Stay at Home Dad looking to get into Trucking

Hi, I am having a hard time with employment verification.
As the heading says I was a stay at home dad for 4.5 years. Made sense then as wife had better job in healthcare with great benefits and I was a self employed contractor handyman working mostly under the table and continued to do so while raising kids to help make ends meet. Recently moved out to upstate New York to start kids in school and found not many good paying jobs in these small towns.
Wife separated so now looking into OTR trucking for new career start.
In March after research sent full app to Prime showing unemployment gap of 4.5 years (with jobs before and after) with explanation why I stayed home to raise my girls rather than their mother. Recruiter called and we ran through app. He asked if I was doing anything else while I was home. Told him I was managing apartments we were living in and doing odd jobs to supplement income. He suggested I put down apartment manager as that would look better. Running further through app I found my birth certificate from WA had no first or middle so we both agreed that needed to get taken care of before proceeding. He said he'd put my app on hold and to call back once fixed. So came back to California to line up all proof docs for name change and now have birth certificate, social security card, passport, and driver's license with CDL permit all with matching first middle and last names.
Ready to go so called recruiter back and ran through app again he basically said that without 1099's or W-2's for those years I am not eligible for Prime training. I asked about verification affidavit's and he said no, has to be W'2's or 1099's. Explained that it's risky for them to train people without work history.
Ended call, sent message asking if I could pay for training upfront ($3500 and paid back monthly during first year as it says on one of their website pages) and take the risk myself and got no response back. Sent apps to other companies. Melton called, had no problem with my app or employment gap, but they don't train and need 160 hr certificate. Applied to Wil-Trans but recruiter found my app in list that said "more qualified candidates available" and couldn't help me other than saying he thinks issue with employment verification is from payroll dept. I know Wil-trans Jim Palmer and O&S Trucking are under Primes umbrella so that means it's likely I am out of luck with these 4 companies.
I like these companies because of their training regimens top training pay and starting pay and Prime for it's running of lower 48's, Northeast regional options and 3 divisions to play with. Plus my home bases are SF Bay Area and Albany, NY so would seem easy to get home time at both locations.

So to any Prime guys... Can I switch recruiters or talk to anyone in the office about this? Id hate to be taken out of the running for a good job just because I elected to be the stay at home dad. I understand the premise of employment verification to show stable work history and work ethic but I can show that with how I raised my girls, just not through the IRS. Though I can show joint tax returns for all years and notarized references if needed.

Has anyone had any setbacks like this?
Any companies you think would help in a situation like this?

Thanks for your help

 

Thanks for reply's. The way I figure it, no matter if you get your training at a school or a company the company I end up with is still going to send me out with a trainer to make sure I get trained in their ways so schooling doesn't make sense to me unless that is my only option. In my offering to Prime to pay for my training up front That was to mitigate the risk for them and put it on me. But I got no anwser back from recruiter. They offer to pay tuition yourself and get paid back monthly so you don't feel like you are under a 1 year contract with them.

Hudson, NY is where Ex and kids are but I am in SF Bay Area now staying with friends. Have California license and permit. Can make home anywhere but here in Cali at moment.
Can possibly use ex's address for residence purposes but idea is no rent and minimal bills. Figure OTR or NE Regional with get me close to my girls and bank savings for future

Think I'd be good at flatbedding re construction background but will do reefer box to get in.
Starting pay is important so I can keep up on child support and start banking for future.