Questions, help please!

1. You will not make much money starting out. So if you are looking for a huge cash infusion trucking won't do it. You will make next to nothing in the beginning while you are going through training and all of that.

2. There are companies that will get you your CDL but as you know that company will want you to stay with them for a year. That is an option and I know of a couple who have done that but again you are going to be in one of those driver mill companies. Most people it seems are not very happy at the starter companies and try to leave ASAP. So if you don't mind being stuck at one of those companies for a year then I think that would be your best option. At least from a financial standpoint I think.

 

Before you go any further I would call around to some different companies to see if they will even hire you. With your current record I don't think you are hire-able. The suspension isn't a real big deal but the "pot charge" surely put the nail in your coffin!

You may have not been charged but all the applications you fill out are going to say "Have you ever been arrested?" Then you are going to have to explain why. Misdemeanor or not I don't think any company will touch you with that recent of a drug charge.

Good luck though, let us know how it turns out.

 

Hey Bud. Yes there is some companies that will train you and see to it you get your CDL A but those companies in general are not very good at paying you for your hard work, you won't make much and then you will regret making your choice , I would go to a school that offers CDL training a s suck it up and just get it , but if you do get financial aid which I think you will that lady at the college was wrong but if you do get the CDL it's gonna be difficult to find a company to pay you good money being new , you have to prove that you can work a truck and make money with that truck, look at like this a carpenter uses his tools to build and your tools are the truck just because you now know how to drive doesn't mean you know what to do as a driver a professional driver , being a professional means knowing how that trailer is loaded Weight is key you get hauled in to a weigh station and your over weight on a certain axle that's big fines you are responsible for all that , knowing how to get to your appt on time backing in to a door with barley any room this alone could break you , driving that unit and trailer is skill , it's all about setting yourself up , but until you get good money is average it stinks but that's the facts , so a lot of new guys suck it up and go with a swift and companies like them to gain experience and confidence once you gain this money gets Better but you need a year or two to get there , that's the cold hard facts my friend , but good things do come to those who wait , being aProfessional Driver has given me a good life it is very rewarding and you see small town America for free. Good Luck !!

 

I'd look at the application to see if it says "arrested" or "convicted." I seem to remember that the application said "convicted," not "arrested." Big difference, because you can be arrested for many reasons, but never convicted for any crime.

Also, as far as I know, the money is not great for a few years. I'd say drivers just starting out are lucky to make in the mid 20's. For me, that's enough to live on for awhile though I'd like to make more. You have to live real frugally on the road to save money too, like cooking in your truck, and shower/fuel programs.

I went to a community college. The program cost me about 1,020 total for the 10 week period, and I lived at a friend's house, so I could have probably lived on 2,000 while at school, if I had a job waiting for me when I got out.

 

You need to make absolutely sure you have no discoverable arrest record first Jake; background check yourself.
Next, having a suspended license for 5 years (and no driving record for that time) is gonna be a problem for you...even if it was just lapsed parking tickets.

You need to call all the usual carriers that offer training and at a minimum get pre-hire letters that establishes you're at least hire-able....BEFORE you get your CDL.

 

MULTIPLE companies ask "Have you ever been arrested?" I've seen some applications ask "Have you ever been charged with a felony? Misdemeanor? If 'yes' please provide details." As far as being convicted, even if adjudication is withheld or you complete a pre-trial intervention and have the charge reduced or adjudication withheld, it STILL shows on a background check UNLESS your record is expunged and it takes usually seven years (different states' mileage may vary) before qualifying to get a record expunged. You can't have a felony expunged, you can't have multiple charges expunged and you can do it only ONCE.

The drug charge is going to haunt him for some years to come (at least) and as Keyster said, that suspension is also going to do him damage. Companies ALWAYS ask if you ever had a license suspended or denied.

 

All the apps I've filled out lately say convicted not arrested. Still wouldn't hurt to call around though. Nothing like having a pre hire or two before school.

 

CLICK HERE for a list of trucking companies that hire new drivers.

Like the other drivers told you, read the applications carefully. Maybe you can get away without mentioning the pot. The liscense suspension you can't hide, but parking tickets maybe won't be a problem. All you can do is try, try, and try again.

Under the circumstances, with the obstacles you must overcome, you may better reconsider MTC, if you have a pre-hire from them.

Also, go to your unemployment office or Dept. of Labor and ask about WIA-Workers Investment Act, which will pay for drivers school, and if accepted, you won't be out any money and not obligated to any company.

In the 1970's I was in the Navy with a William Faulkner from Alabama.