Does My Past Screw Me Out Of A Trucking Job For Good?

Hey everyone! Right now im a mechanical maintenance tech but its looking like layoffs are on the way and Ive been heavily considering trucking for a while as I love driving and seeing sights. I haven’t used drugs or even alcohol since I was a teenager so im not worried about UA or hair tests, my driving record is also squeaky. The only thing that im worried about is when I was about 19 I was pulled over with some buddies on our way to a camping trip, we were planning on taking some LSD and sitting by a campfire until the cops found it. At the end of the day I was hit with simple possession misdemeanor and got a fine and 6 months probation which was completed without issue. A decade later and I have had 0 run ins with the law and have a happy life with my wife and kid, I was just wondering if I should give up on my dream job because of this past mistake or do you think I can I still get hired onto a mega somewhere? Thanks in advance! :)

Hello Max,

That incident might be a factor with some companies but a lot of time has passed and if your have an otherwise spotless record, you should be able to find a job. There are other people here on this forum who can give you a more definitive answer, so just wait until you get a few more responses on this.

The other issue is the trucking economy right now. Hiring is really slow and companies are being very picky about driver’s qualifications. However, there is always driver turnover, so hiring has slowed but not stopped.

I you decide to pursue this, check out the links below for a better understanding. Also, definitely go with company sponsored and company paid training.

• Truck Driver's Career Guide
• Brett's Book: The Raw Truth About Trucking (free online version)
• High Road CDL Training Program
• CDL Practice Tests

High Road CDL Training ProgramPaid CDL Training ProgramsTruck Driver's Career Guide

• CDL Practice Tests
• High Road Practice Questions
• Android App: CDL Practice Tests

Becoming A Truck Driver: The Raw Truth About Truck Driving

Hi Maximilian, welcome to the forum. Unfortunately there’s no cut ‘n dry answer to your question; companies have raised their standards with regard to what they find in their background checks, but something that occurred 10 years ago, it’s really hard to say. *Two really important things of note here:

1. On any application you fill out for any trucking company, include the charge… if you were to leave it off the application and it showed up in your background check, which it will, that will definitely end your trucking career before it even got started.

2. Strongly consider applying to a company that features their own company-sponsored CDL school. What you don’t want to do is attend a private CDL school, obtain your CDL, then find out that no one will hire you, and you’ve essentially tossed money (and time) to the wind getting a CDL you can’t use. Use this link for information on company-sponsored CDL schools: company-sponsored CDL schools.

The best way to answer your question is to go ahead and begin applying… No harm there in trying. Best of luck to you; I hope you don’t lose your job, but if you do and trucking is Plan B, I hope you get here.

Remember to answer honestly the question they ask. 'Have you been charged/convicted of any offense within the last 3 years' is different than '...ever.'