Waiting Patiently, Hoping For Advice.

Don't want to make this too long on anyone here. Last 5 years of driver history: 1/19/18 - driving suspended (had no clue, was homeless w/no address for notification)
11/4/17 - suspended (2 wheel laws in Florida *heavy sigh*
8/18/17 - failed to attend school (my fault completely)
8/28/16 - crash/careless (rear end in intersection, Florida law means I was at fault 2 wheels they didn't see me)
8/23/14 - speeding 92/55 (he11 on 2, learned my lesson)
No DUI/DWI ever.
No failed drug tests ever.

Been working same company for 10 years now getting exp. backing for last 5 as jockey. Wanted to get into Prime a while back and recruiter broke my heart, said wait a year. Called back after a year, "We don't hire from Florida currently". Heartbroken again... Now I'm shopping for options and know this is the career I'd keep at until retirement. Any suggestions who might take me? How much longer must I sit here?

You may be stuck until at least August. Most companies have a limit of accidents you can have on your record inside three years.

But more generally... if you get/have your commercial license, and use it as your bread and butter you have *got* to protect it-- you can not, and I speak from very personal experience, afford that kind of carelessness, or you will, at best, ruin some equipment and at worst kill somebody.

Start applying everywhere and see who contacts you is my best advice. You are swimming upstream, and you already understand that. If a company is willing to give you a shot, work your butt off for a year with them and that will open more doors for you. It’s not about getting where you want, but getting in the door at this point

He meant "calll back in a year as long as you did not have any further incidents". But you got suspended yet again. Even if they were hiring in FL, you wouldnt have been accepted.

You need an attitude adjustment as well as need to improve your responsibility.

First... get the "I know trucking is the carerr for me" out of your head. You will have no clue about this job until you do it. Period. If and when you ever get out here you will understand what I mean. Most people dont make it their first full year.

Second, this is a serious commtment full of responsibilities. Your "heavy sigh" crap shows you didnt learn at all. Most companies will go back 3 years, so they may not see that 92 mph in a 55... but that is a HUGE deal. License suspension is a HUGE deal and failure to attend school?

We handle 80,000 pound killing machines that fly down mountains and can catch on fire due to brakes overheating. You couldnt even show up at a class or keep your license clean. Why should anyone trust you?

If you seriously want to do this...wait about 18 months. Keep your license clean. You just got a suspension in January, thats bad. Waiting until November of 2020 would be your best options cause it puts 3 years from your other issues.

You may be able.to get hired on to a second chance company like CR England, but from your attitude of sighs i suspect you would be back here complaining about their lower pay scale. Second chance companies pay out more in insurance for risky drivers like you, therefore their drivers make less money. Why would a higher paying company choose you over someone like me with no accidents, tickets suspensions etc.

Try everywhere and see who bites, but I foresee issues getting hired even if you moved to somewhere other than FL.

Good Luck

What You Need to Know Before Starting CDL School

First off - what do you mean by "2 wheel laws"? Motorcycle or bicycle?

Depending on where you live in Florida (S. Florida is THE WORST PLACE to get a hire out of), will figure greatly into where you have a shot at ending up.

Your work history (if it is continuous with no "unexplainable gaps") works in your favor. Your DRIVING HISTORY DOES NOT. ESPECIALLY the number of suspensions.

You don't get suspended for NO REASON, and things like: failed to appear, failed to comply, failed to maintain valid insurance (among the top reasons for suspensions aside from DUI's and points suspensions) - all pretty much demonstrate a LACK OF RESPONSIBILITY.

And 95/55 doesn't do you much good either - even though it's pretty much old enough to not present a MAJOR ISSUE, it's still not going to be looked upon favorably (and I ride too, and my one doozy of a speeder was on a bike).

The suspensions are what is going to SCREW YOU UP.

I would try CRST, but keep in mind - they are ALL TEAM (which means you live in a truck with someone for ETERNITY), as they DO HIRE from down here.

First... get the "I know trucking is the career for me" out of your head. You will have no clue about this job until you do it. Period. If and when you ever get out here you will understand what I mean. Most people don't make it their first full year.

I agree and disagree with this statement. While it's admirable to get "jazzed" about trucking as a career, and want it to be your "run into retirement" job - you don't know what it's like until you are out there. Rainy comes off as blunt sometimes, but she is correct in her assertions.

Start applying everywhere and see who contacts you is my best advice. You are swimming upstream, and you already understand that. If a company is willing to give you a shot, work your butt off for a year with them and that will open more doors for you. It’s not about getting where you want, but getting in the door at this point

Chances are - if you even get a hire (due to driving record and location), it's going to be "bottom of the barrel". It will test your patience and commitment. Get a year in of clean, accident free driving - and more opportunities will become available.

Rick

Like others have said, shoot your shot see who bites. You miss 100% of the shots you don't take. You already know the obstacles you face. And everything Rainy said.

At some point you have to take responsibility for your actions. Sounds like you're blaming Florida law for being at fault for a rear end collision. There are very few circumstances where you're not a fault for a rear end collision. You're having trouble following traffic laws in an area you know, what happens when you're in the middle of Wyoming and you just have to use your judgement?

Be honest on your applications. Being honest also means answer the questions properly. If they want moving violations in the last 3 years don't mention the speeding ticket from 2014. They pull up so much stuff on you it's ridiculous. When TMC rejected me they sent me 5 background reports that could be my autobiography. They knew everything. I was honest about everything, but it doesn't matter. They checked anyway. I'd hate for you to leave your job and then get sent home from orientation.

The biggest hurdle you'll have is the suspensions and the accident. Suspensions say that you're irresponsible. You can't take care of it from home, how are you going to take care of it on the road? They usually want accidents in the last 5 years. An at fault is a problem.

In the meantime sit tight and learn as much as you can. I know how you feel doing a job you hate with the light so far away. Everytime you break a traffic law, you risk pushing it further back. Ask yourself is going this fast worth it? Start changing those habits now because they will lead to the unemployment line if you continue them while your driving. You're company owns your license. They check it periodically and you have to let them know anytime you get a violation.

Stay safe out there.

I'm also curious how you were "at fault" in a rear end collision where "they didn't see me"? Did you run into someone else? Or get run into?

I had a weird one a decade ago, where I had to slow (on an MC) almost to a stop on 441, to get into a gravel parking lot (because we really want to dive into a gravel parking lot @ 40 MPH on an Electra Glide).

Anyways, women behind me was following to close (and likely not paying attention), had to nail her brakes and got rear ended (actually, it was a 3 car pileup). For some reason the cop thought it was my fault (thank GOD I didn't get hit), didn't want to hear any explanation, and wrote me a ticket for an improper stop. Under the completely wrong statute (something about a stop sign on private property). I didn't bother to hire a lawyer, I beat the ticket myself. The woman that ACTUALLY CAUSED the accident, tried to sue me - and I beat that also.

Rick

Suspensions say that you're irresponsible.

NOT always lol......I had a ticket in Sept 2014, while living in Arizona, I going home from work. Well, @ the end of Sept. I broke my shin bone in 1/2@ work.3 months later in December, my license was up for renewal, but since I was in a full leg cast etc I let it lapse.. I figured I would be out of service 9+ months and didn't need it, and since was off work, didn't have funds to renew it.....Fast forward March 2017 , went to renew my Calif license, when i found out I had this "suspension" looming. Went to ADOT/Az court made a deal pay off fine for ticket in payments. Kept up to date every month on paying it down, nd moved back to Calif. Well when I lost my last job, I couldn't keep paying on it, and once again, now my Valid license was on suspension from Arizona court, but had not reached Calif DMV yet, so it never showed up as suspended the 2nd time. Which I sold my custom '68 Beetle to pay it off, and fix my license once again.....

Thought it was kinda weird how could they suspend something, that wasn't even valid @ the time hmmmm......Besides all that, I had never since I was 16 had my license suspended, or ticketed .

Thanks for all the critiques and advice so far. Don't have time to respond to each right now as today is running through bone yards. ALL of the suspensions are due to the accident where I was on 2's. Lessons have been learned and I actually avoided an additional suspension since then on my own because of the previous experience I've now had with Fl DMV. I'll get more in depth on anything later when I can sit for a bit longer.

Additional suspensions that you avoided? Trucking companies dig deep into your background. They find EVERYTHING. They like to see at least 3 clean accident, ticket, suspension free years at a minimum.

Yes there are 2nd chance companies you might be able to get started with, but don't expect the higher paying companies to bite when you cast your hook into the pond.

We recommend company sponsored training because if a company accepts you into their cdl school and then into their company training, they have a vested financial interest in seeing you succeed and you're pretty much guaranteed a job. No sense in getting a cdl if nobody will hire you.