Profile For Professor_Eye_M

I'd forgot to add...

With everything that was said with Stevens Transport, should I be worried and forget about the whole pre hire letter or call them and give it a shot? I don't have anything else on my record that should hinder me.

I have a question for Trucking Truth and any drivers who are employed with Stevens Transport.

Last week, I had filled out an application to Stevens Transport for the CDL training. This was one of my strongest choices to get into, besides the fact that their contractual commitment is 3 years. When I had applied, I already had the mindset that they will say NO due to my record but from the suggestions that the experienced drivers on here had said to me, which was apply like crazy, that's what I did. APPLY LIKE CRAZY! I didn't apply like crazy per se, but I did apply to that application link on here. As well, I had put an application/profile on Driver Pulse. Before I know it, I had recruiters calling me like crazy. It was a great feeling to have companies calling me trying to get me in their program at the beginning. Once I had revealed to them about my record, the NO's just came flying in all over the place. I wanted to just lie and keep it all a secret because I just wanted to get on the road and get the experience. But I couldn't. I had to be honest. This is what most experienced truckers like Old School, Rainy D, Brett, Big Scott, and many others on here preach to us newbies, especially us newbies with records. So I had to man up and be very honest with them. At first, it was very discouraging to have these NO'S thrown at my face. But I remember something what Brett had preached throughout so many posts to newbies who gets so discourage..."HOW BAD DO YOU WANT IT?" I don't believe this was verbatim but the emotions were the same. So I had to ask myself HOW BAD DO I WANT TO BE A TRUCKER? And the answer is simple, BADLY. Plus, that's how life works. When you want something so bad, you will have to work hard to get. It won't be easy. Once you get it though, it will be more appreciative rather than it to be handed to you easily.

Now, what's exactly on my record that I'm receiving so many NO's? Here are the following:

2015 - Misdemeanor charge for battery/makes physical contact. Still under supervision until my fines are fully paid.

2016 - Failed DOT drug test while attending KLLM company based CDL training (Not sure if it was reported. Regardless if it was on my DAC or anywhere else or not, I want to be honest rather than being secretive. I don't have anything to hide or am I embarrased about it. Plus, I heard trucking companies will find out about it.).

2017 - +15 mph Speeding ticket in Missouri (it's been paid)

I could give a sob story about each event but what's been done, is done and mistakes were made. These are nothing but life lessons and I thank God I had manifested through each one. It could had been worse.

With that being said, I had applied to Stevens Transport with the mindset that they will say NO instantly. So what do I have to lose? Throughout the application, I was faced with a couple questions that I wanted to lie but I know I have to be very truthful. The questions were:

1) Ever tested positive or refused a pre-employment drug or alcohol test? I had answered YES and explained that it was in 2016. However, I didn't specify it was a DOT test.

2) Have you had any tickets in the last 3 years? Number of tickets in last 3 years. I had answered 1 ticket and explained it was in 2016 in Missouri going +15 mph.

Unfortunately, there wasn't any questions pertaining to felonies/convictions, otherwise, I would had truthfully explained about that as well.

After I'd finished and submitted the application, I felt very bittersweet about it because this was one of the companies I wouldn't mind working for, minus the 3 year contract (this isn't a deal breaker or anything but 3 years sounds pretty nail-biting, however, beggars can't be choosers.). Anyhoo, about a few days later I had received a pre hire letter from Stevens Transport. That really had shocked me because it was so unexpected. I had to rethink to myself about if I had truthfully answered the questions on the application, which I did. Immediately after realizing that I did, I felt like there's hope and it had uplifted my spirits; I became more determined to overcome this obstacle of what others may had just simply gave up. From my research, I understand that a PRE HIRE LETTER is simply an invitation to an orientation to weed out the applicants and it's not an official letter of employment. But just to see a pre hire letter in my position can really give a person courage and hope. I haven't called them back to go through a background or whatever because A) I'm not planning to go to any CDL training until around June or July of this year. I want to get all of my ducks line up. B) I just have that small fear that they will say "sorry, you're not a qualified candidate." Fearing the unknown is a b**ch sometimes. As a wise person once said to me "A scared man can't win and a dead man can't play."

On another note, I had received a message from CFI asking me to give them a call about my application. When I had seen this, I immediately thought about Big Scott who parlays on here. If you're reading this Big Scott, what would you suggest? Would I qualify? I know it's better for me to call the recruiter but what are your thoughts?

Thank you all for reading.

Congrats to you Doug. I'm sure everything will work out for you at CRST. It sucks that Prime had turned you down but everything happens for a reason and maybe this will be your grand opportunity for success.

You're right Rainy. I don't want to be the one who makes that forum about HOW I WAS SENT HOME BECAUSE I DIDN'T THINK IT THEY WOULD FIND OUT. Certainly don't want to look like an idiot and make matters worse for me. I will have to just bite the bullet and do the right thing and do what is required. I honestly don't care if I'm making $0.17 per mile or $0.24 per mile, I just need the OTR experience for at least 1 year or 1 year and some months and then from there, opportunities to make more will come. I will just have to accept a lot of NO's before getting that one YES after completing both the SAP and the Return of Duty Process.

I truly appreciate all of your kindness and advices you all gave me and will take heed to what you all highly suggest for me to do.

Thanks for the advice Rainy. So how should I approach this when asking a recruiter? Do I fill out an application and afterwards, talk to the recruiter or just call him/her and ask if they can look up and see if I do have a failed dot drug test?

I'm sorry if I'm sounding like an idiot or anything.

Just to put this out there. I'm not trying to find a "loop hole" or a way to cover up this up. I just want to make that this is on my record or not. If so, I don't mind taking the SAP program. If not, I don't want to waste my time and money. That's all.

Ok. Thanks Old School.

If there's anyone out there who knows, let me know ASAP. It would be very appreciative.

Thanks for the reply Old School. Is there a way I can request a report on seeing about a failed drug test?

Hello to all who are viewing this forum.

I have a question regarding this topic. So for those who know me from my previous forum, I had a failed pre-employment dot drug test about 2 1/2 years ago with KLLM's CDL training and never even made it to getting a permit or orientation. From those who had responded, they all gave me some wise words and knowledge on what I needed to do. And took great heed to it as well.

Before I had posted that forum, I had requested for a DAC report with Hireright earlier this month. I'm not sure if I had requested for the right forms/reports, however, I did check the box that indicated "DAC Employment History File" which includes employment history records and identifies existence of alcohol/controlled substance test history, if any, as submitted by former employers. Then a week later I had received an email from a representative as follows:

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dear (…………..),

HireRight received your 1/16/2019 request for a copy of your consumer reports in which you selected the option for “All Reports”. To be sure that we are providing you with the information you would like to receive, I would like to speak with you to clarify your request. Please contact me at your earliest convenience.

Our records indicate that a background report for you was recently ordered by Caterpillar in 09/2011. If this is the report you want to receive, you may simply reply to this email and we will forward that to you as soon as possible. However, if this is not the report you requested and would like HireRight to provide additional reports (if any), please call me at 000.000.0000 extension 000000 so I can confirm exactly what information you need, or you may respond to this email.

If I am unable to contact you by 1/24/2019, I will fulfill your request by sending you a copy of any report(s) provided by HireRight about you within the past 30 days. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

And no, I didn't fail a drug test at Caterpillar...

So my question is, did I request for the right forms? The representative did call me a week later to clarify and she said that caterpillar was the only company that was listed. So I had cancelled the order. After doing more researching with DAC reports and how it's been said that there can still be something on those reports and to get a copy by mail/email to verify, I had re-requested for another report and check almost all the boxes and ask for all reports.

Should I be concerned and go off and do a SAP course or should I be relieved and excited to know that I'm just moments away of going off to a school and get my CDL and get OTR asap?

What do you think? I should be receiving my DAC report within 13 days and counting just to be very sure.

Thank you for reading,

Professor_Eye_M

Thank you all for the encouragement. To be honest, I was a little down for about 30 minutes or so after Old School's post, but that little mustard seed inside of me is always sprouting faith and told me not to give up. I came along way and learn too much to just throw it away because of a small mistake. I'm not going to give up and after all of the information I'd gained about trucking, there's NO WAY IN HELL will I ever mix drugs/alcohol with driving. I just can't fathom the thought of being intoxicated and ramming behind a vehicle and moments later I find out that I had just killed a family, let alone a little baby. I would be beyond traumatize. I just see this as God's way of saying that I need to leave drugs alone. Plus, this could had been worse to where if I had a CDL and I was caught with drugs in my system, the consequence could've been more dire than just getting popped prior to getting any sort of CDL. As the old saying goes, "When there's a will, there's a way" and I have a will to getting a CDL. This just requires a lllloooonnnggg set of baby steps. Plus, I knew at the very beginning when I told myself to focus on getting an CDL that there will be bumps and hurdles. So I had already mentally prepared myself. That's the soldiers way.

Let me ask you all another question. Since you all know that I was popped, which was around 2 1/2 years ago and from the responses, I have to now take a SAP course if I'm ever considering of OTR. I cool with that. Rules are rules. With that being said. Let's say if I took another route and went to go for a CDL B and found a transit bus service who will train on the job and the only thing I have to do is get my permit first. And on the application, it asks that if I had failed a DOT drug test in the last 2 years and I said no (truthfully it was over two years ago , would I still be penalized because I did failed one that was over 2 years ago and still have to do a SAP or should I be in the clear? I heard many of times, if they don't ask, don't tell.

I'm thinking, hell if I can't get into OTR with a CDL A, at least I can get a CDL B and work that for awhile until I can get things straighten with this whole SAP/Failing a DOT drug test thing. Of course, I will leave this in God's hands and let the universe direct me. Until then, I just need some advice, opinions, suggestions, etc.

Thank you all once again for your responses. You guys are awesome!!!