Brother released from prison. What are his chances of an OTR job?

I was released from prison in 2007, after serving 4.5 years. One of the hardest things I've ever been through is finding employment, being a convicted felon. I'm not talking about a job making minimum wage, but a job where you can save, and not live week to week. I knew when I finally got out that it would be an uphill battle, but with hard work, would be able to make something happen. When I got out, I was lucky enough to get a job in the grading business operating a finish bulldozer. After 2 years of being out, I was laid off due to the economy. Luckily, I was able to save enough money to go to school, and got an associates degree in criminal justice. Through my parole, and probation officer, I found places to volunteer to help regain trust from employers and those that I needed to take a chance on me at some point. Once I finished school, all my associates degree did was show that I could accomplish something that took a lot of time, and effort.

From being in the grading business, I was around a lot of diesel trucks, and drivers. I always liked the idea of traveling around the country in a truck. After a little bit of research, I made it my next goal. This site almost talked me out of taking the trucking route. Between school, and the time I'd have to invest, I couldn't afford to get my cdl's, and not get a job. It's not cheap to get a job in this industry.

I paid, and completed cdl school and got my cdl. By the time I had my cdl in hand, I had been turned down well over 100 times. The best advice I can give to anyone that is being turned down, over and over, is to look for alternative ways to introduce yourself to a company. Convince them that you're worth the chance they are taking on you. If it weren't for my degree, even though it has nothing to do with trucking, I wouldn't have landed this job.

A lot of trucking companies are tired of the limitations that insurance companies are putting on them. Those limitations also caused a lot of companies to start self-insuring themselves. These are the companies that have the power to hire a felon that has been to prison. Once you get experience behind the wheel, a lot more doors will open, regardless of your past. The key to take take full advantage of every opportunity given, and find someone that is willing to take a chance on you. I've been fortunate to find a few people that want to see me succeed. Those people will come with doing the right thing, and hard work.

Good luck to your brother. I often tell people that the prison part of my sentence was the easiest part. It didn't get truly hard until I was released. 8/10 people are going to discredit your brother as just another convict. It's up to him to change that stigma. Last month, while dropping a load in PA, marked my fifth year out of prison. If I can change, anyone can.

False... A parolee, or probationer can go outside of his home state to work. It may take some time for the PO to gain trust, but it can, and does happen. The first step is definitely to find a steady job where he can save money.

This is false. A company will give him an opportunity. It may not be the first day out of prison, but it's a real possibility that a company will hire him.

He's lucky he found someone to give him a shot.

It doesn't matter what company he goes to, as long as they can verify a years experience after a year of employment. It's all that matters his first year driving.

 

No problem...

The uphill battle has been one of the most rewarding experiences I've been through. It's a slow process, but it's worth it when you start accomplishing your goals. It's good your brother has a family to help support him. That alone is a huge advantage.

 

The world is having a hard time finding just an average job. I can’t fathom a newly convicted felon competing for jobs which disqualify drivers for two or three traffic violations.

 

If he can operate a CMV in a safe and efficient manner, present a professional image, and can communicate effectively verbally and in writing, then I'd sure hire him over a lot of the wannabes that I've seen posting in the forums here.

 

Whats wrong with being a wannabee and doing the proper research? That is why they created websites such as these. Unlike the ones you are claiming to be willing to hire, I am doing NO harm. The man you are willing to hire committed a crime which took the life of another. I am sure if that was one of your loved ones you would be unwilling to hire them. Just RIDICULES!

 

everything been said. but what i have seen work is
get with a small company who don't care about his back ground. just a clean cdl which he will have.
he will have a 100% chance if he gets a cdl a truck and his own authority and then he is a true owner op running off the boards until he develops connections.

 

My point was that there are many wannabes that post here who cannot spell properly, do not seem to understand the use of proper English, cannot compose a complete and understandable sentence, cannot search to find the information that they are seeking, and yet somehow feel that they deserve a top paying customer facing position representing a company by operating their equipment. This man, on the other hand has apparently paid for what he's done by serving out the sentence that he was given, and appears to have shown initiative by using that time to educate himself. In my mind, he would be positioned ahead of the others that didn't take the time to become better educated and better able to communicate.

 

Obviously recidivism is terribly high. But that does NOT mean that your bro cannot "beat the odds." Lots of folks do. Having going for him all that you have mentioned in your last post here, means that his chances for success are much better than average.