Mission Impossible !

I think you would need to know what the misdemeanor from last year is, if it is DUI, Possession or under the influence of a controlled substance, a felony that was 17b'ed down to a misdemeanor, open container in a motor vehicle, weenie waggin, to name a few may prevent you from just being a company driver, insurance companies won't touch you with one that recent. Maybe give a bit more info on the misdemeanor.

 

1) Make a list of companies that will put you through truck school.
2) Make a list of the above companies that would be willing to hire you.
3) Go to the truck school, get your CDL, and work for that company for 5 years, and save everything you can.
4) In the meantime, read everything on this forum that you can, and then re-read it.
5) If you have a wife and/or kids and you're not willing to risk losing them, then don't get into the industry.

I've been a driver since 2005, and I just now recently went out and got my own truck. I would not even THINK about getting my own authority right now, and I may in fact never do that. I'm leased to a small carrier making a real good % of gross, and I can find my own loads when I want - and even with all of this, all of my experience, a brand new warrantied truck, having control over my income, and making a good % of the revenue, I STILL MIGHT FAIL. Truck payment w/ insurance is $3057/month. I could very well lose everything if I don't do things right. Even some bad luck could ruin it all and I'd be broke and back to square one. I went into this knowing the risks, and I was willing to take them. You have to be willing to as well, but your chances of failure are going to be much higher if you jump into this not knowing a #### thing about what you're getting into.

11 years I have been in the trucking industry, and sure some with less have succeeded, but someone who hasn't even driven a truck before, if I read it right? It's a long journey, and you have to start at the beginning if you're serious. No shortcuts.

 

415 conviction is either your stereo was to loud, you challenged someone to fight, or you provoked a fight. Many DA's will also 17b from a felony assault to a 415 conviction to dispose of it. If you were challenging someone to fight, provoked a fight, were the aggressor, or it was 17b'ed that may raise some eyebrows. You should be ready to explain it with a copy of the police report,. Don't be afraid to discuss it, being upfront about what it was, and how you are dealing with it to make sure it does no reoccur is your best bet.

 

I agree 100%. Either be upfront or if they don't ask, don't say a word.

 

A business plan will not teach you how to run a company. You seem to be stuck on this. Even when you mentioned riding with someone, you talked about writing things down while the O/O drives. Writing what? I don't always agree with some of the more "Spirited" (I have another choice for a word) posters nay-saying every new effort to start a company, and being insulting and arrogant while they do it, however, somewhere hidden in their rant is truth. I've come to understand this.

I'll be partnering with someone. I'll have trucks running under his authority, and since we've known each other our whole lives, he's willing to show me the business inside and out. I realized when speaking with him that although I might very well be successful doing it on my own, researching the hell out of everything and trying to make good business decisions, I'm better off learning from someone whose been there/is there. When I'm ready, I'll get my authority and run under my own banner.......Maybe.

You however, don't appear to want to research and find answers to your questions. Your current business plan is to ride with someone and take notes, for your business plan. A lot of the posters here have held back at bit. I'm quite surprised you haven't been really blasted yet. Though in this instance, it might be apropos.

Be very careful about what you do going forward. Just about every admonition in this thread, and the other one you started, has value and truth in them. Make good decisions man.

 

Popcorn anybody?

 

You can tell guys until you're blue in the face to get some experience and most of them won't listen. They want to dive in head first on a hair brained idea. What do you mean suggesting getting an actual driving job somewhere and learning from the bottom up!? That could take years!! Ride along for a few days and jot down some notes... good to go...