September 2019

Imagine if all of the approximately 2.5 million hard-working men and women in the truck driving industry throughout America decided to quit or even strike for as little as 3 days. Just 3 days! That’s only part of a workweek. Would the average every-day American see it impact their lives in any way?

You bet we absolutely would.

If the strike went on for more than 3 days, say even a week or two? Would the results be even more profound as they impact our daily lives?

Yes, and the impact would be even more profound!

What Would the Impacts of a 3-Day Truck Driver Strike in America Look Like:

If truck drivers in America went on strike for even a little as 3 days, the following are some of the effects that the average American would begin to notice very quickly:

In the first 24 Hours:

medical supplies will become less if not completely unavailable
hospitals will lack the necessary supplies to care for some patients with certain conditions
gas stations will run low, and gas and some pumps may be out of service
US & other mail package deliveries will stop

In 2-3 Days:

food shortages in grocery stores will begin which may lead to limits on how many items you can buy at one time in an attempt to preserve supplies
many major retailers will run low (or out of) perishable goods like meat or dairy products
ATMs run low on cash and put limits on how much money can withdraw (some may cease operation completely)
service stations run lower on fuel or out of it in some more populous areas
garbage pickup lacks and people experience full trashcans and businesses have full dumpsters
sitting containers start piling up in port as they are idle

In 1 Week (7 Days):

people will quit driving cars as they have no fuel
people won’t be able to go to work (other industries will suffer)
hospitals may run out of oxygen supplies leading to patient complications or worse death

These dire situations only illustrate the first week of what America would look like without their truck drivers.

Contact Us To Become a Truck Driver!

Truck drivers are essential to keeping daily life in the US moving. If you want to get into a job where you will impact people’s lives by providing transportations for the goods they need, please feel free to contact us at DriveCo CDL Learning Center to enroll in classes and get your CDL today.

The week of September 8th to the 14th is National Truck Driver Appreciation Week. We always enjoy taking this week to thank our truck drivers for the selfless, hard work they put into their jobs every day. We can do this by going out of our way to show our appreciation not only during this week but also during every other week of the year. Currently, as of 2019, truck drivers are single-handedly responsible for moving approximately 70% of our goods in the US, which is worth a staggering total of $671 billion annually.

The US currently has over 3.5 million hardworking truck drivers moving goods throughout the US and that number is forecasted to continue to increase along with consumer command in the coming years. Appreciating our truck drivers is crucial as there are about ~60,000 trucking jobs throughout the US that need to get filled right now and that number will balloon to about 175,000 vacancies by 2024 alone.

You Can Get Involved In Appreciating Indiana Truck Drivers:

If you want to get involved in celebrating National Truck Driver Appreciation, there are quite a variety of ways that it can get done. Even if you show thanks to one or two truck drivers, you can make a difference in their lives through a small act of kindness that will touch them more than you know. The following are some great ideas to help thank truck drivers for all they do for us every day:

Have your business/company post a “thank you” post to truck drivers on social media to raise awareness about what they do every day
Set up a drive or seek to donate to a collection or drive that collects supplies for truck drivers while they are on the road (whether these are personal hygiene products or something like audiobooks that they can listen to while on the road)
Start a drive up to donate telephone calling cards to local truck drivers so they can use them to call their family while they are on the road
Volunteer to offer to help make truck drivers a hot meal at their next stop on the road
Suggest that your local gas station or truck stop offers free coffee to truck drivers for National Truck Driver Appreciation Week
Encourage your local gym to offer truck drivers a free “trial” period at their gym or to provide them with a basic health screening (height, weight, BMI, blood pressure check, etc.) to help encourage drivers to take care of themselves just like they take care of others
Encourage your town or municipality to make and post signs thanking truck drivers for what they do
Simply saying “thank you” to a truck driver you see at a gas station or truck stop to let them know they are appreciated

These are just a few ways that you can take a few moments to participate in an initiative that gives back to truck drivers as they give to us year-round.

Remember, that you don’t have to keep your “thanks” for truck drivers confined to National Truck Driver Appreciation Week from September 8th to 14th, 2019, but you can spend a few moments thanking an Indiana truck driver any time of the year. Letting truck drivers know how appreciated they are can go a long way in helping boost their morale and make them feel like they do make a difference in our daily lives.

For more information on how you can help us celebrate truck drivers throughout the US during National Truck Driver Appreciation Week, please feel free to contact us at DriveCo CDL Learning Center to get further involved!

The answer to this question will largely depend on where you live. Many states allow felons to obtain their CDL permit. However, it will depend largely on what the felony you committed included. The answer of what felonies will qualify versus disqualify you from getting your CDL will also vary by state.

Instances in Which You Will Not Be Able to Get Your CDL:

You will get prohibited from getting your CDL in instances where the felony you committed had to do with using the commercial vehicle; then you would either not be allowed to get your CDL at that time or have a waiting period before you can obtain it.

Instances in Which You Will Still Be Able to Get Your CDL:

If you have a felony that is not related to using a commercial vehicle to commit any part of the felony, you should generally not have an issue with getting your CDL, even if you have a felony on your record.

The Number of Felonies You Have Matters:

Someone who has one felony on their record is a lot more likely to get hired than someone who has repeated felons who have many crimes on their record.

Many Large Carriers Do Hire Convicted Felons:

Another step to finding a job as a convicted felon is to find a carrier that will hire you. There are quite a few large carriers who will hire someone who has a felony on their record and give them another chance to get back into the workforce.

Finally, Be Honest in Your Applications:

When you are filling out your personal information about your past, the best thing you can do with the company is that you can be completely honest. Don’t be drawn into embellishing the truth or making up “white lies” in any way, especially about a felony that is in your past. Being open and honest is not only the right thing to do, but it shows companies that you own up and take responsibility for what has happened in the past. Those are the types of employers want to hire.

Moreover, sometimes you might even find out that something like a traffic misdemeanor (or anything related to driving) ends up being more of an issue than a felony (especially one that was non-vehicle related).

Conclusions:

It is very possible to get your CDL and obtain employment as a truck driver, even if you have a felony on your record. If you are in this position, but still want an opportunity at a truck driving career please feel free to contact us at DriveCo CDL Learning Center to enroll in classes and start working towards your CDL today.