Profile For Trucker Wannabe

Funny thing. CRST has a website for students.

"Approval for the program is based on the applicant’s driving, work and criminal history, not credit! There are NO CREDIT CHECKS!" It exclaims.

http://www.joincrst.com/students.php

But on the applicant disclosure agreement, it clearly states that it MAY do credit checks. And deny employment, or I assume admission to the school, if derogatory credit info is found.

http://www.joincrst.com/pdfs/09192012/DISCLOSUREAUTHORIZATION.pdf

This forum has become my new hobby -- when I am not doing the practice test that is. I'm above 90% and I've just been at 3 days. Reset my score 3 times I think.

The earlier thread on cannabis got me thinking about this topic. All of us newbies and wannabes are best served by knowing exactly what to expect as we venture into our new way of life. That why we log on to TruckerTruth.

Let me begin with this disclaimer: Any active users or abusers of anything are in the wrong ballpark if they try to get a CDL and drive. The DOT website says it best. STAY CLEAN. STAY SOBER. STAY SAFE. I even limit my caffeine intake now.

But this forum is supposed to be about "Trucker Truth." The DOT drug test is an urine test, according to all the research I have done. I understand that an urine test will detect use back at most 3 months. Where a hair follicle test may detect use back a year or more. Am I right? I personally have never been tested. YET...

When a CDL school or trucking company says "DOT drug test," does that mean a urine test? Or do all the schools and companies now require hair follicle tests. Or do they do both? I think a follicle test would be a bit less intrusive.

Below is the DOT website address that discusses this in depth.

http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/safety-security/drug-alcohol/index.aspx

I have some very old credit card debt on my credit reports from when I was married. The ex-wife went BK, I never did. I am not in collections. No one ever calls me on it. My lawyer says it's noncollectable, and since it's all over 4 years old, I shouldn't worry about it. The credit reports say it will stay on until 2016.

I am wondering how this will affect company sponsored CDL school. Since the schools effectively loan you the money to attend school, will the old debt be a deal killer?

I owned a small business for over a dozen years before the divorce, but the business went belly up after the divorce. So barring a miracle, company sponsored is the only way I will get into a school. And really want to go OTR. It seems like the life for me now.

I'm another one of those late 50s career changing folks. I have many, many questions. But I'll start with this one. A lot is made in this forum about the DAC report. What exactly is a DAC report, and what goes in it?