Starting CDL School In Two Weeks, But I Need A Pre-hire Letter.
Topic 33865 | Page 1
#1 Apply to companies that train drivers, THEN you've got a job once done, with them.....Private schools are just mostly rip off's, they take your money, teach you just enough to get the license. Then you're stuck, trying to find a job after, on your own!
I went that route at first, state of Calif. paid for school, which was just a big waste of my time. Then I went with company training, and a job with them 30 days later. The downside, even for experienced drivers, without any blemishes on their history/records,are finding it sometimes harder to get a new driving job.
It's a trucking company market right now, not a drivers market, so companies can and are being very picky who they take in. Also depending on what type of felony you have I'd guess too.
Good luck , others will chime in later
Western Express, KLLM, CRST... try those. I realize you're just looking for pre-hire letters right now, but do you already have a job lined up providing you get your CDL? Best of luck!
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.
Pre-hire:
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.
CRST got out of driver training almost 2 years ago. Closed the Riverside, terminal dorms, leased a new smaller place in Ontario, Cal. and moved there. Gardner's, that they had bought, have changed their name, and took over the old terminal,and converting to more offices. Hell,they don't even want CRST drivers in there, even for a shower, or anything !! Now, CRST's only hiring experienced drivers.
Their "Expedited" part, which I was driving for, are no more as well. They've made,and have been making a lot of changes for awhile now, I've been told.
Terminal:
A facility where trucking companies operate out of, or their "home base" if you will. A lot of major companies have multiple terminals around the country which usually consist of the main office building, a drop lot for trailers, and sometimes a repair shop and wash facilities.
CRST got out of driver training almost 2 years ago. Closed the Riverside, terminal dorms, leased a new smaller place in Ontario, Cal. and moved there. Gardner's, that they had bought, have changed their name, and took over the old terminal,and converting to more offices. Hell,they don't even want CRST drivers in there, even for a shower, or anything !! Now, CRST's only hiring experienced drivers.
Their "Expedited" part, which I was driving for, are no more as well. They've made,and have been making a lot of changes for awhile now, I've been told.
Geez, I forgot you worked for them... I should have consulted you first! Oops!
Terminal:
A facility where trucking companies operate out of, or their "home base" if you will. A lot of major companies have multiple terminals around the country which usually consist of the main office building, a drop lot for trailers, and sometimes a repair shop and wash facilities.
I do not have a job lined up yet. My school touts their "lifetime job placement assistance," but I'm somehow on my own getting these letters? It doesn't make a lot of sense.
Western Express, KLLM, CRST... try those. I realize you're just looking for pre-hire letters right now, but do you already have a job lined up providing you get your CDL? Best of luck!
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.
Pre-hire:
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.
The State is paying my tuition, so they're not taking the money directly from me at least.
I've heard a lot of mixed messages about whether private school or company training is the way to go.
I figure since the state is footing the bill, I may as well let them. But, I do wish I'd discovered this site long before yesterday.
I've been looking for work since last June and only got one offer. It got rescinded after the background check.
So, I'm hoping I can start earning a living soon. I'm also prepared to work a really crappy job for a year or more until I have enough experience to get hired for a better one.
#1 Apply to companies that train drivers, THEN you've got a job once done, with them.....Private schools are just mostly rip off's, they take your money, teach you just enough to get the license. Then you're stuck, trying to find a job after, on your own!
I went that route at first, state of Calif. paid for school, which was just a big waste of my time. Then I went with company training, and a job with them 30 days later. The downside, even for experienced drivers, without any blemishes on their history/records,are finding it sometimes harder to get a new driving job.
It's a trucking company market right now, not a drivers market, so companies can and are being very picky who they take in. Also depending on what type of felony you have I'd guess too.
Good luck , others will chime in later
Going through company-sponsored training is certainly the best option because it ensures a job after obtaining your CDL. But, I know from personal experience that those training companies almost never hire people with felony convictions. Yes, there are exceptions, but those are most definitely the exception, not the rule. I went through the WIOA program within my state also. It's not going to be an easy road to get a job, but it is possible. Understand that a pre-hire letter really only means that the company is willing to CONSIDER bringing you in for orientation. It means nothing for the prospects of actual employment.
Try these companies:
Butler Transport
Witte Brothers
PAM Transport
TransAm
If you are not able to get three pre-hire letters, I promise you that the school is not going to turn you away. They don't get the money from the state unless they put your butt in a seat. I wasn't able to get the 3 pre-hire letters that the school said were needed. I got my butt in a seat with the state paying via WIOA. You tell your recruiter with the school that you have done your best, but you are not able to get 3 pre-hire letters. They will make those 2 letters work.
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.
WIOA:
WIOA - Workforce Innovation & Opportunity Act (aka WIA)
Formerly known as the Workforce Investment Act (WIA), the WIOA was established in 1998 to prepare youth, adults and dislocated workers for entry and reentry into the workforce. WIOA training funds are designed to serve laid-off individuals, older youth and adults who are in need of training to enter or reenter the labor market. A lot of truck drivers get funding for their CDL training through WIOA.
Pre-hire:
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.
Company-sponsored Training:
A Company-Sponsored Training Program is a school that is owned and operated by a trucking company.
The schooling often requires little or no money up front. Instead of paying up-front tuition you will sign an agreement to work for the company for a specified amount of time after graduation, usually around a year, at a slightly lower rate of pay in order to pay for the training.
If you choose to quit working for the company before your year is up, they will normally require you to pay back a prorated amount of money for the schooling. The amount you pay back will be comparable to what you would have paid if you went to an independently owned school.
Company-sponsored training can be an excellent way to get your career underway if you can't afford the tuition up front for private schooling.
HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.New Reply:
New! Check out our help videos for a better understanding of our forum features
Preview:
Why Join Trucking Truth?
- The High Road Training Program
- The High Road Article Series
- The Friendliest Trucker's Forum Ever!
- Email Updates When New Articles Are Posted
Apply For Paid CDL Training Through TruckingTruth
Did you know you can fill out one quick form here on TruckingTruth and apply to several companies at once for paid CDL training? Seriously! The application only takes one minute. You will speak with recruiters today. There is no obligation whatsoever. Learn more and apply here:
TT On Facebook
I'm all set to start school on the 4th of March. I've passed the Physical (and the state is even paying for my tuition).
Unfortunately, due to my criminal record, my school is requiring me to get 3 pre-hire letters before I start classes. I have two: one from Schneider and one from a small local company my friend owns.
I've been applying heavily on Driver Pulse. I'm working my way through lists of companies that are said to be felon-friendly, but it seems like most of these companies want experienced drivers.
Does anyone have any advice for nailing down this last pre-hire letter?
I'm in Louisiana, have a felony, and will be finishing school in early April.
Pre-hire:
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.