CDLA switcher/yard goat. Does it count as CDLA experience.

I doubt it would count if they want OTR experience, but for local work it MIGHT.

 

You have the most important experience with a CDL, that’s backing. Not sure why it won’t count.

 

Depends on the company but, as already stated, probably not for any OTR outfits.

 

CDL is CDL. That said, like @SoulScream84 said, it's about experience. Nevertheless, what you're doing is great experience. We won't have to worry about you backing into a spot.

 

You should have no problem getting hired, but you’ll probably have to go out for a few weeks with a trainer to get you up to speed on OTR.

 

Most companies want verifiable OTR experience, driving a yard hostler doing yard moves doesn’t necessarily count as real world experience in most companies eyes.

Just like driving OTR doesn’t count as yard hostler experience, when applying for a position doing yard moves in a yard hostler.

Years ago, I applied for the later at one time for a couple of hostler companies in CA, (Lazerspot and NFI) and they told me my decades of local and OTR experience didn’t count as hostler experience.

 

I asked this question last night on a Facebook group. In fact, I linked to this thread. The people in that group are safety critters and other types that make hiring decisions. Not one of them said they would accept your yard work to count for OTR. What they said is you would get hired provided everything else was in order, but if hired you are going with a trainer for a few weeks at a minimum. Several of them require 2 or more verifiable years of experience and would not hire you right now.

This is not a put-down. In most cases, the company policy is what it is. A while back I was talking to my daughter and her husband about my father. He went to work for his last carrier in 1974. About 2 years later he was asked by a friend to see if the company would hire him. This man had many years of OTR experience. Even drove for 2 years for a now out-of-business reefer carrier. This friend got all the way through the hiring process until the meeting with the terminal manager. With all that experience my dad's company refused to hire him. Years ago it was difficult to get hired by some carriers. It's better these days, but to get in a truck by yourself with your background you are going to have to go out with a trainer.

 

Because of trip planning.

Not to mention backing a yard truck is a lot different than backing a sleeper, and backing in the same spot over and over again is routine, but change up the location and drivers can struggle. The space available can be exactly the same, but the reference points are different so the guy can't back.

 

I actually saw this happen. The yard truck broke down. I can't remember if it was Ryder or Penske but the only tractor available was a road tractor. The yard man was having trouble keeping up. I was watching this happen in real-time. Several tight turns. Plus all the climbing in and out to put on the air lines took time. I can't remember how many days this went on. It is VERY different!