Ex con trying to drive trucks......

Having worked in trucking yards, my advice to you is to get the license on your own. Then be at the right place at the right time for companies "just hire" people. I had a friend you had a record and he drove for a carnival company. Other of my criminal friends drove for tree trimmers and construction companies. You can always find work for drivers who need help loading and unloading doing beverage runs and similar. Your CDL will be a valuable asset.

 

Sorry but there is no such thing has "on the job training with a permit". To be hired has a driver you need the full licences. And anyone who tells you to try and hire on has a second seat with an O/O doesnt know what they are talking about. Because you only have a permit that means the other person has to be be in the passenger seat and fully awake at all times while you are driving. Think about it why would they pay you to drive the truck while they sit in the passenger seat. When they could just drive the truck and keep all of the earnings.

 

Sorry, but no one is an "EX-Felon". Once a felon, always a felon.

Sounds harsh...but reality sucks. Actions have consequences.

Here is a common statement found in a lot of company's applications:

"No felony convictions in the last 10 years. ALL felony convictions must be approved by xxxx management."

Says nothing about EX-FELONS.

 

To many trucker's out of work... to even try a driving job....unless your a Perfect person...lol..

 

That's the point that needs to be made. It all depends on the company if you can get hired. Then they'll go through their list and if they get towards the bottom you may have a shot. There's lots of drivers out of work with a much better record than yours so you've got to think about that. Sure some of these people here will say you've learned your lesson and deserve a break but those are the same people that say you shouldn't be driving a truck at all when they find out you were driving drunk and killed a truck driver. That's just a point I make to show It's not a fair system and you need to know that.

I believe your best best is to find a company that does hire felons and work the dock or some other job there so you can get to know the people. Because I don't think you stand much of a chance of going to a CDL school and then finding a driving job. Even one of those ones in Vegas. BTW, I drove in Vegas and it was my goal to drive for that company because of the pay and benefits. I've never heard of a Vegas truck driver getting paid less because he's in Vegas anyway.

You're hear of other drivers with a felony but they equal about the same as an OTR driver making what I made. IOW's it's very rare. For every felon driver that has work there's a thousand that don't. So you'll need to either slip in the back door or get real lucky. Either way you won't be making much money when you could find another trade that pays better. Of course that's all up to you but just don't get the idea that you can look in the local or bad places and find work. It's going to be extremely hard to get on the road and you won't make any money until you do. That could be a very long time. That's the way I've seen it and sorry I won't sugar coat it. Good luck to you.

 

if the felony is more than 10 yrs old then you don't have to report it on the app. and it's at your discretion if you want to tell them. I interviewed with a company last week, thinking about changing jobs, the app. said nothing about felonies, during the interview the guy asked me, I told him I had one that was 17 yrs old. He asked why I didn't list it, I told him the app. didn't ask for it. He then tried to use the line that I can't get my HAZMAT, I pulled out my wallet and showed him CDL with TX endorsements. HE stuttered and stammered, I asked him how many years had he been driving (he was in his early 50's) he said he had about 5 yrs exp. before taking over the safety/hiring dept. I told him that I have 13 yrs and over a million miles exp., I then thanked him for his time and told him that since he couldn't be honest with me and had to try and judge me because of my past that I couldn't work for him.

Your wrong on lumping people together. As someone with a felony in his past, I believe everyone deserves a 2nd chance and the entire situation needs to be looked at. If someone was drunk driving and got caught for it, I believe in giving them another chance to get clean, sober, and straight. I someone drunk drives and kills anyone, they don't deserve a 2nd chance, regardless of if it's a ped, car, truck, bus, etc.

as I stated before, he needs to find a CDL school that isn't going to lie to him. before he signs on the dotted line, they need to show him proof they have companies that will hire someone with a felony. in Vegas, he's gonna have a hard time finding a job digging ditches with a felony in his past, that's the fact of life in Vegas. Hell, the process, as a felon, to get a "Convicted Persons" card as required in Las Vegas to have if you have a felony and want to gamble, is an all day project that has no guarentee of success. I was on my honeymoon when I obtained mine, the a-holes at LVMPD were jerks about it, I had all the required paperwork from my Probation officer in hand when I walked in. He told me I was missing some form and needed to call probation and have her fax it to him. When I called her, she had no idea what he was talking about. She had to called the USP&P office in Vegas and have them contact him to get it straightened out.

what other trade is he going to look into? most of the unions, electricians, carpenters, etc., etc., etc., aren't going to touch him either.

 

I went to school with a guy who was a recent convicted felon.. The training and safety officer (old neighborhood friend) asked him what did he do? He said spent 7yrs in prison for drug conviction. My friend told him that he would have to knock on a lot of doors in order to get a job, but not impossible. He just wasn't going to guarantee him he could find work..Well the next day the dude never came back...

 

I've had a problem with only a 10 year old misdemeanor arrest, and the subsequent conviction of a violation, to wit, garbage picking. So far, Covenent is the only one to offer a "pre-hire", for whatever that is worth. Ohnoo has it right. The school will tell you what ever they think you want to hear, as long as you can pay for the school somehow. I suspect someone will actually hire me, but it will be a long row to hoe. The job market seems flooded with applicants, and employers can be choosey.

 

dude ignore the idiots telling you that you wont be able to drive a truck. alot of the major companys wont touch you ever that much is true. depending on the charges some will some wont. my felonys dui's and all my other misshapps are 10 years old. i was on probation for a while and violated did over 2 years. i was working for a decent company less than a month after i was released in 2004. getting experience is going to be your biggest problem. paschall truck lines in murry ky, i know a recruiter for them and they do not check your criminal history. i dont recomend lying but if thats what it takes to get your foot in the door then well i cant knock you for it. i have worked for major companys, deliverd to military bases, prisons, ran mail, dell computers, all with companys that "would never hire a criminal"

as to all the negative comments i will get for this i dont check replys and i dont check my email. good luck with your situation! =)

 

Have you looked around since 2004? A lot has changed in just the last year alone when it comes to hiring... Suggesting a felon pursue a school is asking him to just throw his money away. I know a guy that just got a CDL and has tried everyone. No one will even give him the time of day until 10 years pass... PTL even told him must be 10 years old.