KEY TAKEAWAYS:
- Get your finances in order
- Give two weeks’ notice
- Strategically plan your last day
- Offload and reorganize your gear
- Clean out your truck
- Don’t abandon your truck
Deciding to leave a carrier is never easy. Whatever your reasoning — pay, home time, or simply not feeling valued and respected — the choice to walk away can be as emotional as it is financial and logistical.
Your relationship with your carrier is just that — a relationship — and once you’ve made the choice to end things, it’s only natural that you might crave a clean break. But even after you’ve accepted a position with another trucking company, it’s not as simple as heading to orientation and leaving the past in your rearview mirror.
Whether you’ve already secured your next position or are just starting to think about a change, it’s important to understand the value of leaving a truck driving job on good terms.
Not only does it leave a positive impression on those around you, but it can also directly impact your chances of getting hired or rehired in the future. At Anderson Trucking Service (ATS), we can (and do!) rehire drivers that left on good terms and meet our criteria.
Quitting on bad terms — or worse, abandoning your truck or a load — is a surefire way to ensure you get a bad work verification on your Drive-A-Check (DAC) report and lose your chance of working with your top-choice trucking carrier.
If it’s time to leave your current carrier, this article will teach you everything you need to know about quitting on good terms, including turning in your truck, getting your finances in order, and walking away with no bridges burned. Let’s get started!
1. Get Your Finances in Order
Time and money are two of your most valuable resources as a truck driver. If you don’t have your finances in order, it’s probably not time to put in your notice just yet.
Here are some basic financial dos and don’ts as you prepare to quit your trucking job:
Before you quit your trucking job, DO:
- Have 4+ weeks of pay saved up. You may be going as long without a paycheck.
- Budget for everything. Include the cost of daily expenses on the road (food, coffee, etc.) as well as any expenses you need to take care of at home, like rent, utilities, and insurance.
- Ask about bonuses and cash flow. Ask your new carrier if they offer any hiring bonuses, and if so, how and when they will be paid out. Be sure to also ask when you will receive your first check.
- Have money on hand. Whether you use cards or cash, make sure you have ready access to your money between leaving your old carrier and starting new driver orientation.
Before you quit your trucking job, DON’T:
- Quit while you owe the company money. Ensure you have the money to cover any final lease payments and the maintenance costs required to recondition the truck for the next driver. You’ll be responsible for these costs if you leased the truck.
- Forget about travel costs. You may need to get yourself to orientation for your new position or pay for your own meals and accommodations during the orientation period. Ask your new carrier what expenses they’ll cover, if any, and budget accordingly.
- Be impatient. If you’re in a bad financial spot, take some time to save up before you put in your notice and start orientation with a new carrier. Your recruiter should understand if you need to wait to start orientation for a few weeks to get your ducks in a row.
2. Give Two Weeks’ Notice
You should always give two weeks’ notice. Some drivers will even give three weeks’ notice if they’re especially close with their dispatcher.
It’s common courtesy to give notice, but it will also help ensure you get a good review from your employer when you’re applying to other jobs in the future.
Here are some best practices for giving your notice as a truck driver:
- If you can, quit in person. Face-to-face interactions are always preferable to a phone call, and they’re especially preferable to a simple text or email.
- Be honest about why you’re leaving. In your conversation with your dispatcher, talk about your reasons for leaving. They may be able to offer a change that could make you stay, especially if you’re a valued driver.
- Document your notice. It doesn’t hurt to send out your notice on the Qualcomm or onboard computer messaging system. This will notify others of your departure, document it, and clarify when your last day will be. Don’t forget to thank everyone you worked with.
- Don’t quit until you have something else lined up.You should be scheduled for new driver orientation at your new carrier before you give notice. To avoid the chance of being disqualified once you get to orientation, be sure you are 100 percent honest about your driving experience. This includes your accident record, safety score and work history.
- Be prepared to hand over your keys. There’s always a chance your carrier will decide to send you on your way as soon as you give notice, especially if you weren’t in good standing with them. Carriers may do this to avoid truck abandonment.
If you quit in person, they may ask for the keys immediately. If you quit on the road, you may be quickly routed back to your carrier to turn the truck in.
Ultimately, giving an appropriate notice will make for a smoother transition from one job to the next — which will help get you back on the road and earning money as soon as possible.
3. Strategically Plan Your Last Day
If you’re in good standing, the day you give your notice to your dispatcher is unlikely to be your last day with that carrier. (Though, as discussed above, it can happen.) You will choose the date of your last day when you give your notice.
In general, most drivers choose to have their last day on a Friday so they can start new driver orientation on Monday. While you can certainly decide to do otherwise, this is the most common approach.
On your last day, ask your dispatcher to route you back to the terminal, headquarters, or authorized drop-off spot. This will allow you to drop off your truck and head straight to your new driver orientation.
4. Offload and Reorganize Your Gear
Okay, new driver orientation is so close, you can practically taste it — but you don’t want to be hauling a fridge, microwave, television, and weeks of clothing to your orientation. It’s a lot of baggage (literally) to lug around!
That’s why part of your strategic plan when you quit should include home time, so you can offload your nonessential gear.
During your home time before new driver orientation, pack the basics and leave the rest. A few weeks’ clothes, your sheets, and your iPad or computer should be fine for the duration.
Ideally, you’ll be routed home fairly quickly after orientation, so you can pick up the rest of your stuff then.
5. Clean Out Your Truck
Before you drop your truck off, take some time to clean it out. Here’s a quick checklist:
- Throw away any garbage
- Remove your personal belongings
- Sweep or vacuum the interior
- Wipe down all interior surfaces
If your leased truck is extremely dirty, you could be fined. Be considerate and take care of your truck — remember, someone will be coming into that truck behind you to clean and detail it. Be responsible and don’t leave them with a mess.
If you’ve been leasing your truck, take care of any final maintenance work. Carriers will spend thousands of dollars to get your truck back in top shape for its next driver.
If your truck needs repairs, you’ll need to cover the costs. Your carrier will pull from your escrow and maintenance accounts for this. If it requires extensive repairs that haven’t already been handled, your reserve from your escrow and maintenance accounts may not cover it.
In that case, you’ll have to spend money out-of-pocket — so don’t forget to factor these costs in as you consider your finances before finalizing your decision to leave.
6. Don’t Abandon Your Truck — Drop It Off in an Authorized Location
If you drop off your truck in an unauthorized location, like on the side of the road or in a parking lot, it’s considered truck abandonment. We can’t stress this enough: do not abandon your truck and do not abandon any loads.
Abandoned trucks costs carriers thousands of dollars to collect, and it will land you in hot water. Abandoning your truck with a load is considered even more severe.
If you abandon your truck as a lease operator, you may be fined or have your last check withheld. A truck abandonment will also go on your DAC report, so it could cost you opportunities at future carriers when they look at your work verification.
You will need to return your truck to the exact location specified by either your trucking carrier or the leasing company. Anywhere else is considered abandonment.
Park your truck in a spot where you can see the trucking company’s logo or building and the truck number. Take a picture for your records and send it to your dispatcher, along with a note describing when and where you dropped off your truck. This proves that you didn’t abandon your truck and leaves no ambiguity about where it is.
Make Your Next Move the Right Way
Leaving a carrier is a big move — financially, professionally, and emotionally. But with the right strategy, you can make a smooth exit that sets you up for success with your next job. From getting your finances in order and giving proper notice to planning your last day, cleaning out your truck, and turning it in the right way, every step matters.
When you take the time to leave on good terms, you protect your reputation, preserve future opportunities, and keep your DAC report clean. That’s not just good practice — it’s smart trucking.
So, if you’re gearing up for a change, keep these best practices in mind. A little planning now can pay off big down the road — and help you start your next chapter with confidence, clarity, and no loose ends in your rearview mirror.
If you live in one of our hiring/contracting areas and are considering switching trucking carriers, ATS is proud to have a driver-centric culture that puts you first. You’ll be treated with respect and given the tools you need to succeed and feel supported.
Still not sure if you’re ready to make a change? Read our article on 4 key things to consider before switching trucking companies. It’s full of helpful tips for organizing your thoughts and priorities as you weigh your options and make the best decision for you.