Career Advice

I want to drive a truck but I have some baggage. I am 53 and was without a license for 12 years for a DUI and possession in 2011. I have several tickets for driving under suspension over last 5 yrs and a leaving the scene tickets from 2021. The leaving the scene was only my vehicle involved and my pickup had a blowout. The ticket makes it sound worse than what it was. I road with a trucker friend across half the United States and its what I want to do. I also worked for Pilot Travel Center and think it's awesome all the ladies out there on the road. With my driving record and the felony from 2011, is there a good company that will give me a chance, and treat me right being a female? Who has experience with a company that they would suggest?

Rebecca

All companies treat women right as long as they are willing to work hard and be safe.

While you may want to do this, you need to put more time behind the "leaving the scene" incident and getting several tickets while your license was suspended in the last 5 years.

Doesn't matter if it was "just a blowout", the way it's written up, no company will even look at you in this economy. Driving without a license while yours was suspended shows a lack of maturity, especially since you were in your late 40s to early 50s.

Right now, trucking companies get to call the shots and where there are so many people wanting to become drivers because of losing their job or their jobs aren't paying very well, your recent incidents are a strike against you. Companies have so many better candidates without any baggage, that they don't need to look at your record.

Also, I'm not quite sure I understand you losing your license for 12 years. You are saying you just now got it back?

For now, don't attempt to go to a school that you have to pay for. They only teach you enough to get your CDL. They may have some connection with companies but right now your record is definitely against you. If you do get a CDL , but don't use it, it is considered stale and you will have to do this all over again.

You need roughly 3 years to go by when they will drop off. You won't be too old to get your CDL in a few years. I got mine at 63 and I'm still out here pounding the pavement doing 12,000+ miles a month in the last 9 years. We have many guys in this forum that get their CDL in their late 50s and 60s. Just keep your nose clean over the next few years and hopefully the economy will improve by then and you can get a driving job.

Laura