Past Felonys..New Driver..Need Help

Huh? Lots and lots of companies that don't require hazmat or TWIC card. I respectfully 100% disagree with your last sentence.

 

I thanked both @Moose1958 and @RollingRecaps. Moose is correct that you are far more valuable with at least your Hazmat endorsement. RollingRecaps is correct that many companies don't do Hazmat or TWIC loads.

In Moose's scenario IMHO that's ALL on the company that kept sending drivers that didn't have Hazmat or TWIC. All it takes is keeping a list of which drivers have them. No excuse for that.

 

Felons can get both hazmat and TWIC; they just can't run Canada.

 

I keep in touch with an ex-co-worker who's husband recently got his CDL.

Problem is he served hard-time in Upstate NY for armed robbery.

I figure the poor guy might as well wipe his ### with it. In many cases you are the sum of the degree and egregiousness of your mistakes. This be one of those times.

 

He's hirable. Last year a guy that did 21 yrs. for murder was hired right out of cdl school.
Tell him to try these 2nd chance companies:
USA Truck
TransAm
RoadTex
Carolina Cargo
Covenant Transport
Western Express
May Trucking Company
Paschall Truck Lines - runs eastern states
PI&I Motor Express

Tell him to do the online applications before any phone calls. This way, when he does call he can say, "I'm checking on my job application", then they can pull up his application on their computer screen. These companies bend their hiring rules that is on the websites.
Edit : Another company that hires felons is Carolina Logistics. They have their own cdl school also. Don't know much about it, but I understand they train new drivers with owner-operators and help the new driver to become an owner-operator. I don't know if this is fact, it just what I've been able to come up with from other posts.

 

China,i remember reading that Canada has a system in place for certain felons being allowed in.
There is a list off conditions that have to be adhered too.
And the application has to happen before you try to go to Canada.
I would advice any felon to contact Canadian immigration if he/she wants/needs to go there.
You might be in luck and meet the criteria.

 

If I understand correctly you can get your evaluation from Canada within 48 hours. If you qualify, then you need a passport.

 

Let me say this, as I stated before-I applied with 2 of those companies with letters toward the end of the alphabet. I work for one now. I have convictions from 1988 to 1997. Got out in 2011, so you can see it must have been major but not heinous. They ran my criminal right in front of me and it was supposedly clear!!! I had told them no never convicted. The other place I was honest and they didn't care. The cpm wasn't good, so I told them no.
Fresh out of school with both. I have hauled high value loads of stuff coming out of mines on a flatbed for them. When there was no freight in AZ they hooked me up to a dry van with a flatbed tractor and I pulled high value Lowe's. Someone may not trust that load with a burglar or robber or whatever, but everyone is happy. In between stints with them, I was allowed with a local outfit to pull a 38 or 40' reefer with a lift gate into elementary schools and low level prison camps after passing that company's background check. I'm sure the prisons didn't know or really care, but a maximum security prison would have caught it. Trust me on this. Probably couldn't get a hazmat or twic even though none of my offenses are permanently disqualifying, but the history is extensive and I did more than 365 days which I believe matters. However, I still get paid and get offers from LOTS of companies that on a bad week pay 700 or 800 and a good week 1300 after taxes (OR even 1900 if I roll the dice which I don't anymore). Or Wallyworld drop and hook 10k relocation bonus and guaranteed 950 weekly minimum home every night with a company or 2 that pull for them. It seems to me they know. But the length of time since court, the no creepiness of the offenses-I think that's what they see and take a chance on. Perhaps they even LIKE people like that because they have endurance, push limits, can be alone for a long time, appreciate $900. Residence history, job history even if you never worked at the place you found online that the health dept. shut down years ago, no failed urine, no dui or too bad of mvr-that's what they look at. Then, after 1 or 2 years or 9 months, suddenly everyone wants you. If this pertains to you at all-it's the absolute truth. And it's not just those 2 companies, it's just I stopped looking at 40cpm straight out of cdl school with the 2nd carrier.

 

Does your school have job placement?? I know the one I went to offers lifetime job placement for all students that graduate. Maybe check back with the school and see if they have a job board or a connection with a company.

 

I talked with a guy say before yesterday that was pulling flatbed with Western express. He had 3 felony convictions out of Texas. Breaking and entering with intent to do serious bodily harm, breaking and entering with a gun specification, and felonious assault. All from the same instance. Said he didn't serve time but got 5 years probation because no one showed up to the trial to testify against him so the prosecutor offered him a plea and was released in 2015. He had driving experience at that time. SRT offered him a job once he has 6 months otr after his release, so he signed up with Western express. Since he (the op) lives up on Connecticut, and Western loves to keep guys up in the North East, I'm fairly certain he should be able to get a place with Western