Please Advise, Felon Looking To Change My Life...
Topic 3737 | Page 1
I need some advise on what to do. I got a felony theft in 2005 and am currently facing pending charges for a felony however I have a lawyer who is working to dismiss and I don't know how to get in to a training program. I don't have my CDL and don't know how it all works so if anyone out there is willing to advise me on what I can do to get my lifelong career started please let me know.
Good Luck but a Felony Theft will exclude you from most Companies
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.
First off, you have to get the current charges taken care of before you think about getting into trucking. What a lawyer says and what happens can be two different things.
People are going to ask what the second felony was for to gauge if you have changed your life at all. If it is for the same thing then you will be out of luck probably. All that means to most people is that you were just not caught in the last 9 years.
I am sure that you have and are continuing to but you have to take a long hard look at yourself. Until you decide to change you will not do it.
With all that, you may want to check out Carolina Cargo or something like that. Theft is the biggest deterrent to companies hiring you.
Good luck in your search.
BLT S, Welcome aboard!
Hey man, as you are finding those felonies are going to dog you for a long time - it's just the way it is. The good new is that there are some truck drivers out there that are convicted felons. Don't let it drag you down or keep you discouraged. What you've got to do is really be persistent. You will probably have to go to a private truck driving school because I doubt the Company-Sponsored Training programs will accept you. Make sure and check out the Truck Driver's Career Guide here, you will gain a lot of insight from that section.
One of the sections of this site you should check out is the Understanding Pre-Hires section. Since you are dealing with the felonies you should make sure and get some pre-hire letters before you commit to a school - that way you aren't wasting your money getting your CDL and then being disappointed that you can't get a job.
You can Apply For Truck Driving Jobs here and have the applications sent to a lot of different places. You're just getting started, but you feel free to ask us anything you want - we will do our best to help you get started. You can drive a truck, but it may take you a little longer than it does your average goober that hasn't gotten caught making a mistake. Sometimes you will find that the felonies will have to be a certain amount of years old before you can proceed, but if you persistently keep at it you might just find someone who will put you in the drivers seat.
Best of luck to ya!
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.
SAP:
Substance Abuse Professional
The Substance Abuse Professional (SAP) is a person who evaluates employees who have violated a DOT drug and alcohol program regulation and makes recommendations concerning education, treatment, follow-up testing, and aftercare.
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.
Pre-hires:
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.
The big thing I read in that was you have a current felony pending. If that goes on your record, you are out of luck. If you get it dismissed, the other felony was a long time ago. You may have a shot. Just be aware that certain felonies can cause you to be excluded from getting a CDL-A for life. The next question is, what will your background check show in the past ten years? What has your employment history been for the past ten years? If there are any dings on your background, a good explanation will be required. DON'T LIE! If you have any gaps in your employment history, you will have to be able to explain that as well. Good 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.
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I need some advise on what to do. I got a felony theft in 2005 and am currently facing pending charges for a felony however I have a lawyer who is working to dismiss and I don't know how to get in to a training program. I don't have my CDL and don't know how it all works so if anyone out there is willing to advise me on what I can do to get my lifelong career started please let me know.
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles: