HELP Me! Please.

Any updates on the job search?

 

Np, it is a States right thing with drivers licenses, I think the entire federal forcing us to do it their way just removes that power from the state where there is no need and will end up with a single federal license.

 

Trucking is NOT "felony friendly" - not even close. This industry is one of the most highly regulated industries you can enter. It has a ton of other liabilities and risks that make it a huge target for all kinds of lawsuits and other related problems.

Today there are numerous lawsuits against companies for negligent hiring and negligent retention. Simply put that means if you hire someone - or retain someone - that has done something to demonstrate that they are likely to be a problem, and in fact, they cause (or are involved) in such a problem then the motor carrier (or other types of employers too for that matter) will be held responsible.

The main way they are held responsible is in monetary damages which can be in the millions and more than enough to shut down even a large trucking company. Another way they can be held responsible is criminal prosecution in certain cases. By hiring and retaining a driver who has drug problems, and or violent crimes convictions etc. they are exposing themselves to all kinds of potential liabilities.​

Beyond all that - their own insurance company has hiring and retention requirements that must be followed or their insurance costs will go through the roof. If they violate their criteria they may also have their insurance canceled - and their own insurance company may sue them to recover any claims they may have paid out as a result of a loss caused by a driver who did not meet their criteria in the first place.

Having said all that...

There are still SOME trucking companies that will hire people with CERTAIN felonies and give them a chance.

It depends on what exactly the felony was for (and any company that knows what they are doing will want actual court docs and to speak with your former parole officer etc) and they will not simply take your word for it.

The best thing to do is to make certain you disclose it up front and on your application. Have supporting records and documentation and contact information to the source so they can verify the authenticity and accuracy of the records you provide, and so they can get their own direct copies if they choose to do so.

If you don't ------- and if you hope they just won't find it - then chances are very high that somewhere during your hiring process they will find out.

If they do then you will be seen as dishonest at least and probably seen as submitting a falsified application (most do ask about felony convictions somewhere in their application and or interview/hiring process). If they catch you in what they consider to be a falsification then you will be sent home and not employed there. They will likely also report the incident into databases that may be accessible by other motor carriers making it even easier for the next one to find the information - and they too will refuse to hire you for the same reasons.

Even worse - let's say you get past the initial hiring requirements, maybe even get through training and out running on your own. All is going good and you are happy with your new job. Then one day they call you in the office and let you go. They will tell you that it has "come to their attention..." that you falsified your application - or otherwise do not meet their current hiring/retention criteria - and bye bye.

You are better off to make sure they know from the get-go and see if they are willing to give you a chance. If not at least you know, and you can continue your search. If you ask enough motor carriers you WILL find one that will take a chance on you and hire you. It may or may not be easy and it may or may not take some time, but there are companies who will give you a shot if you are honest with them and if you can convince them that you are worth giving the chance to in the first place.

Once you get that first job - hold on to it and do not screw it up. Do your absolute best to be the best you can there and do the best job possible in every respect. After you get a year or two there with excellent performance you will find that there are more companies who will hire you since you will be considered an experienced driver by then with a proven track record - and that lessons their own risk exposure and greatly increases the chances they will hire you.

Others never will. That's just the way it is.

So don't worry about the ones who won't hire you, just focus on getting your foot in the door and building a rock solid record one day at a time.

Another matter - Your driving record...

If you have not already done so contact a local COMMERCIAL driver improvement clinic in your state and consider going to their class. It will not automatically remove things but it will show that you are aware of the seriousness of any violations on your MVR and that you are now doing at least what you can to mitigate the situation. Then above all else - do not get any more violations.

Wear your seatbelt like a religious experience, drive the speed limit, pay any insurance or other fees when due. Keep your address current at all times to be sure you get any notices and review your own motor vehicle record at least annually and look at it personally. The motor carrier will and they will have you sign a document - don't just sign it - LOOK at your report very closely. If there are any errors then deal with it immediately.

Some people will tell you there are no errors - and they would be wrong. I hired and processed in hundreds of drivers over many years and while it does not happen often I have personally seen violations placed on the wrong person's records and have assisted them with getting those errors corrected - and yes it can be done. Just not easily.

Keep in mind that your MVR is more important than your CDL (and by the way it is --- CDL --- NOT "CDL's" - you have only ONE Commercial Drivers License ). While a CDL can be obtained in weeks, an MVR takes years to build and years to drop violations off once they are on it. So protect your MVR like it is gold.

Also, know that EVERYTHING on it counts. That includes seatbelt violations, non-moving violations like parking, equipment etc. Some do count more than others but each counts toward painting a picture of you - what motor carriers are concerned with is patterns of behavior.

When you have a bunch of crap on your MVR it indicated you have a pattern of reckless disregard for following rules. While they may be cool in some rebel fantasy - in real life and especially in trucking it is a problem for you that will hurt you. It also doesn't matter as much as some think whether it was in your car or in a big truck either. It is a reflection of how YOU THINK and that is an indicator of how you are likely to act which is a telltale sign of how much of a risk you are compared to another driver.

Trucking companies and especially their insurance companies do not like risks. They have enough already and hiring people or keeping people who are much more likely to be problems is easiest dealt with by simply not hiring them in the first place - or getting rid of them as soon as possible in the second place.

Hope this helps you, and good luck.

 

@Solo Driver


Trucking is NOT "felony friendly" - not even close. Trucking is felony neutral, it does not swing either way! Most OTR carriers generally don't care provided some time has went by since release of sentence. It is the specialty haulers that have to be careful

Today there are numerous lawsuits against companies for negligent hiring and negligent retention.

Since you are so knowledgeable on these lawsuits because a "trucking company" hired a felon I would be interested in seeing some cases.

Beyond all that - their own insurance company has hiring and retention requirements that must be followed or their insurance costs will go through the roof. If they violate their criteria they may also have their insurance canceled - and their own insurance company may sue them to recover any claims they may have paid out as a result of a loss caused by a driver who did not meet their criteria in the first place.

Insurance is only part of it if a carrier does not self underwrite, almost all of the larger carriers self underwrite because it makes it cheaper for them to operate. A carrier that underwrites its operations make their own rules!

Carriers that don't hire felons OR don't hire felons that committed some types of crimes do so because of their customers, if they go into Canada and if a driver can get a TWIC card or Hazmat! A driver with one of the lifetime disqualifying offenses that bars getting a TWIC or Hazmat is never going to be hired to haul hazmat because of that felony. However that same driver can haul non hazmat.

Another thing that will mitigate a felony in regard to a driver is time! The longer since the sentence ended the better!

As I said in another place. It is estimated that as much as 25% of all CDL holders have felony histories. I can't link to this because it is only hear say. I do know that actual percentage must be up there some because I know a lot of drivers with them.

 

I also want to add one more thing to this "felony" business and some of the MYTHs that accompany the topic. As most of you know I don't see eye to eye with @Chinatown on everything. However there is one thing I have noticed about him that I admire. When it comes to people with "problems" that come in here and ask questions one of the first things you will see is an assurance "your hireable". I know people that today are driving that has committed murder. Outside of those "offenses" listed in the TSA website in almost every case TIME begins to open up more and more job opportunities. I have seen it with my own baby blues and I just bet I am not the only one either.

People seem for some innate reason to look for one size fits all solutions to problems this industry faces. Just not going to happen folks. This felony issue is one. VERY few actual hard and fast answers on this felony topic.

 

* Here is an interesting article with some more insights -

https://www.trucks.com/2017/07/24/trucking-industry-felon-drivers/

and I agree with what it says that smaller carriers (where you can interview face to face and eyeball to eyeball with the owner or senior manager) are more likely to be convinced to give a person a chance. Most larger carriers are by the numbers - you either meet the requirements or not and if not they just move on to the next applicant. While that may not be fair, it is the hard cold reality of life and is what it is. Even so, there are still several large carriers that will at least consider some felonies as acceptable (if everything else checks out) and give a person a chance.

It is also likely that as more and more seats go unfilled and carriers of all sizes become more desperate for drivers that the criteria for hiring will go down. More and more companies are going to have to look at and consider people that they never would have considered at all in the past.

Final Thoughts;

The wonderful thing about our country is that everyone is entitled to their own opinions, and to make their own decisions - then to reap the consequences of those decisions.

Everything I share is based on my own opinions - and on information, I am already familiar with or have researched.

Whether you agree or disagree is totally up to you and any and all actions you take or don't take are also your responsibility.

In all cases do your own research, evaluate everything honestly and look at facts - not just internet pontifications. Then decide for your own self and proceed accordingly.

 

I know a guy down in South Carolina hired a person with a sex offense on his record. It happened a good while ago and came out of a really nasty divorce case. This man is VERY careful because of his customers.

Not hiring felons generally falls into these groups.

Not hireable because they can't get a hazmat or TWIC and job depends on this. <<<Going to be a much larger problem as time goes by!

Customer base and operations into Canada.

Owner/Management of a carrier's personal policy. As @REO6205 stated this really goes after sex and drug related charges.

 

Thank you! You just posted a link that backed ME UP! Good work!

 

Sex offenders are even looked down on by other inmates/felons. Most of these people are on their state SO registries and even after being released from their sentence their movements are restricted. I have heard that NC and Louisiana is very tough on this. A sex offender also fits well into what @Solo Driver was saying about lawsuits and general liability. A carrier that knowingly hires a SO and that driver harms someone later in a job related situation, that carrier might well have some major legal issues.