This company places job listings in local news papers and popular job boards such as careerbuilder. The listing states "Local Beverage Company needs Drivers at Beverage
Company. Work while training to drive our Class A Vehicles. Call AIT @ xxx-xxx-xxxx"
I currently hold a clean, valid class A CDL and have 10 years driving experience. I called and was invited for an interview and was asked to fill out a questionnaire. The questionnaire has little to do about job placement and more to do with sizing you up as a student driver. Nowhere was I asked to list previous employment or ANY driving experience. I did list the fact that my CDL had been previously suspended for 3 months because I had not submitted my USDOT medical certification but was reinstated currently.
Melissa informed me that none of her "top tier" carriers or companies would hire me due to my license being suspended for 3 months because I had not had my license back for 90 consecutive days. That struck me as odd considering this had happened to me before and UPS Supply Chain Solutions had hired me without issue and I currently had 3 national OTR carriers ready to hire me on the spot.
The name of the company that they mention in their ads as "local beverage company" is Kalil Bottling Company in Phoenix, they distribute their own brand of beverages as well as some national brands like 7up I believe. Melissa claims that Kalil only hires through them and that I'm not eligible for employment with them. I thanked Melissa for her time and bid her a good day.
A few days later Melissa called me back stating that her director indicated they could work with me and to please return for an additional interview.
While waiting for Melissa for the second interview I could hear her quite clearly speaking to another candidate with no experience looking to get a CDL through AIT who also came in on the same advertisement. She told him that he had to fork out over $8,000 for the instruction and Kalil couldn't hire student drivers.
Upon my second interview with Melissa she tells me that they have several OTR carriers that will hire me but I need to go through their "refresher course" for a small fee of $4,000.00. She told me this and said "well, you don't have any recent over the road experience." I asked Melissa how she came to this deduction when she didn't even have my employment history. I told Melissa to have a good day and left.
Kalil Bottling company does hire directly and only accepts applications for CDL positions when they are open. Kalil was not hiring at the time of my interview and I have been told by employees of Kalil that Kalil doesn't hire student drivers. So, this leads me to believe AIT is listing these jobs to lure people who are looking for a job in trucking but don't want to drive over the road.
I checked careerbuilder's web site on 3/2 and they have another ad up for the same "local beverage company" and Kalil is the ONLY beverage company they work with. I called Kalil again and guess what? They aren't hiring any CDL drivers, go figure.
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