Trucking: changing truck companies, mileage rates, dependable truck

Question
My son is a truck driver.  He has only been one for about 8 months.  He started out at Crst, but they wouldn't let him be solo,so he changed to Werner and was with them for a couple of months when he quite because they wouldn't let him off for a funeral.  Than he found a local company but after a month they fired him because they said he either didn't have enough training or that he wasn't a local driver but we think it is because he was off after he injured his arm and had to take time off with doctor slip, just 4 days.  When he went back to see when he started they told him he would start the next day after his doctor's appointment which was at 9 am than he would go to work in the afternoon.  The next day when he showed up they told him he was fired.  We think it was because he had those days off.  Now he wishes he had turned it into Workmans Comp. The question is: How many companies can you move to in 1 year before you have to wait 3 years.  He heard 3 in one year than you have to wait 3 years before you can change jobs. Thanks  eastlrk@yahoo.com

Answer
Elizabeth, wow, it sounds like he is off to a rocky start.  There is always a demand for safe dependable truck drivers and most quality companies require a certain length of verifiable experience along with a good DMV record.  So the key now is to find a job and stick with it even if it's not perfect or sometimes inconvenient.  That's the nature of truck driving, it's not an 8-5 40 hour job.  There is no set time before he can change carriers, each carrier has their own policies, but most will reward their loyal drivers who have the flexibility to meet their customer's requirements.  Both hourly and mileage rates generally increase the longer you stay with the same company as they don't want to keep training new drivers.  Best of luck.
Jim.