Would You Help A New Driver?

You have a good chance of being approved for hazmat. The gov't is concerned about drivers using hazmat trucks as weapons of mass destruction so with your charges you should be ok.

The last 100 or so times I've fueled my truck with biodiesel. I say that to say that the oil field trucking jobs are old news. That sub industry has become overly saturated with drivers willing to work for far less than 6 figures. You may have luck in the Dakota's but definitely stay away from Texas, plenty of drivers down there for that work!

First things first. I would go to a school. PERIOD. Do not and I repeat Do not try to get your license on your own or off the street or buy it or whatever. You've been warned! A lot of us make this job look easy but it ain't!

 

Getting a cdl means nothing being you still have no idea how to drive a truck get a job stay put get in and out of a million situations don't hit anything then start looking for the next ring in the ladder.

 

At one time I was the semi official Felon on this site. Self appointed. My Crime......child support. Did my time and was surprised at how many of the guys in prison asked me to send them money when I got out. Gentlemen, I did send money to my kid, don't expect me to support you.

There are too many replies so I did not read them all. Some of what I say has already been put out there or not.

Your record my keep you from getting hired, it will be up to the insurance companies. You will not get the prime jobs right out of DOC. You will have to build up a work history. I am sure that you have been put onto which companies to try first.

The good part is that being in a truck is just like being in prison. Same size cell. Never a quiet place to sleep and the best thing to look forward to is your shower. You will be tracked everywhere you go and if anything goes missing, you are the one that gets blamed.

Remember, none of us care what you did before but you mess up out here we will remember that.

 

Tim
Welcome to truck driving. Before I go any further please understand that the good news is, many drivers have been right where you are now. The not so good news is that nobody is going to hire you without several months of experience due to insurance regulations. Most companies that hire newly licensed CDL drivers will want to see you attend a professional CDL school for your training. If you have your class A, the big name companies are not the best place in the industry to work but they do provide a window of opportunity to get you started in your career. You will at a minimum need to spend some time on the road with a qualified trainer before you can test out for solo driver. In addition, some companies may or may not require you to attend their CDL school for a short period of time. You will have to consult with them on their policies. Everything is regulated by the insurance companies.

Once you have become a solo driver, you need to stick with this company for a couple of years in order to get a feel for how things work out here. After that, you will have opened up the door to more driving opportunities. The more experience you get pulling different kinds of trailers the more you will be worth. After a couple of years you can get out of dry box and learn a specialized area such as piggybacking or car hauling which requires further training. The trucking industry is filled with drivers who are lazy with a capital L. But if you are a motivated person, there many opportunities to make more money than most of the drivers out there.

During your training, try to have an open mind and understand that through the years, trucking has experienced what is called the "corporate push." This means that the industry is trying to open the door for new CDL drivers and has lowered the qualifications for driver trainers. This can often mean the blind leading the blind. There was a time when little or no training was required to get your first job but through the years the industry wised up and eventually we experienced a shortage of drivers to due to lower rates and people getting smart about the truth of this occupation. It's not for everybody but you will have plenty of job security and see the country through a windshield.

Regarding your convictions: I'm not going to ask you what they are but I will tell you that many trucking companies provide opportunities for people with felony convictions once they have met certain requirements. It's not a matter of whether or not you committed a felony but rather how much time has passed since you were convicted. Not sure whether or not a company can ask you what you were charged with. I don't believe they can. How many you had may also be a factor which may require a longer demonstration of time passing without further convictions. You will have to consult with the potential employers on their policies.

Let me know if I can help you in any way.

Best Wishes

Dave
Trucker since 1980