Profile For Heavy C

If we're being completely honest here DUI/OUI is one of those offenses that is really a killer for this industry. Unless it's very old (10+ years) then you're likely not to find many places willing to hire. Other offenses will likely depend of the type of crime committed. But even then most won't hire with felonies.

Really the only company I've heard of touching records like this would be Western Express. I know through people I worked with that they actually train people straight out of prison. Now mind you it's not a great gig in the beginning. Inconsistent work and a very short leash. The equipment is not very well taken care of and have a generally terrible FMCSA score, so they tend to get picked on at the weigh stations.

In the end getting a CDL is never a bad thing and there's nothing that says a local dump truck contractor or small mom and pop company wouldn't give them a shot.

Sure seems like you may have answered you own question. You have a plan and the future doesn't seem to involve trucking. You've developed a good relationship with your current company and you don't seem to have any issues with them. One thing I've learned about this industry is the grass isn't always greener. In fact most of the time you'll find you would have had it better if you just stayed where you were.

Being able to take my kids with me is the best benefit. It makes the day way easier. They don't even say are we there yet when riding along.

These were taken a few days apart during break.

LTL companies like OD typically are quite hard to get into without experience. There's a good reason for that though. They mainly only offer two types of positions. Line haul or P&D. Local work, even in a day cab can be quite a bit more difficult than OTR. You're constantly driving in tight conditions and backing into areas that are less than ideal for a tractor trailer. Food service is another part of the industry that will often take new drivers. They often advertise great pay but the work load and driving conditions are often not worth it.

I speak from experience as I started my career in a day cab and refused to go OTR. I paid for my own CDL at a local tech school. Like you I didn't want to be away from my wife and kids that long. I was able to make it work but I had many challenges and made mistakes along the way.

The general consensus is that you have to "pay your dues" with some sort of OTR gig and really learn how to handle the truck in many different environments. After that, as long as you've kept a good service record and clean driving record, the opportunities for something closer to home should start to open up. That said though I encourage anyone to try and find a company and career path that works for them. Your family should be you priority. If trucking could put your relationships at risk than it may not be worth it.

Was onboarding for you same as an otr driver?

Yes. The onboarding process is really just to see if you pre trip and drive the truck like they want you to. Your domicile is really the determining factor on whether you run OTR or Turn.

Hi AC and welcome. First let me start by saying it's never a bad time to get your CDL. While most people mainly think of the big OTR trucking companies there's so many opportunities that can open up with a clean CDL both nationally and locally. From dump truck to food and beverage to cross country. Getting your CDL is a great path to take especially when you're not sure what path your on for your life.

Secondly on your point to on the "crashing" of this industry. No that's not really something of huge concern. One reason is because this industry is always going through UPS and downs. And while tariffs could affect some things there's the counter point of companies losing a lot of drivers because of the English requirements being enforced. Then some people may talk about technology and self driving trucks. While some jobs in the future may be effected there's still going to be lots of jobs self driving trucks can't replace. Or at least won't replace for a long time IMO.

I would say that those companies you've mentioned could be great starting points for a career in trucking. Remember to always have a positive attitude and keep safety as a top priority and you'll do great. It's not always easy but it's rewarding.

Best of luck

Best advice I can offer is apply to anything and everything. And yes I'm talking about even the companies you've heard were trash. I know you want a specific thing like flatbed but unfortunately beggars can't be choosers. What you want and what you need are in conflict right now. What you need is experience and a solid work history. So whatever company will give you a chance is the one you need to go with and stick with for a relatively long time. Drive safe, get the job done and be professional. Eventually you'll have a choice as to where you want to drive, until then, do whatever needs to be done. Other than that there's not much that can be said for your situation.

Let's also not forget that most of the safety technologies in use today are being forced on trucking companies by the insurance companies. I've had some excellent safety managers but most have had their hands tied with a lot of the technology involved.

I was practicing and did the course probably 10 times successfully.

Was he silent all 10 of those times? If yes then he obviously felt comfortable enough to throw some talking in. And if not, why was it a problems this time?

You need to learn accountability. Let's say you get your CDL and your driving teams with your boyfriend. He's talking to you, you've got your GPS going, it starts raining, you also have the radio on and now your in an unfamiliar area. You make a turn incorrectly and bump a parked car. How do you think the cop will react if you say "I was distracted." It's part of your job as a professional driver to either avoid or learn to block out distractions. This was 100% not your teachers fault. It was yours. And you know what, that's ok. You bumped a rock, backed up and corrected with no damage to the tire. Learn from it and move on.

Take it from somebody who has his fair share of mishaps early in his career. Learn accountability. Accept when you screw up, admit it, and learn from it. If this industry is good at one thing it's humbling people.

Yeah 5/2 is 5 on 2 off. We have many other programs like 5/2 5/3 which will alternate your days off because every other week you get a third day off. There 6/3 and also the rare 5/5. These are the most common. What's available will depend on the operational need of the DC you run out of. You're also not locked in for any certain amount of time. New schedules get posted all the time and if something opens up that you like more then you can sign up for it. It goes by seniority of course.