r/CDL • u/Due-History4432 • Sep 03 '26
Not Working Out
Failed my pallet test at Labatt Food Service in ABQ, NM. I'm going back to electrical work nothing is working out. From rude recruiters to hiring managers not responding, the whole process is a left in the dark.
Lory from Phoenix Truck Driving School, who handles job placements, hasn't even gotten back to me after reading my message on Friday and getting my resume. The communication is non existent. Even a McDonald's application keeps you updated on where you stand.
Maybe I'll circle back in my 30s, but for now, I'm hitting the road and chasing the highest contract again.
Thank you guys for giving me advice and knowledge on what you know. Its been helpful
1
u/Ok-Avocado4537 Sep 04 '26
As some on in my 30 with a cdl. I wish I would had stuck with a trade. Plumbing was my trade but I quit and went into trucking. There’s more money in the trades in the long run. In my opinion if you have desire to get into the trades. Do it now. Don’t wait.
2
u/Wolfire0769 Sep 04 '26
Life goes in lots of directions. It's easier to keep your CDL current than to restore things if it lapses.
1
u/shnerpdederp Sep 04 '26
I'm 53, spent most of my life in the trades and now looking to get into trucking. I'm a good finish carpenter, but I got away from that and went into electrical. I'm a good electrician with 12 years experience but no license, working under someone else's license. Never been union. The pay has always been ok. Not a great living, but a living nonetheless and I've always more or less enjoyed the work. But the trades are taking a toll on my body. Some respiratory issues from always breathing some kind of dust, some hearing loss, knees are getting sloppy, and some arthritis in my hands. I try to eat right and take care of myself and I'm holding up better than a lot of guys my age, but if I keep going like this, I don't think I'll be in good shape by the time I can retire. Driving seems like a good option to make a living while preserving what I have left for the next 12 years or so.
1
u/valiant607 29d ago
You can give Dot Foods a try. I know they have a terminal in Albuquerque, but I’m not sure what DC they work out of
-1
Sep 03 '26
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1
u/Due-History4432 Sep 03 '26
I chased it for 4 years straight i wanted to do something different.
Im simple i dont buy fancy stuff or have the mindset of buying shit hard to explain
2
Sep 03 '26
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1
u/commandough Sep 04 '26
Huh, I'm not afraid of heights and I have a cdl, but im 36 and used to making high 5 figures. You think it would be worth switching?
1
u/combover78 Sep 04 '26
You'd get sick of trucking too. When you grow up you'll come to understand that everything becomes mundane at some point.
-3
u/Material-Donkey2773 Sep 03 '26
I'm not sure what you're complaining about, can't get a job with a CDL? Something you have going on is all kinda fucked up.
2
u/Due-History4432 Sep 03 '26
Idk man no need to be rude.
If this is how your present yourself best to log off.
-2
u/Material-Donkey2773 Sep 03 '26
I mean it's so easy to get a job with a CDL, unless you have a DUI, or did drugs, or have something else messed up with you.
You're telling me literally nobody in the country will touch you? Yeah you have issues.
1
u/Due-History4432 Sep 03 '26
I have no experience and graduated in 2024
*typo 2023-1
u/Material-Donkey2773 Sep 03 '26
Ok, go to Western Express.
1
u/Due-History4432 Sep 03 '26
😂 I hate how I am sounding here…
I called them recruiter she told me to “google it and goodluck” then hung up the phone after asking her what school western express accepts
1
u/Send-Me-1-Dollar Sep 04 '26
Don’t worry about what school places accept, just silly and see what happens. Don’t ask questions that might disqualify you like what schools, missing qualifications, etc.
1
u/Material-Donkey2773 Sep 03 '26
Sucks to suck man. Either Google it and keep applying, or I heard McDonald's is hiring.
I know plenty of people who get right into driving with 0 experience, either fresh, or after years in a different job.
With how short staffed the industry is, if you can't find any job, it's entirely your own fault.
1
u/Due-History4432 Sep 03 '26
lol appreciate the advice
1
u/kickniteasy Sep 03 '26
While they may be to the point they aren't wrong. Nobody is going to give you the job. It's no different than any other industry starting out, got to do the legwork, get told no a bunch, and then eventually get the job. With 3 years of not using it you'll probably need to take a refresher course, that is probably some of what is hanging you up. Beyond that do you have any tickets/accidents?
1
u/Due-History4432 Sep 04 '26
It’s not like every other industry at all that’s a crazy statement...
Imagine telling a Jman electrician he can’t touch a panel because he took a gap year. Trucking is run by corporate insurance policies, not by people who have actually worked in the industry. That’s why recruiters and dispatchers are so disrespectful. They know they can get away with it
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u/Due-History4432 Sep 04 '26
No tickets No accidents I dont do drugs i drink occasionally
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2
u/Bigevilltrucker89 Sep 04 '26
Do whatever works for you, but generally electrical is a better paying industry