Our organization, Help For Felons has put together a long list of trucking companies that hire felons. We have organized this list in accordance with how old your felony conviction must be to be considered for employment. Please remember that even though all of the companies listed below will hire felons it does not mean that they will hire everyone with a criminal background! You can also check out our main page “Truck Driving With A Felony.”

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Why is trucking a good option for felons?

Because it pays well and it is a job that you can actually get, listen to the man in the video. Does this mean that someone with a rap sheet as long as Santa’s beard can become a truck driver? Probably not but it may still be a possibility.

Click on any of the below trucking companies for more information, online applications and contact information. If you are a felon seeking a truck driving job and have no previous trucking experience we highly suggest reading all the information on our “How to become a truck driver with a felony” article.

The Best trucking companies for felons

Start here with these trucking companies. Many of these companies are not well known do to their smaller size but they are the most felon friendly without a doubt!

• Britton Transport – These guys run dry vans, reefers and flatbeds. They are known for using common sense when when hiring truck drivers and will actually consider hiring you with a felony on your record.
• Carolina Cargo – Perhaps the most felon friendly trucking company on earth. They give second chances!
• Magnum Ltd. – You can email them,  ([email protected]) to find out more.
• Gardner – We are not 100% sure they will hire felons at this time but they were referred to us by one of our readers.
• Paschall Truck Lines (PTL) – This company has given seconded chances before to many new truck drivers with felony convictions.
• Con-Way– No pun intended here!

Trucking companies that hire felons with convictions that are 10 years old or more:

• Swift Transportation – Swift offers a financed and low cost CDL/Truck driver training program.
• J.B. Hunt
• Shaffer Trucking
• Crete Carrier
• Dick Lavy Trucking
• CR England
• Celadon – Celadon has a company sponsored CDL training.
• Dutch Maid Logistics
• Hunt Transportation (Must have 12 months experience)
• JBS Carriers (Must have 12 months experience)

Trucking companies that hire felons with convictions that are 7 years old or more:

• Roehl Transport – Roehl Transport offers paid CDL training in multiple locations.
• Melton Truck Lines
• Stevens Transport
• PGT Trucking
• Falcon Transport (must have 6 months experience)
• Knight Transportation
• Tango Transport
• Barr-Nunn Transportation (Must have 12 months experience)
• Groendyke Transport (TX, OK, LA Only)
• Interstate Distributor Co.

Trucking companies that hire felons with convictions that are 5 years old or more:

• Boyd Brothers
• Western express
• Transway Inc.
• TransAm Trucking
• Paschall Truck Lines
• Carolina Cargo
• DeBoer Trucking Company
• Florilli Transportation (Must have 12 months experience)

Trucking companies that hire felons on a case by case basis:

• Werner Enterprises
• Navajo Express
• Millis Transfer – Millis Transfer offers CDL training.
• Conway Truckload – Now CFI
• FFE – FFE offers CDL training.
• Carolina Cargo
• Schneider National
• E.W Wylie
• Prime Inc. – Prime has a paid truck driver/CDL apprentice program.
• USA Truck – USA Truck has a company sponsored training program.
• Maverick Transportation
• US Express
• Tyson Foods
• Covenant Transport
• Cardinal Logistics
• Freymiller (Must have 6 months experience)
• Hirschbach (Must have 6 months experience)
• J & R Schugel
• LCT Transportation

Truck driver pay –  The highest paying job for felons

Most people think truck drivers make a lot of money. The reality is that they make a decent living at a cost of not being at home, buying over priced food at truck stops and making very little if you based their pay at an hourly rate.

Most truck drivers are paid by the mile and the average truck driver will drive about 2,000 to 2,700 dollars a week. After you gain several years of experience you can make about 50 cents per mile.

.50 x 2,300 Miles = $1,150 per week

You will get additional pay for minor things like detention pay, tarp pay (if you run a flatbed) and a safety bonus.

Additional pay of $50.00 a week + $1,150 per week = $1,200 per week

In reality you will work at least 70 hours a week. This breaks down to about 17 dollars an hour.

As a felon with no experience you are not going to make $1,200.00 a week, it will be more like $500 or $600 dollars a week. If you stick with the job, are safe and have no tickets or accidents you will be able to make more. The worst thing you can do is bounce from company to company! Stay with your first company for at least two years and you will have a great future in the trucking industry.

Getting your CDL, trucking schools and pre-hire letters

DO NOT GO TO A TRUCK DRIVING SCHOOL AND GET YOUR CDL UNLESS YOU KNOW YOU CAN GET A JOB. So many people waste money and time getting their CDL and later find out that nobody will hire them due to medical reasons, their driving record or criminal record.

Many trucking companies, if not all will pre-hire you, meaning that they will agree to hire you if you get your CDL. Call them and talk with a recruiter and they will work with you to get pre-hired. Make sure you tell them about any felony convictions, any convictions actually. This gives you a decent guarantee that you will have a job if you get your CDL.

Some trucking schools are crazy expensive. The ONLY thing that trucking companies care about is that you get your CDL. Just get your class A CDL as cheaply as possible, don’t worry about the rest. After you are hired on the trucking company will train you and pair you up with an experienced driver. They will also pay back the cost of your trucking school in most cases.

Will you be hired by a trucking company if you are a felon?

It depends on these factors:

• How long has it been since your sentence was fulfilled (not when you were convicted)
• The type of felony you were convicted of
• How many felony convictions you have
• Company policy of the trucking company

There is no guarantee that you will be hire BUT their is a good chance that most felons without a violent pass will end up getting a job as a truck driver if they put the effort into finding a job.

Why becoming a truck driver is a good option for felons

This is simple. Money, a place to live and steady employment all wrapped up in one. You know how hard it is to get a job and you also know how little most of the jobs you can get will pay you. Why stay in that rut when you may have the opportunity to beak out of that lifestyle and carve out a life you want.

Felonies that will keep you from getting a job as a truck driver

There are some crimes that will automatically keep you from getting hired by a trucking company or even keep you from getting a Commercial Drivers License (CDL).

• Any felony conviction involving a commercial vehicle
• Interstate drug trafficking
• Homicide by vehicle
• TWO DUI convictions WHILE having a CDL

Truck driving and DUI/DWI convictions

There are many trucking companies that will hire you if you have a misdemeanor or felony conviction of DUI or DWI. Often though a trucking company will require a number of years to pass since you were convicted, often 5 years. Most trucking companies will list their DUI policy somewhere on there website. You may also want to consult this list of companies that hire truck drivers with a DUI conviction.

Traffic tickets worse than a felony

Believe it or not speeding tickets can be worse than a felony conviction in the trucking industry.

Every trucking company has to carry and pay for millions of dollars in insurance. Truck wrecks, loads falling off trucks into traffic and deaths occur in the industry. The point is their insurance company charges them a lot of money and will  not let them hire anyone with a lot of traffic violations. Point is, keep your driving record as clean as possible and you will have a much easier time being hired, or not fired!

Applying to trucking companies as a felon – Things you must do and know!

When you apply to a trucking company it is much different than most jobs. Every trucking company has to follow strict regulations set forth by the FMCSA. Trucking companies have to dig deep into your past by law and know a lot of different things.

1. Honesty – It is extremely important to be honest on any application that you fill out. Trucking companies are required by federal and state laws to thoroughly investigate your past. Whatever you have done, they will find it. If you are caught being dishonest, stretching the truth or lying you will not be hired and black listed.
2. Employment History – Trucking companies are required by law to look at your past 10 years of employment history. You will always need to account for any employment gaps over 30 days within that ten year period. Make sure that you give accurate dates of employment and the correct contact information for each past employer. If you were unemployed tell them, they don’t care they just need to know so they do not get into trouble.
3. Driving Record –  Your past driving record (DMV report) will be thoroughly looked at. Consistent speeding tickets and traffic infractions will cause you problems. We suggest that get a copy of your DMV record so you know what exactly is on it BEFORE you fill out the application. Not all violations from your past will show up on it.
4. Medical Certification –  All truck drivers holding a valid CDL are also required to be medically qualified on a regular basis. Health issues like high blood pressure, diabetes and sleep apnea can cause you not to be medically fit to operate a commercial vehicle. It is best to have a DOT medical exam prior to spending any money on becoming a truck driver.

Felony expungement is an option for some felons

If you have applied to every trucking company possible and are getting nowhere due to your felony conviction(s) then it might be a good idea to see whether your felony can be expunged.

Our organization, Help For Felons has provided an excellent article about felony expungement. Laws differ in each state but it may be worth a look at. Getting a job with a felony whether as a truck driver or in another industry can be challenging to say the least. We believe that it is well worth your time to see if you can have your criminal past wiped clean or sealed.

Background check limits do not apply to truck drivers

It is important to understand that some states have laws regarding how far back a criminal background check can go, often 7 years. This does not apply to felons who are applying to trucking companies. They will always do a lifetime background check as required by federal law and regulation.