Still in CDL A school

I'm sure someone will chime in with more knowledge on this subject, but I'm pretty sure most companies won't touch you with that recent of a DUI. I'm not sure how long ago it has to be but I want to say it must be at least 7 years ago.

Not trying to discourage you but this is a question that should have been asked before shelling out your hard earned money for cdl school. Most would have suggested to someone in your position to check with companies and get pre-hire letters before spending money on school.

If you wait a few years you might have to go back to school, but at the very least you will need a refresher course.

I hope I'm wrong and you get pre-hire letters flooding your mailbox, but my suggestion would be to try a small company who doesn't care about felonies. You might have to deal with a crappy company for a while if you can find one to hire you. Apply to EVERY company you can find and see if you get any nibbles.

If you aren't catching any fish, try casting a bigger net.

 

5yrs for DUI .....go for LTL ,work the dock and yard dog
....most LTL starts off at around 14 to 17 an hr ....if you're married with kids ,DON'T GO OTR!!!! ....the felony im not sure about the time frame .....KEEP FILLIN OUT APS ... then pushin em in a kind manner ....flip burgers for awhile until you get the call .....stay home fish !!!!! ...living in a suit case gets old faster than you think ...been there done that
If not...........Go for it bro wish u well

 

Carolina cargo. I hear they will hire you even with a murder conviction. Unless you murdered someone at Carolina cargo.

*edit if the person you murdered at Carolina cargo had less than 3 months experience your still ok.

 

Or if the person is a dispatcher

 

Once again, let me point out that I am an ex-felon. I went through school while on parole. I violated my parole every time I went to class as the school was in Kansas and i live in Missouri. Companies review felonies on a case by case basis. You have a felony but you do not say what kind of a felony it is. People believe that some felonies are okay while others are crimes. Did you do time in Prison? I did. I had a guy try to rob me in Prison. *story to follow below.

You need to apply to all companies that you can think of. Fed ex turned me down and then I appealed to the higher ups and they reversed the call. Truck driving is a lot like prison. You will deal with Aholes who think they have a lot of power. Like the COs who write you up for bs. You have to learn how to smile and be polite even when you really want to bust a head or two. Living in a truck is a lot like being in a cell. Small place that if you don't keep clean can drive you crazy. If you team it is like having a cellie who may or may not make you want to drive a piece of metal through their eyeballs. Truck driving keeps you away from your family. You will be monitored as to your movements. You will have to deal with law enforcement many times during the day. At scales they can call you in for an inspection, much like count time. I could go on and on. Again it all depends on your crime. When you apply for a job. Fill out the application but only put in information that is asked for. Do not volunteer anything. And do not be apologetic for your past. It is my belief that anyone who has your dna and lived the same life you did, would make the exact same choices.

Now as to the idiot who tried to rob me. In Missouri they have a program for first time offenders where the Judge can give the person what is called a 120 day call back. That means if you are sent to prison for 8 years that you can be sent for 120 days as shock. Then after the 120 days you are called back in front of the Judge and he places you on probation for the 8 years. It is entirely up to the Judge. Now the difference between probation and parole is not important in this case. However, if you are on probation that time does not count against your sentence. You can serve almost all of your time on probation and then go to prison for the entire sentence. Parole time counts toward your sentence. In call back cases the 120 days in prison does not count. So you can serve the 120 and still owe the entire sentence.

I was in a large dorm like area that housed 100 of us hardened criminals. This young guy was trying to impress the other guys as to how bad he was. So he decided to rob me. He climbs over the wall between my area and his and tries to break into my locker. No such luck. After all, I have 24 cans of rootbeer there. I keep it locked. I find out what he had tried and decided he needed to be taught a lesson. So, I got a hold of some probation and parole papers from a guy headed home. We copied the letter head and wrote out that the judge had changed his mind on the punks case. He was no longer going to get the 120 day call back but was going to have to do his entire 8 years. The judge had heard from one of the guards that this punk was trying to break into lockers. We then got a guard to hand the probation and parole papers directly to the guy. He reads them and started CRYING. Like baseball there is no crying in prison. He then goes to the phone and calls his mother. They bought share a cry. The mom goes to see the judge and tells him how unfair it is that just because he tried to rob some guy in prison that is no reason to keep him locked up. The Judge finds it all very interesting that the guy had not learned his lesson. So, he doesn't give the guy the entire 8 years but he does extend the stay a second 120 days.

 

I don't have bad record so I can only speak of what I have seen. I know the company I worked for before I retired would not touch you. They had a waiting list for new drivers and the luxury to pick who they wanted. I worked for a major oil company and I can tell you the better paying gasoline tanker jobs or even the other types of trucking jobs that are desirable will most likely pass you by. I also know if you just sit back and apply on line you stand no chance of a decent job. You'll end up with the job nobody wants. Reviewing a job application and not knowing the individual is very easy for a company to do.

So far you've dropped the ball in researching the industry by paying for your school and now seeking out a job. That should have been done before you spent a dime. I know it's water spilled so I say this only to show you it's better to know for yourself before making any other big moves. What I would do right now while in school is look for companies in the area where you can go and see them. You need to put a face on your application. Ask them if you qualify and if not what you have to do to get qualified. Some might tell you you'll have to wait while others may send you to another company and you're working the next day. You'll never know if you do not go out and see them. At least you've used the best method and you won't have the doubts if you applied the wrong way. Start by going to them, then next call them, and last send an application to them. You'll have a struggle for sure plus you need to remember that these companies might have a lot of job applications to go through. A smaller company just might be the way. You might even find one that is self-insured. The way it looks from reading this site that most new drivers coming out of school follow the way of the recruiter and end up at the mega-carriers. Good luck and know the more you put into this job the more you'll get out.

 

Hey there drivers. I am in a similar situation. I have a three year old felonie still on paper. I applied at carolina cargo turned in my dmvr and got a pre hire before i ever stepped foot in school. I chose a school called career tech. They are a small outfit and you get quite a bit of seat time. But on my first week im teaching pre trips and skills. Im gonna test next week and hit orientation. Carolina dont pay crap. But they will give a guy a chance! Good luck.

 

Sorry, don't put a lot of faith in pre-hire letters. They don't really check until you're there. There's been drivers here that finished school moved on to the company and started driving with a trainer only to be called in and let go.

 

Ive been told by many people that carolina cargo is a second chance company and they already know my situation. They got my background info prior to my pre hire.