CDL Job For Former Inmate (Sex Offender)

Greetings friends. I am a mentor to prison inmates to help them with their life after prison. One of my mentees named Lee T. wants to get a job driving. Before being incarcerated four years ago, Lee drove for about 25 years driving doubles , haz-mat, tankers, etc. I need your advice regarding who to contact to help Lee get his first job. He will be released to the Kansas City area. Lee had a one-time failing where he was convicted. He is dedicated to living a new life upon release.

Thank you sincerely for your advice and help.

Xanon L.

Greetings and welcome to the forum!

Well, you're, (client, mentee, ???) will certainly face some challenges upon re-entry, which I'm sure you're aware of. But trucking may present a whole new set of hurdles.

Will he be on parole or probation when he gets out? Having to report to a PO means he will need permission to travel - and that alone could rule out over-the-road trucking. Also, many companies dont like to hire people who are currently "on paper" because of the permissions required to go and do certain things - and at that point the company is not actually in charge of where he can go or what he can do. It just presents more headaches than most companies want to deal with.

Also, is he wanting to do O-T-R or something more local? That question is important, as well.

There are many companies out here that offer second-chances, though none of them are ever a guarantee, but rather a case-by-case basis.

Was his crime job related or otherwise involving a truck or his license, etc. ? Please, not asking for graphic details here. But if he offended while on the job or in some job related capacity, that, too, can have a huge impact on his hireability.

There are far more experienced (and smarter) people around here than me. But I'd suggest offering just a little more information to get a little more of an accurate answer from them. It's hard to give educated guesses or advice without much information to work with.

His chances of getting back into trucking really will rest on his past (job related), his goals, and his current status when he hits the bricks. Sorry, that's the best I can offer with so little info.

Perhaps try some reading here if you get a chance: Trucking Companies That Will Hire Felons

Hope that helps a little. I'm sure that soon someone else will be able to address this better than me. And keep asking if more questions come up!

Jeremy C. - Thanks for your input. My inmate mentee is very willing to start with a local driving job if O-T-R would be initially out of reach due to his past. His conviction was not related to a previous trucking job at all. He is willing to start with a fork-lift related job at first, if that will later lead to an actual driving job. I am just seeking advice from you or others to give him guidance.

Thanks

Xanon

Being that he hasn't driven in 4 years its quite possible he'll need to go through schooling again, at a bare minimum a refresher course. He will most likely need to re-test to obtain his CDL. His medical card has most definitely expired meaning his Class A CDL is void, and he has a regular drivers licence (provided it hasnt expired). Different states have different requirements as far as how long the license can be downgraded before he's required to do re-testing at the DMV. Is he planning in residing in KC kansas, or KC missouri? We can help figure out if he must retest if we know which states law applies.

Well, to be honest, this isn't really a site that can get him a job. It provides lots of info and advice, but actually nailing down the employment is up to each person that visits here.

There are tools to help with that...

* Apply For Truck Driving Jobs

And...

* Apply For Paid CDL Training

But it's really up to him to put in the leg work (or sometimes the mouse work.)

As stated, there are others around here wiser than me. However, my advice would be for him to actually get out first. From there, he needs a very accurate assessment of what he's able to do legally (meaning is he on paper or under supervision, etc.) Because if he can't travel then his options just became more limited right there.

But I have no idea if OTR is out of the question because I have no idea what legal restraints he may or may not have. Only he can address that issue when the time comes.

After figuring out what he can or cannot do, or what legal challenges he has to deal with, he should immediately begin looking into some options for the employment he is seeking. If he wants to drive a forklift, then look for that. But if he wants to drive a truck, well, I guess he should start looking for driving jobs. And maybe visit a local DMV or license bureau and see what it will take him to get his CDL back.

I don't mean to sound unwelcome or unkind, but it sounds like you're trying to get him a job instead of advice. And companies dont really post jobs here. The links I posted above will certainly get him to some applications. But nobody here can get him hired, that's up to him and any company he applies to.

The best advice I can give is for him to first figure out exactly what he wants to do, then seek advice on it. If he wants to drive again, this website will certainly be here when gets out.

But I can promise you two things... First, nobody is going to even consider giving him a job until he is actually out. Second, nobody here will hire him because we all drive for great companies, but we dont hire for them.

If he has no probation, CFI may give him a shot. His two biggest stumbling blocks will be probation/parole and time out of prison. Does he have 5 years of probation? Many companies who would give him a shot may want to see more free time and productivity. As far as his crime, CFI has several drivers with that kind of past. Also, Carolina Cargo is big on second chances. CFI has their headquarters in Joplin, MO and a terminal in KC, MO. CFI can also get him home for his check ins. Good luck.