread axle trailer with one of those air weight things on it (never been overweight). |
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You go Barry, soon we can bend over to our new master, the Chicoms......... |
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he keeps giving false hope, spending money we don't have.. but the part that cracks me up the most. is when he flew out to iowa to visit the wind mill plant. and then says we need to conserve on energy. then flys airforce one back to washington at a cost of 20 million dollars..(EDITED) |
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Actually.... I detect a rather strong note of "jealousy" in your words...... I'm happy to see there is no "racial bigotry" on this site.....:mad: Obama won....get over it. No, I'm not a Democrat, and No I'm not a "liberal".....and I think "neo-cons and chickenhawks are worthless, and barely fit to be used as "cannon-fodder" |
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Rather than quoting it, and commenting on it, report it, and give the mods time to deal with it. Thanks. |
I do not see any racial bigotry there at all... so I am now confused.
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What was racial ? or was somebody playing the race card ? seems to happen when people have no valid arguement they cry racism.
If I had a dollar everytime some scumbag did that, oh boy. |
HELLO? 911? I'd like to report a hijacked thread!
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Let it go please. |
Maybe you ought to split off the thread GMAN so we can discuss the real cause of why oil prices hit world records never seen before and the 2000 election fraud that Bush Senior engineered.
If you can't understand the correlation between record oil prices and folks not purchasing pickup trucks and large SUV's and what caused the banking crisis to happen, I highly doubt you see the big picture very well, especially since you blame the bank bail out on Obama, when in fact the entire unraveling of the banking system started under Bush and Cheney, Bush was the one that acted in his last days asking for billions/trillions to bail out AIG and the entire US banking system. If you don't understand that Kissinger had dinner with Cheney once a week or so while he was "Presiding over the White House", then I highly doubt you will see the connection there either. |
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But what I have found the most amazing....is that any person, male or female, American or otherwise that could grant "Dick" (Cheney, aka "Major F'ing Draft Dodger, aka Mr. Deferment X 6 times Vietnam War Period, aka "Mr. I had better things to do than serve my country"...) a moments credence....especially after than mouth breathing moron actually had to temerity to questions General Colin Powell's "Americanism"..... Cheney, is a walking and "barking piece of excrement".....and anyone who ascribes to his politics... is on the same footing.... That's how I feel....and I'm a hard assed conservative, not a Democrat. Cheney, Limbaugh and the rest are nothing less than "carny barkers" and "gutless chickenhawks". I wouldn't piss on them if they were on fire.....:pissedoff: |
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Me???? racist???? huh???? It was a joke my cousin told me. I made the mistake of thinking other people would be able to see the comedy in it... But then again? I told it to a bunch of brainless truckers. I think maybe the next joke should be a knock,knock joke. I will have remember to tell the knock,knowk joke in simple words.
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That's right Skywalker, Cheney is a fraud and always has been.
14 Good Reason to Impeach Bush AND Cheney | Election Fraud Blog He is and was Bush Senior's front man, his defense secretary who directed the "so called victorious first Gulf War" that really never ended, it has been going on since 1992 and is still raging to this day. If you want to know why the entire world economy is in shambles, just look to Bush Senior and Cheney along with Kissinger who is a front man for Rockefeller. |
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Fine with me, I'll wait for you guys to move the posts out that don't belong here.
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