Can I Be A Truck Driver With A Criminal Record?
Topic 16993 | Page 1
1 of the key points are felonies vs misdemeanors. Number and type of felonies. Length of time walking the straight n narrow. Of course your driving record as well. Length of time you have had a license. Any accidents. Severity of accidents. Type and number of tickets. Length of time with a clean driving record.
I am sure Brett, G-Town, or OS has the link queued up somewhere for those companies that will consider people with felonies.
There are certain felonies (Sex Crimes, Homicide, etc...) and certain driving offenses (DUI/DWI, reckless driving). That will be difficult to nearly impossible to get past.
I wish you luck in your endeavor.
Drive Safe and God Speed.
HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.DUI:
Driving Under the Influence
DWI:
Driving While Intoxicated
Sorry, I guess I should address the basics. Start studying the High Road Training material. I would shotgun applications out to those companies that will consider criminal backgrounds. i would start browsing local CDL schools. Don't commit to one yet. See what kind of prehires you get. If you get one that has its own school I would suggest that. If not, I would have a CDL school lined up to do it that way. Either way; because, of your background I would wait on getting your permit/CDL until you have prehires lined up.
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
- Any combination of vehicles with a gross combined weight rating (GCWR) of 26,001 or more pounds, providing the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of the vehicle being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 or more pounds, or any such vehicle towing another not in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any vehicle, regardless of size, designed to transport 16 or more persons, including the driver.
- Any vehicle required by federal regulations to be placarded while transporting hazardous materials.
Prehire:
What Exactly Is A Pre-Hire Letter?
Pre-hire letters are acceptance letters from trucking companies to students, or even potential students, to verify placement. The trucking companies are saying in writing that the student, or potential student, appears to meet the company's minimum hiring requirements and is welcome to attend their orientation at the company’s expense once he or she graduates from truck driving school and has their CDL in hand.
We have an excellent article that will help you Understand The Pre-Hire Process.
A Pre-Hire Letter Is Not A Guarantee Of Employment
The people that receive a pre-hire letter are people who meet the company's minimum hiring requirements, but it is not an employment contract. It is an invitation to orientation, and the orientation itself is a prerequisite to employment.
During the orientation you will get a physical, drug screen, and background check done. These and other qualifications must be met before someone in orientation is officially hired.
Prehires:
What Exactly Is A Pre-Hire Letter?
Pre-hire letters are acceptance letters from trucking companies to students, or even potential students, to verify placement. The trucking companies are saying in writing that the student, or potential student, appears to meet the company's minimum hiring requirements and is welcome to attend their orientation at the company’s expense once he or she graduates from truck driving school and has their CDL in hand.
We have an excellent article that will help you Understand The Pre-Hire Process.
A Pre-Hire Letter Is Not A Guarantee Of Employment
The people that receive a pre-hire letter are people who meet the company's minimum hiring requirements, but it is not an employment contract. It is an invitation to orientation, and the orientation itself is a prerequisite to employment.
During the orientation you will get a physical, drug screen, and background check done. These and other qualifications must be met before someone in orientation is officially hired.
HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.
Depends on how "really extensive" (ie: quantity and nature of the crimes), how RECENT THEY WERE (or how recently you "changed your ways").
How soon you can get going really depends on finding someone who can answer your questions with some DATA as to the problems you've had and when you had them (and when you got released, off parole/probation, etc.).
The internet is a pretty anonymous place (for the most part) so if you want to give some details - we might be able to give you a better idea of what your chances are...
Rick
We have a list of trucking companies that hire drivers with felonies and their policies so have a look at that if you haven't already.
One of my classmates at CDL school had only been out for 6 months or so. I asked him directly, when we were outside in the truck yard, why he was in. He had been in for 30 years for killing a man in his younger days and was then on parole. He was 54.
He said it was weird being out and that he was taking each month to make up for each year in and hoping that after 30 months, he would feel somewhat normal and integrated again.
He started out working toward his CDL A but decided he had to back down to a CDL B because getting used to driving again was too strange at that point.
His main obstacle in finding a job was going to be finding a company that both employed felons and kept the driving inside the state because he wasn't permitted to leave for a few years.
I remember, I told him that 50 years old was the new 30 these days and not to think of himself as ancient just because he was 54 because no one else did. He had done hard time and worked really hard in class. He was never late, always prepared for class, clean cut, polite and kind. He was definitely somewhat unsure in his steps but was also quite determined to make it.
I don't know your situation but there's your real-life example.
Good luck.
-mountain girl
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
- Any combination of vehicles with a gross combined weight rating (GCWR) of 26,001 or more pounds, providing the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of the vehicle being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 or more pounds, or any such vehicle towing another not in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any vehicle, regardless of size, designed to transport 16 or more persons, including the driver.
- Any vehicle required by federal regulations to be placarded while transporting hazardous materials.
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I'm jaime, and I really want to become a truck driver,I've never been able to travel so this would be a dream job, I have a criminal background that's really extensive but have changed my ways since,how can I begin a career as a truck driver