Does my past haunt me??

Not quite sure of your situation, or location. Guessing Ca. ? Have you decided on what type of driving you want to do ? Anyway... getting your CDL is not that hard, study a lot and make sure you get all endorsements. A CDL "A" is so much more valuable than a "B", get all endorsements, that will make you very marketable. There is good money in Tanker and HazMat. HazMat will require a TSA Background Check, might as well go for the TWIC Card and Passport. With these credentials, you can go to Canada, Mexico, as well as rail yards and ports. It just opens so many more doors, in spite of the past. Yes it does get expensive to have these but there are a lot of companies in need of this and a lot of drivers who can't / won't get them. Don't limit yourself. Some places will reimburse you for school and some endorsements, some will want a year out of you if they do pay for it. This could be a way to go if you are cash strapped. If you can afford to pay it up front the company will still pay for it, but it goes to you and you don't have the 1 yr. commitment, on the other hand, that 1st year always seems to be the toughest to get. You can't get hired without the experience, you can't get the experience without getting hired, round and round we go. Just stay away from the CDL mills and bottom feeder companies. A lot of the big places get Gov. funding for new hires, the company gets paid whether you make it or not. If you don't make it you still end up paying back the 5K or whatever the school cost and you are thumbing it back home. It would be a shame to get a bus ride to orientation somewhere and a few days later up pops some dirt on you and they kick you to the curb.

Unless you are desperate, you don't have to settle. Make sure the school is accredited and the companies are somewhere you wouldn't be embarrassed to be seen.

Let the fear of failure be your motivation ! 8)

 

I have one speeding ticket going 5 over and failure to recognize a stop sign and I had other speeding tickets in the past one was 15 over and that was years ago and it didn't show up on my record. This is in Michigan so I think after so long they take it off your record. Go to the dmv or secretry of state and ask for your record and see if it shows up. The record will tell you if you qualify for a cdl and you could give that to a company. And if it doesn't show up your golden.

 

"Just stay away from the CDL mills and bottom feeder companies."
"Unless you are desperate, you don't have to settle. Make sure the school is accredited and the companies are somewhere you wouldn't be embarrassed to be seen."
thanks alley dock.i've been reading this refrain all over these pages. as a driver to be, in CDL school at JC right now with all my endorsements and a passport, I am checking out potential carriers for the next step. I am open to relocation anywhere and I don't mind one bit not being at home, I've lived on the road working before Texas, maybe? and want to get on with tankers. How do I find a decent company that will train me? What should I look for? Any insights would be greatly appreciated. I also have the "10 year issue" as mentioned above, but have led a clean and sober life for the last 9 years and plan to continue it. Any advice is greatly appreciated.

 

You might check out Schneider, they have a great safety and training program. You can also move within the company, tanker, van, office, management, etc. At least with them you will get trained properly, lots of drive time with a trainer and able to move on after you get some time in if you want.

Look on this forum under tankers and look for Ethos and Chinatown, they are very knowledgeable and helpful.

You can also look up companies that interest you and give them a call to find out what they would require of you. Ask your school for the contacts they have and then get with the recruiters, a lot of companies will reimburse your tuition. You want that plus good benefits, matching 401k, good equipment, uniforms, etc.

If you don't mind living in the truck, you can save a lot of money on rent and such, just bank the paychecks and depending on how old you are, you could probably retire early, or at least buy a car and a house with out much financing. Think up a long term plan. If you are married, it might be hard on the relationship being gone all the time. It cost my uncle 2 wives. $$$$$ he pays out.


Te better companies will be harder to get on with until you have had some seat time under your belt. Keep in mind it doesn't look good if your resume shows a bunch of short term jobs. Employers figure you won't stay around very long, so don't be a job hopper. That's why it's important to do your homework and find good companies from the get go. Keep your CDL clean, it is a very valuable, probably the most valuable thing in your wallet. It IS your job, if you are a driver. You are considered a professional, so respect it.

Good luck.

 

This had be laughing pretty hard lol

"Don't be scared of that chicken coop. Overweight tickets aren't nearly as bad as going to the hole for beating up the guy who stole your cigarettes."

 

Sounds like you were actually a good kid! Most motor heads have some old baddies on there record, but IMO they make the best drivers!
Only problem I see is if you want to go to Canada you may have to have that old stuff expunged.

 

Roehl will hire if you only have one DUI. I have a DUI from 1998 recruiter said no problem as long as it's only one.


QUOTE="stevep1977, post: 4522405, member: 55147"]A few real picky companies don't accept any dui's ever. Roehl is one of them but they're not even that great of a company anyway. A large majority of companies want no DUI's in the last 10 years OR LESS. Some 5, bottom of the barrel companies probably would hire you if you had a DUI yesterday. You'll be fine[/QUOTE]

 

Sorry you are out of luck. You have to be a saint to be qualified to drive a stinking truck down the road.

But you can go to school to be a welder, nurse, almost anything - and you will make more money than some dumb bazztard sleeping in a parking lot full of pee all night in his tin box big rig glory.