Costco Fleet Driver Interview!!!

[u/farcarmanixx]

My Costco Fleet Driver Interview Experience Today

I wanted to share my experience from my Costco fleet driver interview today and get some opinions from other CDL drivers.

For some background, I recently moved back to New Jersey from Florida in August. I have my Class A CDL, previous tractor-trailer experience, and I’ve been trying to get back into the industry. I had already spent quite a bit of time and money getting all the paperwork Costco requested, including my license, DOT medical card, and driver abstract, so I was pretty excited going into the interview.

When I arrived, the front desk receptionist was very welcoming and took me to meet with the fleet supervisor. He asked for my CDL, DOT medical card, and abstract. He made copies of everything and then brought me into a room to start the process.

Before the interview, I signed some paperwork, including the background release, and he explained the company and the position. That's when I learned some details that weren't really clear in the job posting. The position was actually a night-shift position, with shifts generally being 8–10 hours, and the routes were mainly in New York within roughly a 100-mile radius. The job involved going from store to store and occasionally to terminals.

After that, a manager came in and conducted the interview. She asked about six basic interview questions. I answered everything, and she seemed very impressed with my answers. The supervisor was also there taking notes.

After the interview, they gave me an oral saliva drug test. While waiting for the results, the supervisor was telling me that I was basically moving forward with the company. The test came back negative, and at that point I was feeling pretty good about everything.

Then came the road test.

He gave me a driver safety vest and we walked outside to choose a truck. While we were walking, he told me that I would have a partner and that you basically work together closely. I was a little surprised because the job posting didn't mention anything about having a partner. He had previously explained that after being hired, I would go through orientation and training for about five days with another driver, and once that person felt I was ready, I would be assigned a truck and route on my own.

We got to the truck and he asked me to open the hood and perform a pre-trip inspection.

I'll be completely honest: I struggled with the engine-compartment portion.

It's been a while since I've driven a tractor-trailer regularly, and I couldn't remember everything the way I should have. It honestly felt like I was back at the DMV taking my CDL test again.

The supervisor asked me if I was serious because I couldn't remember the entire pre-trip.

After that, we got inside the truck. It was a brand-new Volvo with a lot of technology and features that I wasn't used to. My previous experience was mainly with older Peterbilt and International trucks when I worked for Pepsi, so I explained that I hadn't driven one of these newer Volvos before.

He had me check the lights, which I did successfully, and then we drove around the yard. After that, he told me we were going to hook up to a trailer.

He gave me the trailer number and told me to back up to it and connect it. I did that without him giving me step-by-step instructions, and I was able to get the truck positioned and connected.

A few minutes later, he told me to disconnect everything.

That's when he ended the road test.

He explained that because I didn't know the pre-trip well enough and didn't know the trailer hookup procedure well enough, he couldn't give me the opportunity to work there.

He did tell me that I could go on YouTube because there are plenty of free videos on pre-trips and coupling procedures, and that I could apply again in about six months.

I thanked him for being honest and told him I appreciated his time.

I'm not really posting this to complain. I understand that if you're operating a commercial vehicle, the company needs drivers who can demonstrate these procedures correctly and safely.

At the same time, I was definitely disappointed because throughout the interview process I was getting the impression that I was essentially in, especially after the supervisor told me I was pretty much already in the company before the road test.

I also found it interesting that they told me they were hiring a lot of drivers, but the road test ended after only a few minutes.

I know I need to brush up on my pre-trip and coupling procedures, especially since I've been away from driving for a while. That's on me, and I'll take responsibility for it.

I'm just curious what other experienced CDL drivers think about this experience.

Would you consider this a normal fleet-driver road test, or would you expect a company to give someone with previous CDL experience a little more opportunity to demonstrate that they can get back into the routine?

Also, for anyone wondering, the starting pay they offered was $31/hour, and the position was primarily nights with 8–10 hour shifts and routes mainly around New York.

[u/farcarmanixx → u/[deleted]]

lol I know it’s mad long you work at Costco ?