Need Some Clarity

2019 I made the biggest mistake I could make. I drove home drunk from a friend's house and got a dui that night. Went to jail for a few hours till my wife bailed me out. Had to call my boss that morning and let him know what happened and lost my driving job. I've been driving truck for over 4 years before that dui and I love the job. There's really nothing else I wanna do other than drive trucks. I went through the whole process of license suspension, the classes they make you take, sherrifs labor, paid my fines, and the year of a blow and go. At the time I didn't know what to except as far as what will happen to my trucking career. I paid for a lawyer that had no knowledge of cdl and how much a dui would impact my future years. I wish I got an attorney who understood how much a dui would truly impact my career but most importantly I wish I never drove that night. Fast forward to the beginning of 2021. I used my withheld judgment and have my case now as a dissmissed dui. Getting my case dissmissed though did not help my driving record at all. Still shows my license suspensions and has my dui on there. Have zero points on driving record but that seems to not help either.. As far as I know, the calls and research I have done there is nothing I can do to clear my driving record. I've tried applying to multiple companies just hoping for someone to give me the chance and opportunity to get back to doing what I love. But I have had zero luck. For most companies I won't be eligible for hire until September of 2024 and some until 2022. I'm just having such a hard time mentally showing up everyday to a job that pays little to nothing where I hate the work I'm doing. Still to this day I go over and over in my head how different my life would be right now if I never got that dui and was still driving. I cant stop thinking that there is really nothing I can do to speed up this process and I am just force to wait for years till I can get back in a truck. I'm trying my best to be patient and look on the bright side, but its hard. I'm just losing hope everyday and want to more than anything get back to where I was and support my family the way I know I should be. My biggest failure in life is getting this dui and jeopardizing my career. I feel as if my hands are tied and my only option is to wait and wait for the months to roll by and the years to come to an end and thats one of the biggest challenges I'm having. I'm trying my best to stay positive for my family but damn do I miss driving truck everyday.

What exactly is the clarity you're looking for, Dylan? Clearly you got the dui , so there's no sense dwelling on that. It happened, and the only way to go now is forward.

Clearly you'll have a difficult, if not impossible time landing another driving job in the immediate future. But you already know that.

I'm not sure how we can help you, beyond suggesting you apply everywhere possible in hopes that someone will take a chance on you.

Your hopes are slim, that's also clear. The best you can do at this point is keep yourself and your license spotlessly clean. Give up any hopes of the DUI coming off your driving record. It's there now, get used to it. Get used to rejections also, at least until you put some time and distance between yourself and that DUI.

I wish I had better news for you. The companies do not look very favorably upon DUI's, and for good reason. Good luck man.

Take a look at companies that hire with DUI to see what companies policies are. Unfortunately you're going to end up taking a lower paying job than you were before but its a step in the direction you're wanting to go. Most are 3 years but glancing through real quick i seen Trans Am is 2 years. Prove yourself and your pay will likely go up.

In addition, the reason TT has a field for 'LOCATION' ... is to help you, more concisely!

Where?!?!?

Age even helps us help you..

Thanks!

~ Anne ~

To be honest im not to sure what clarity I need. Maybe this is what I needed to hear. That I gotta stop dwelling on it and feeling bad for myself. Of course its hard not to but like you said all I can do now is move forward.

I'll keep my license from here on out clean like you said and just keep the dui in the past and try my best not to look back onto that. I guess time is really the only thing that will help me and I just have to accept. Thank you sir.

What exactly is the clarity you're looking for, Dylan? Clearly you got the dui, so there's no sense dwelling on that. It happened, and the only way to go now is forward.

Clearly you'll have a difficult, if not impossible time landing another driving job in the immediate future. But you already know that.

I'm not sure how we can help you, beyond suggesting you apply everywhere possible in hopes that someone will take a chance on you.

Your hopes are slim, that's also clear. The best you can do at this point is keep yourself and your license spotlessly clean. Give up any hopes of the DUI coming off your driving record. It's there now, get used to it. Get used to rejections also, at least until you put some time and distance between yourself and that DUI.

I wish I had better news for you. The companies do not look very favorably upon DUI's, and for good reason. Good luck man.

Thank you for this. I saw this earlier and was also scanning through but didn't see Trans Am on there. Maybe here in September I can reach out to them and see what happens. Thank you sir for your reply.

Take a look at companies that hire with DUI to see what companies policies are. Unfortunately you're going to end up taking a lower paying job than you were before but its a step in the direction you're wanting to go. Most are 3 years but glancing through real quick i seen Trans Am is 2 years. Prove yourself and your pay will likely go up.

Dylan, I haven't logged something like a DUI , but I've done some pretty stupid **** myself and the only way I've found to... move past it is to embrace it and overcome.

I nearly tagged myself with a reckless driving ticket five years ago this month and got myself basically dropped from Knight for it. Keep your nose clean and find any company that will take you and /prove/ to them, but more importantly yourself, that you can Do Better.

Dylan,

I'm sorry you made such a poor choice. I see you have learned your lesson. And yes you have to suck it up and wait.

Your's is a great example of why I say drugs and alcohol have no place with a CDL.

Best of luck.

To be honest im not to sure what clarity I need. Maybe this is what I needed to hear. That I gotta stop dwelling on it and feeling bad for myself. Of course its hard not to but like you said all I can do now is move forward.

I'll keep my license from here on out clean like you said and just keep the dui in the past and try my best not to look back onto that. I guess time is really the only thing that will help me and I just have to accept. Thank you sir.

What exactly is the clarity you're looking for, Dylan? Clearly you got the dui, so there's no sense dwelling on that. It happened, and the only way to go now is forward.

Clearly you'll have a difficult, if not impossible time landing another driving job in the immediate future. But you already know that.

I'm not sure how we can help you, beyond suggesting you apply everywhere possible in hopes that someone will take a chance on you.

Your hopes are slim, that's also clear. The best you can do at this point is keep yourself and your license spotlessly clean. Give up any hopes of the DUI coming off your driving record. It's there now, get used to it. Get used to rejections also, at least until you put some time and distance between yourself and that DUI.

I wish I had better news for you. The companies do not look very favorably upon DUI's, and for good reason. Good luck man.

Knowing that you are in Idaho .. opens a few doors, ie: Miss Laura might have a 2nd chance place for you. Thanks for adding that. The 4 years experience; care to share ?!?!? Might help us, help you.

Have you looked into Western Express?? << Second chance or not, I LOVE THOSE FOLKS. I've got many reasons... and I'm telling you. If 'I' CAN CALL AND SPEAK TO A PERSON THERE (not a 'push nueve dos'.. dealio....) < I love that. I speak Spalian myself (Spanish/Italian.) SO?

On another hand.. (and i dunno what happened to OPTICAL ....) there's this smallish company in Ohio, 2nd chancer, called 'Dutch Maid Logistics.' Would they work w/you? No clue. Nothing hurts, to try.

Do y'all have Home Depot's and Lowe's there???? Straight trucks? They LOVE a guy w/a FULL CDL.. easier on their paperwork. My nephew does Menards here in Ohio. Yes, he has a 'history.' Leave it at that. A dewey and another something or other.

Foodservice, perhaps? Pop (soda?) or beer hauling? So MANY things you can still do.. until you are offered the love of OTR again, .. in the meantime.

I wish you the best, man. I really do. I've got kids (probably your age!.) Hard lessons learned. Pricey. No 'deweys' but some dumb shx... holds up 'opportunities.'

This too, shall pass.

~ Anne ~

Yeah I think that's what I need to start slowly working on. Is to accept this and never repeat the past. I gotta take this as a life lesson and an eye opener on how much my cdl really means to me. Thank you for your reply Keith and you be safe out there!

Dylan, I haven't logged something like a DUI , but I've done some pretty stupid **** myself and the only way I've found to... move past it is to embrace it and overcome.

I nearly tagged myself with a reckless driving ticket five years ago this month and got myself basically dropped from Knight for it. Keep your nose clean and find any company that will take you and /prove/ to them, but more importantly yourself, that you can Do Better.