Felons

Absolutely, with felonies it is what was the crime and how long ago did it happen. I know a guy that manages a small fleet. They mostly run up and down the east coast. I can't remember exactly how many tractors he has, but it is over 15. One of his longest-serving drivers is a convicted felon. He is in his 50s and robbed a store at gunpoint back when he was 16 or 17. This man generally won't hire a felon. As @REO6205 said. Some smaller fleets won't hire people convicted of some crimes.

Knowing what I know now. If I was wanting to get a CDL with a felony record I would try to get some assistance and find a trade school that has a CDL program. Some of these schools have a great job placement office.

 

I second what everyone said. It can be difficult if they are fresh. There are drivers out here that have felony drug charges. They got cleaned up and are out here working. It may be hard with more reputable big time companies but if I were to wager a guess, I'd say that it's not impossible.

 

We have a driver with an aggravated assault. The reason he's here? It happened in the 1980s during a drunken fight.

Even crimes in those listed categories aren't automatic at most places, provided sufficient time has passed since the crime was committed and all supervision is complete. For us, we'll consider most after 10-15 years.

Oh, yeah... Sex crimes. We're gonna probably look at the age you were when you committed the crime and what the charge actually was. After all, there are countless tales of the boy turning 18 and the parents of the girl having him arrested for statutory rape. Not all states have 3-year Romeo and Juliet buffers. So if you just turned 18 and your HS sweetheart was still 15 or 16, we're probably gonna overlook that one.

 

If you're in the hiring area, apply with Millis Transfer.
Unless the policy has changed, Millis hires drivers right out of prison.
It's a good company and the paychecks are very good.
Let us know your location and maybe can give you more suggestions.
CDL-A School | Millis Transfer

 

I worked with a fella(actually he was assigned to the yard I manage), who was convicted of a sex crime, he was getting a divorce and the wife claimed he diddled the daughter, half way thru the divorce process, he couldn’t afford a competent lawyer to defend himself, so pleaded out, spent 2+ years behind bars. Was rehired by my employer upon release. Has been an above average employee. Has a CDL A, with Haz., and access to refinery’s.

 

carnivalwarehouse.com

 

Carnival & Fair Industry News - CarnivalWarehouse.com

 

I thought Chicago 1099 companies prefer felons so when they take your money you will just walk, and not raise a big stink.

 

Not true. I’m a convicted felon myself and I got my TWIC and hazmat immediately after I was released. It all depends on the conviction(s). You can get a full list online.
To the OP:
If you want it, get it. Don’t let anyone deter you. It won’t be easy, but it can be done. I got my CDL around 99, and my felony (aggravated assault) in 2010. I had a hard time getting hired even with experience. But, I didn’t take no for an answer, and I was 100% honest with everyone. When you get hired on with your first company, stick it out a year or two, and that will open things up considerably.
Good luck.

 

It’s all about how you talk. Those charges can be explained.