I was an off the street hire.
Started FT driving Day 1.
So most of what you said is incorrect.
Never was laid off in my career.
Was this within the past two decades? The culture has changed Within the past 8-9 years, at least around here. Off the street FT is 1 in 100 around here. Back in the 90s or 80s, maybe it was the norm.
Then again, Some regions and hubs just flat out suck. Im in a larger metro area, and I know they hire off the street to FT in smaller mountain towns constantly. But for the more desired metro routes, it's a true show grind to get to top rate.