'Violent' Criminal History And Getting Hired As A Truck Driver?

I had no accidents.. no tickets... and no arrests.. and had been a federal e.0loyee for 18 years when I went to prime in September 2015. In Jan 2008 my schizophrenic sister told police I chased her with 3 guns. I was at work as a federal employee at the time. The police raided my house while I was at work and I went to the police station where they gave me a paper to appear in court. My sister attacked me in court and the charges against me were supposed to be expunged. At no time was i read my rights .. photo or handcuffed. I was never told I was under arrest. I thought it was a domestic charge.. we had restraining orders cause she kept trying to hurt me. My sister committed suicide on 1/1/11.

When I went to prime.. they found this charge which was dismissed. I was told it was a complaint.... not a criminal charge. The guy in the office made it sound like I robbed a bank or something. Maybe because they thought I lied about it... but even if I was arrested... they only asked about convictions..not arrests.... so they should not have acted like that.

Sooo... if they acted like that over a dismissed/expunged record that was not even an arrest from 7 years prior.. I would say no.. you have no shot with prime. Ask them of course.. but don't get your hopes up.

I am sorry to hear that, definitely a rough time. If you don't mind me asking what made you want to leave your Fed job? And as far as Prime is concerned nothing about them has really stood out to me but depending on what happens with the other places I might talk to them. I can't stress it enough though. I don't mass apply to find a job. I will always call first and ask what their requirements are, pay, home time, etc. The 20 minutes it takes me to fill out an app for one place that is unlikely to hire me is 20 minutes I could be filling out an app for a place that is interested.

Stickers wrote:

I just don't see myself going from one Wal-Mart DC to one Wal-Mart store everyday. No offense if that's what you do and you are reading this. That freight has to get to there somehow!

Not offended. Considering the source, you really know nothing about it.

For starters if you want to interact with people, running Walmart is actually a great account for that. Averaging 4 store deliveries each day per load, typically has a driver talking/working with 2-3 people at each store. Plus all the other drivers at the DC each day or every other day. It's nothing like true OTR. I have made numerous friendships in the 3+ years I have been Walmart Dedicated. A lot of retired military on the account.

The driver is actively involved with each store delivery, thus the interaction with store personnel. There is some exercise especially if it's a consolidated perishable load, but definitely not like flatbed.

It probably isn't for you but my point is until you peel back the "onion", running vans, reefer or dry may look all the same on the surface. It's not.

Looks like you drive a day cab for Swift's Wal-Mart account? Do you have to do a lot of live unloads at the stores or drop and hook? If you don't minf me asking what is your home time per night like driving a day cab and do you get detention pay?

While i am a convicted felon and it was hard for me to get a company to even look at me. My felonies where 9 and 7 years old. A lot of them wanted me to be out of prison for a year. May Trucking gave me a chance when no one else would. Just keep grinding someone will take a chance on you....

That's the big plan and I appreciate the motivation. I figure regardless of my record I have two very big variables working for me 1. The turnover rate for the industry is absurd (100% -110% last I checked) 2. I am Vet and I am used to being away from home.

I don't mass apply to find a job. I will always call first and ask what their requirements are, pay, home time, etc.

We've got all of that covered for you with the major companies:

Trucking Company Reviews

Stickers digs deeper:

Looks like you drive a day cab for Swift's Wal-Mart account? Do you have to do a lot of live unloads at the stores or drop and hook? If you don't mind me asking what is your home time per night like driving a day cab and do you get detention pay?

I used to run sleeper exclusively, 6 days per week, 1 day-off, averaging 12-13 hour days. Currently I run a LightWeight (which replaced most of the true day cabs) which is a hybrid of sorts, small sleeper, deeply setback axle, shorter hood, etc. I actually love it because it affords better maneuverability, higher payload and if need be (which happens a couple of days per week) I sleep in it. Since I now live about an hour away form the DC, I slip-seat in and out of 6-8 different tractors. I use my sleeping bag when I camp in it. I can be home every night if they run me south (which is 40% of the time), I park the truck in a local Walmart overnight and Uber it home to sleep in my own bed. I will also stay with family living close to the DC to reduce the commute time.

I have only gotten detention pay once in 3+ years due to a power failure at a store. Store deliveries are always live for reefer , for dry it depends if the last stop is at a store designated as drop and hook (with empties). Freight is no-touch, all palletized. I will on occasion lend a hand to restack a really bad "leaner" or a spilled pallet, it helps move quicker plus you gain respect from the dock personnel. Backhauls are primarily drop 'n hook.

I wrote a fairly extensive description in a previous thread, use this link to review, scroll down to near the bottom and you'll see two large paragraphs:

Walmart Dedicated

I don't mass apply to find a job. I will always call first and ask what their requirements are, pay, home time, etc.

We've got all of that covered for you with the major companies:

Trucking Company Reviews

That's what brought me to this site to begin with!

Stickers digs deeper:

Looks like you drive a day cab for Swift's Wal-Mart account? Do you have to do a lot of live unloads at the stores or drop and hook? If you don't mind me asking what is your home time per night like driving a day cab and do you get detention pay?

I used to run sleeper exclusively, 6 days per week, 1 day-off, averaging 12-13 hour days. Currently I run a LightWeight (which replaced most of the true day cabs) which is a hybrid of sorts, small sleeper, deeply setback axle, shorter hood, etc. I actually love it because it affords better maneuverability, higher payload and if need be (which happens a couple of days per week) I sleep in it. Since I now live about an hour away form the DC, I slip-seat in and out of 6-8 different tractors. I use my sleeping bag when I camp in it. I can be home every night if they run me south (which is 40% of the time), I park the truck in a local Walmart overnight and Uber it home to sleep in my own bed. I will also stay with family living close to the DC to reduce the commute time.

I have only gotten detention pay once in 3+ years due to a power failure at a store. Store deliveries are always live for reefer , for dry it depends if the last stop is at a store designated as drop and hook (with empties). Freight is no-touch, all palletized. I will on occasion lend a hand to restack a really bad "leaner" or a spilled pallet, it helps move quicker plus you gain respect from the dock personnel. Backhauls are primarily drop 'n hook.

I wrote a fairly extensive description in a previous thread, use this link to review, scroll down to near the bottom and you'll see two large paragraphs:

Walmart Dedicated

Good info!

Just a little input RE: Chemical driving. Long time family friends, the dad drove asphalt dumps etc over 30 years, he got cancer, which finally did him in after years of dealing with it..........Their middle son, drove cement mixer trucks for eh maybe 20+ years, he got Esophagus / Throat cancer, and he never smoked a day ever. He was 53, recently died from that QUICK, (under 1 year) acting illness......My thinking is constantly breathing the dust and or the chemical mix of either substance contributed to their untimely deaths........Makes me definitely, not want to ever considering those 2 jobs!

Stickers...

I worked at the USPS for 18 years. It was like a prison... the people were great the bosses sucked. Took me 7 years to get xmas day off... still get forced thanksgiving and all other holidays.. they would use our vacation time if they thought we were in the bathroom too long. It was micro managing torture by idiots who didn't know my job let alone their own.

Prime is AWESOME I have freedom.... I get home when I want... my mom needed heart surgery and I flew home no questions asked. They have decent training and pay rookies the most in the industry. People keep telling me to keep my options open ... my year will be up in Oct.... to look around. But if I'm happy where I am.. why would I leave? They gave me the larger truck.. I ha e my cat.. my FM is the best of the 4 I had since i started training.

To each his own.... until prime makes life unbearable there is no point for me to go elsewhere. surviving the post office is like surviving the Russian gulag... after that.. nothing is bad hahaha

Stickers...

I worked at the USPS for 18 years. It was like a prison... the people were great the bosses sucked. Took me 7 years to get xmas day off... still get forced thanksgiving and all other holidays.. they would use our vacation time if they thought we were in the bathroom too long. It was micro managing torture by idiots whindidbt know my job let alone their own.

Prime is AWESOME I have freedom.... I get home when I want... my mom needed heart surgery and I flew home no questions asked. They have decent training and pay rookies the most in the industry. People keep telling me to keep my options open ... my year will be up in Oct.... to look around. But if I'm happy where I am.. why would I leave? They gave me the larger truck.. I ha e my cat.. my FM is the best of the 4 I had since i started training.

To each his own.... until prime makes life unbearable there is no point for me to go elsewhere. Suriving the post office is like Suriving the Russian gulag... after that.. nothing is bad hahaha

Rainy,

I absolutely understand where you are coming from and I really appreciate you giving me something positive to chew on regarding prime. As you probably already know for every 10 negative reviews about one company there is only 1 good one.

Do you know off of the top of your head what their hiring requirements are considering my record and if they can work with it? Like I have stated before I have a few other irons in the fire as we speak but nothing will be in stone until at least the end of the month when I can start dropping applications for the places I have talked to already.

I will say one thing I have noticed about Prime, they have just about every type of division you can imagine. Reminds me of Schneider back in the 90's (Mom drove for them for about 11 years) and their terminal would have van, reefer , flatbed, tanker, oversized, glass, etc. I may be wromg but I would think a company like that would have a lot of diversity when it comes to a driver wanting a run certain accounts, freight, etc.

Stickers...

I worked at the USPS for 18 years. It was like a prison... the people were great the bosses sucked. Took me 7 years to get xmas day off... still get forced thanksgiving and all other holidays.. they would use our vacation time if they thought we were in the bathroom too long. It was micro managing torture by idiots whindidbt know my job let alone their own.

And this is why I want to go OTR so bad. I have a lot of skills that could get me some good paying jobs but none of them ever gave me work environment I excel in and that is to be given a task and left alone to do it.

And Semi trucks are just straight bada**.

Hahhah. Yep. And I write and publish my own books and this gives me time to do it when. I want. In another thread I mentioned I had an accident (hit and run by drunk driver with witnesses). My FM was off the weekend. When he came in I messaged and asked if I needed to call him. His reply "nope. U did everything you were supposed to. It's all good." At the USPS it would have been 6 mos before it was settled.

As far as the requirement... my guess would be 3 to 5 years since a conviction. Like I said I was not even arrested and they acted like i killed someone. Apparently NJ puts arrest on your record if they issue a search warrant for guns. Go figure. But it got solved quickly.

Don't think I didn't have issues with Prime and training.... I did. One guy quit and tried to force me to test before I was ready cause he wanted the upgrade bonus before he left.... one trainer was manic depressive due to physical I'm issues and meds... and the last was so horrible I have to go for blood tests every 3 mos. However all of these are just individuals and Prime dealt with issues appropriately and quickly.

I got my training.. have been treated with respect by management ... much better than at any other job. They leave me alone ... weekend dispatch is more "update please... how far will you get today". But who cares. Lol.

and the last was so horrible I have to go for blood tests every 3 mos.

Care to elaborate on that??????

And as far as trainers go I am really hoping I get someone I simply "click" with so I can get the full extent of their knowledge. I know its a right of passage and everyone has to do it so I am not going to be the guy on here complaining about my trainer as it only lasts a few weeks. I also made it through basic when I was 17 so I figure couldn't be much worse than that.....As long as they clean and don't smell.