Question:
I had a very lengthy conversation this afternoon with a recruiter from National Truck Drivers School out of Green Cove Acres, Florida. He told me I could get a job easier if I went ahead and got my license. He said that there is a company that hauls carnival equipment that I would most likely be able to get hired on with. I know that it will 5 years since I was convicted of my felony, should I just go ahead and get into a school and get my license and apply and see what happens , then if i dont get a job I will be ready to go when I find a company to hire me?

Answer:
I would not add "Carney Driver" to your already shaded resume.
And frankly, I'd be suspicious of any company that would take you within five years of your conviction.
I know you're anxious to get going on this. But after all this time, and with so much time ahead of you, another 7 months is just a blip.
My suggestion is to continue applying and talking to companys.; Make contacts. Ask questions. Submit applications - even though you know you'll be turned down right now by the better ones. Use this time to learn more about the industry and maybe develop a couple recruiters who will remember you in November.
The carriers won't consider you if your truck school diploma is more than a couple months old. Don't go to truck school right now. It's too soon. Time your truck school so you graduate in November at the five year anniversary of your conviction. Then send all these companys a fresh application with a copy of your recent truck school diploma -- and go from there. Seriously, you need to wait until you're legit enough for the bigger carriers to consider you. Don't take a half-azzed driving job in the meantime. Otherwise you're adding that dubious job -- and all the bad habits and illegal corner-cutting that probably goes with it -- to your ex-felon status. This might make it even harder for the decent carriers to consider you.
As hard as it is to put all this off a while -- find another steady job to tide you over. Go to truck school in late October. Graduate as your five years is finished in November. Then get back to every GOOD company you want to consider with your five years behind you and a fresh truck school diploma. That's what I'd do in your situation. There's no reason you can't build an excellent career and eventually drive with the best if you tdon't expose yourself to additional trouble. And as harsh as it sounds, gotta say it -- anyone who'd hire you before five years is probably trouble.
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Answer:
Ok sounds good to me...thanks all of your guys for all the advice you have given me. I think I would have given up a long time ago without you guys. I have found this program at a tech school near my home. I can go to school and work. The class takes 10 weeks and it starts August 22nd so it would put me ending around the end of October. That is the school im leaning towards more right now. Its ALOT cheaper than all the other trucking schools out there and I have checked them out already...I visited them recently and they really seem to know what they are doing. I will do a little more research on them in the coming weeks to make sure that is the route I want to go. The lady at USA sounded pretty confident she would be able to get hired in November so I will give it a try. I have looked into USA and from I have found they are a fast growing company and seem to be a pretty good place to work. I did just find a company that does hire felons after 4 years, I emailed them to make sure that was correct before I start to apply or anything, hopefully its true and they will atleast talk to me. Well when things start to come together I will let you guys know and hopefully I will see you out on the road one day

Answer:
Get some serious face time with the school's placement counselor - or whatever they call him (or her). You will need this person's help more than most graduating students. Make SURE they really believe they can help you get placed with a decent company. They are - more than any of us - the expert on what kind of job you can get and with whom, based on all the details of your conviction, your work history since, and everything else.
Don't plunk your money down until you've got some good answers. Can't stress this enough. There's a lot of bs in this business, and the schools like taking money from anyone who has it. But if it's a 10-week program, that's better than a lot of these 2-3 week diploma mills that realy rip guys off. Sounds good so far. Keep us posted. http://www.weather.gov/forecasts/graphical/sect...onusWeek.php#tabs

Answer:
The school is basically a career training center. You can learn all kinds of careers there and get certificates and stuff. They do offer a couple of Associate Degree programs and stuff but they are not a college. Some of you from the Tampa Bay area might even have heard of it. Pinellas Technical Education Center...its in Pinellas County. I sat in their parking lot one day and just watched them on the range and the classes are small and everyone got some truck time. They have maybe 7 trucks, all different types. The total for everything is around 1200 bucks...alot cheaper than some of the real driving schools I have checked into and I dont have to go away and stay in a nasty hotel with a stranger for a few weeks. They range from 4,000 up to 6,000. The class is a total of 320 hours, thats classroom and driving time, not sure of the percentage of each. I will do more research on their graduatation percentage and all that stuff.

Answer:
Not familiar with that school (maybe someone here is?) but it sounds good so far. We frequently suggest a community college CDL program instead of the typical "truck schools". This sounds similar -- more than just the bare minimum for the maximum price -- which is your typical $4,000 truck school.
One very important detail. Ask them if their program is "PDTI Certified ". (I think that's the correct acronym) PDTI is ( or was until recently at least) an established curriculum many large carriers prefer as a way to know in advance what you've been taught, and where they pick-up with the actual "training" they'll provide on your first job. Just call and ask them that question, OK?
Also....the school should be able to provide you a printed list of the trucking companys that hire thier students. If you don't have one yet, this same phone call might be a good time to ask them to send you one. If they can't, or just want to tell you informally instead of providing a printed list -- trucking companies may not recognize their program as worthy, or they don't provide students much help finding jobs. Trucking schools -- even the rip-off ones -- usually offer placement assistance. You may need someone to vouch for you and talk positively on your behalf more than an average truck school graduate. If their students get jobs, they should be more than happy to provide you a printed list of the companies that hire them.
(this goes for any truck school under any conditions - for those reading along )
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Answer:
Will find out that info. Going down there on Monday and snoop around a little. They do allow you to observe one class session before you apply to make sure your really interested in it, so I will be able to get a really good feel for the class environment and how it works and all that stuff pretty quickly. I can feel if something is right or not within a few minutes. The school is run by the Pinellas County School Board so I would think it would be a good program.

Answer:
Good. The other nice thing about that list is you can use it as a road map to companys you might want to apply with.
Again -- make sure you have a serious, face-to-face, one-on-one discussion with the person who actually places students in jobs before plunking down your money -- no matter how good everything looks or is. THEY are the expert on how employable you will be, and with whom. Some people attend these programs - especially public schools or CCs - with no definite intend to actually pursue a job. Make sure they can "guarantee" you a decent job.
We've seen it over and over again here -- someone doesn't discover their felony (or whatever) is a serious problem until after they've finished school. Sometimes it's because the school did not give them good information, danced around the subject, sounded "hopeful", promised they'd "sure try", will do "everything we can to help".....etc. Once they hear your complete story, it should be pretty black and white. Make sure you have a firm "yes".
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Answer:
I have been talking with this guy in PA somewhere. He is a former felon himself who has turned things around for himself and now helps ex-felons find jobs. Really cool guy. He is in talks with some trucking companies that hire felons. I met him on a message board for ex-felons and of course I checked him out before I sent him any information about myself. He is talking to Schneider National...if he can get me there I will do it...even after all that bad stuff I have heard about them...I can deal with a year with them to get the training I need. Some other companies are starting to contact me also, got several messages tonight at home fron several companies so things might be looking up for me. Have messages from JB Hunt...even though they dont hire people with no experience. CRST Van Expedited called me and CTL Transport. Will have to call them on Monday and see whats up with them. Worst case they will tell me no or tell me I will have to wait until November when my conviction passes 5 years.....but I will have the contacts.

Answer:
You're seem to be making all the right moves and, if you don't mind me saying, are a lot more impressive than some ex-cons who've posted similar problems here before. I have every confidence you'll do just fine. I wish I could say that for some of the non-felons getting into the business.
Don't rush into a job further down the ladder now, than one you can get higher up by waiting a few more months. Keep us posted.http://www.weather.gov/forecasts/graphical/sect...onusWeek.php#tabs

Answer:
Well when I have a goal I keep trying until there is no more options...there is still options out there for me, I just have to find them. I know there is a company out there that will hire me, it just will take some time to find them. I spend a few hours a day researching and searching for companies that hire ex-felons and I email them and call them and sometimes even apply. I know there is ex-felons out there that are just looking to get a paycheck, im NOT one of them. I am married to a wonderful woman and we have a 2 year old daughter....its all about them now. I have made mistakes in my life and yes I know they are wrong, but I have a family to think about now and need a decent job. McDonalds and those kind of place that hire ex-felons dont pay that much, not enough to support a family. Its hard. but I keep my head up and keep going. Someone turns me down I go to the next one. I love my family and really need to take care of them.

Answer:
Employers who're skeptical of hiring newbies with colorfull history are afraid you're going to steal the freight and sell it at the truckstop, swapmeet, or any retailer who takes hot items. Concentrate on employers where the freight they haul are not worth stealing, like dedicated newsroll paper. Another option is flatbed; the freight is so bulky and heavy, you can't unload it without a forklift. If I had priors, I myself would concentrate on flatbed or hauling sand-n-gravel trucks. Another option is driving a cement mixer truck. The cement mixers in my area (Robertsons) take newbies straight out of trucking school.

Answer:
Thanks for the advice passingtrucker. I have been in touch with Cypress Truck Lines out of Jacksonville, but I have heard they are very bad, treat their employees very bad. I know for a fact they haul a lot of steel and iron.. They do have their own school set up and would train me for my license. They do not however have any financing options, to my knowledge anyway. They MIGHT be ann option for me, even though they are a "bad" company, it will get me in the door and get me the experience. I can endure the torture for a couple of years to get the experience and move on from there. Still considering them.

Answer:
You mentioned Schneider at one point. Yes -- they're a big newbie company, but many also think they have one of the better training programs. You could do a lot worse than Schneider National for your first couple years establishing yourself as a reliable, trustworthy and safe driver.http://www.weather.gov/forecasts/graphical/sect...onusWeek.php#tabs

Answer:
If you're not happy because freight is slow and you're not making enough $$, do not job-hop from one trucking company to another. Freight will normally slow down in February and March. This is a bad time to be an OTR driver, and you should ask about a transfer to a dedicated account in December or January. Dedicated drivers are paid hourly, salary, or per-mile and per-stop. Work is steady and you're making $$ while everybody is suffering. Another option when freight slows down is take a leave-of-absence and work local for a temp-agency (driver leasing) till things get busy in end-of-March. Freight slows down because companies nationwide are saying "don't send me anything! We're doing inventory." The good-pay companies like supermarket grocery chains and Walmart don't like drivers with job-hopping history. You should average no more than one employer every 18 months.