Question:
i have been unemployed for three plus more years ,but now i want to go to truck driving training school.they want to know my work history for the last three years.if i tell them that i have been unemployed for that time will that hurt the chances for me going to their school?i`ve been making a living by renting out land and housing that i own.is that all that i need to tell them.The question is what do i do?thanks in advance

Answer:
No it will not hurt you. You just have to account for the time. Once you get a truck driving job you HAVE to account for 10 years. Employeed and not employeed. Some carriers make you prove it. Some go as far as wanting tax returns for self employment.
Do not get stressed, just fill in the blanks. Lets say you are 23. Havn't worked for 6 months. Last employer would be none for the last 6 months with the reason you were not employeed., then the next employer and the next then fill the rest of the time with the time you were in school or what ever.
The school will not check, the carrier will prob look very close. I mean very close.202 N Main Street
Summerfield Il 62289
TRUCK PARKING AVAILABLE!

Answer:
You may be required to provide letters of reference or tax records to prove the self employment. Sorry to disagree but property management is work. Someone has to collect the fees and answer renter's complaints when something breaks. Not-to-mention when the property is vacated repairs must be completed before the property is rented again.
Employers are required to verify the previous three years of employment. When a person indicates un-employed for 30 days the employee may have to provide an un-employment claim to prove the un-employment. I've seen letters for when family members were sick and the person seeking employment had letters from physicans or other sources to verify the un-employment.
I would recommend you find a way to substantiate the work for the previous three years if you desire employment with a reputible employer.
Daytrader is partially correct:


A person must provide a 10 year history if they have been driving a CMV that required a CDL. If a person has 5 years experience then the have to list 5 years, etc.
Some carriers go the extra mile and ask for 10 years regardless of what kind of experience the driver has because they don't under stand the requirements of the regulations.
Be safe."If men were angels...No government would be necessary."
51st Federalist Papers
"Nichols' Fourth Law says, "Avoid any action with an unacceptable outcome"

Answer:

Truck Driving schools could not careless about you being unemployed for 3+ years, all they want is their money. They will in turn tell you just about anything to get you in the door of the school. it is the Trucking Companys that will have to verify your work history.
Like you have already been told when you apply at these trucking outfits they will be wanting ten years work history.
Mike.
Answer:
I came into trucking after owning my own business for 11 years. The truck school didn't care, except to advise me that I'd probably need to verify my "means of support" with copies of my tax returns. I applied to a company listing myself as my employer the last 11 years, and attached three years of personal tax returns. I blacked-out all the financial data except my income. They sent a fax back a few days later acknowleging my application with a job offer contingent on verifying what I'd submitted.
That was it. I doubt they ever checked with the IRS -- not even sure they could -- but they were satisfied. Most of your qualification after truck school is the absence of a criminal history, the absence of multiple moving violations on your driving history, and the absence of any medical disqualifier including a failed drug test. (any drug test with any employer at any time, by the way...)
Do not lie or fail to completely answer any questions on the application, then think you got away with it because they offered you a job. They're required by law to thoroughly check-out all hires, but may avoid the expense until you actually show-up for the job. In the meantime, they're taken you at your word. If they find any discrepencies, especially any undisclosed criminal history, they'll send you home. End of discussion. If you think there's an issue with "arrested" versus "convicted", etc, ask them up front what they want. Depending on the offense and what you've done since, they may hire ex-criminals who demonstrate going straight by being honest with them.
Gaps in your work history are a big red flag. If you've had any brushes with the law - anywhere - tell them the truth before they find out.
(not necessarily intended for the original poster, but something every newbie should know about gaps in their "means of support", criminal history, and the trucking industry)[/list]

Answer:
I have several gapps in my work history although now they don't coun with trucking jobs. But they did when I first started. It was a simple fix. I had three friends sign pieces of paper and had them notarized stating what I did in those periods of time. All showed me as self employed and I was not asked for tax returns. It was no big deal but had to be done. All they need is some sort of verification for those periods and notarized letters from friends or business will work just fine.

Answer:
The poster doesn't have gaps in his employment. He's not saying his wife or parents supported him. His "means of support" for the last thre years was managing his own property for income -- his own business. If this is true, he has a more professionally relevant paper trail than personally signed notes from friends and family.
Federal tax returns (blacked-out to censor private financial data) are one way some entrepreneurs document their "means of support" when re-entering regular employment. He had a job and he (hopefully) filed income tax returns that showed this "means of support". He may not need to use them, but If he's got them he should have them ready. It's a slam dunk -- they'll hardly glance at them -- and a lot easier than chasing down notarized testimonials.
(and make the story of a business that took considerable time and effort for which he compensated himself -- sounds better than just selling the inheretance...)
.

Answer:
Richlover, I would list your occupation as business property manager on your school application. As stated here in previous post, provide your last three years of tax returns to the school showing your rental of the properties you own. You can black out all information that is private on your Tax returns.
This will give you a three year work history showing that you were self-employed-unemployed, as the DOT requires. The school is required to perform the same background information work history check as an employer. They are required to be registered as with a DOT number just like a carrier and therefore must follow the same guidelines under the FMCSA.
Another way of verification would be to have any contractors or renters write a letter of reference to whom it may concern, as to their business dealings with you regarding your rental properties.
Catch you on the flip !

Answer:
Why are carriers so concerned with gaps in employment?? If said applicant had been up to something shady during that employment gap, do you really think they'd say so?? Is that why carriers ask?? What exactly are they trying to find out? I have tons of gaps in employment since i entered the working world when i was 16, usually due to school commitments, college, seasonal jobs, the job sucked or didn't pay enough, etc. Not only alot of gaps but alot of different jobs.Never been fired, though. Now I'm 28 and it causes all kinds of anxiety whenever i apply for a "real" job. I don't see why stupid jobs such as dishwashing and cutting grass while a teen and going thru school/college should have much bearing on applying for a "real" job. Perhaps it doesn't but it makes one look kinda stupid when you have to fill out several pages of employment history and explain every little thing you were doing in between. Sorry for the rant..... :C\

Answer:
No... It's a good rant, and a good question.
The answer, from my experience at least, is the employr's need to "profile" the applicant's future employment pattern on what they've done so far.
If you quit a lot of jobs because they suked, you'll probably quit this one too for the same reason. If your average "permanance" -- the average time you've spend continously employed or other wise engaged in doing the same thing (school) -- is nine months, they can predict you'll keep their job about nine months before deciding to quit or do something else....etc....
The premise is that the circumstances and reasons for making these changes in employment are basically irrelevent. You're being analyzed like a machine they're considering buying. They don't care so much why you've stopped working before. They're mostly interested in how long it usually takes you to chage your mind, regardless of the reason. They look at all those jobs and say, "I wonder if this will change when he comes to work for us?" The more your "permanance" is important to them, the more picky they'll get about the job historys they hire.
It's an imperfect science and dosn't account for big life changes -- like transitioning from after school jobs to full-time adult commitments. But it's a perfectly logical and legal part of deciding who gets hired over someone else. Generally, the folks with the steadiest and most continous job historys, stay longer than those with more scattered histories. People tend to continue following the patters they've developed the last few years....

Answer:
I figured it was something along those lines. I just feel like I'm doomed to jobs that are less than what I'm capable of because of stupid $5 dollar an hour jobs i had when I was young. And my emplyment history is pretty varied. A few jobs i was at for only a few months, others i was at for a couple years. And what i did during unemployment isn't thier business. Thats a question in applications that always irked me. I'll put down " went to bar and got hammered every night, slept till noon everyday."....lol...... kidding

Answer:

You're only doomed if you allow it to happen. Many CEO's of major corporations started out in low paying jobs.... most people do.

Which puts you in the position of having much in common with most Americans.

But in this industry its a requirement as John Q. Public pointed out.
Like "shuffler"....I was self employed for 12 years, owned businesses.... and when I sold out and got tired of "retirement"....I had to jump through the same hoops. I handed over w-2's and other than that I handed them a letter from a lawyer I knew that validated my period of unemployment/retirement that was about 6 months long. The only other thing I did was go to the County Courthouse and Circuit Court Clerk and got their "form letters" that stated I had no criminal record. Its no big deal. I just made copies of all the stuff and kept them. All of that is now beyond the 10 year mark, so its not even asked about.So I like what I do, you don't, too bad, get over it. Get on with your life, I am.