New Here With Some Questions

Topic 359 | Page 1

Page 1 of 1
Gerald H. AKA Doc's Comment
member avatar

Hi all Im new here and considering a trucking career. I have been in the residential construction industry for 30 years now and have come to the point of hating it. My last company I was with employed me for 8 years and the one before that was 13 years. It's very seasonal and unemploymet does'nt pay the bills. The last company layed me off due to the econemy and I was off for a little over a year. This has came to ruin my credit and that is one of the questions that i have. How important is the whole credit thing in trying to get a decent job in trucking? The second question is DUI. I have had two of them, but it was 25 years ago. Will this or should this blow my chances of getting on ? No other serious traffic violations. I have wanted to be a trucker since I was a little kid. When I was younger my family traveled across country from San Diego Ca. to Oakland Md. several times and I loveed it. I would talk to the truckers on the CB and once rode with my cousin who also was a trucker. When I was 20 I even hitch hiked across from Va. Beach to San Diego and back, so you can see I like the traveling part. I have applied to driver solutions and have an interview call tomorrow at 3. On the requirements it said no more than one DUI in a lifetime. I applied any way. I have signed up with the WIA program in my state to go to classes but it could take 6 months for funding and even then, I may not get it. I have started with another construction company but its not where I want to be. I would like to get a cdl and some experiance so I can apply for a state job driving truck here in my home state of Wv.. Any thoughts on these questions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance. Gerald (better known as Doc)

CDL:

Commercial Driver's License (CDL)

A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:

  • Any combination of vehicles with a gross combined weight rating (GCWR) of 26,001 or more pounds, providing the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of the vehicle being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds.
  • Any single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 or more pounds, or any such vehicle towing another not in excess of 10,000 pounds.
  • Any vehicle, regardless of size, designed to transport 16 or more persons, including the driver.
  • Any vehicle required by federal regulations to be placarded while transporting hazardous materials.

DUI:

Driving Under the Influence

Ron T.'s Comment
member avatar

Gerald, I am by no means an expert, but I've been reading these forums for months. Dui that long ago won't be a problem. I just posted on the WIA program which I just fouond out that I was approved. I don't know what state your in but the 2 local driving schools told me to constantly call your case worker to "keep your file on top". Well I'm in Nebraska which means a lower population. Which also means less workload than Houston, KC, you get what I'm saying.It took me 2 weeks here to get funded. Again, I would probably call your case worker every day to check on progress. Good luck, Ron

DUI:

Driving Under the Influence

Gerald H. AKA Doc's Comment
member avatar

Thanks Ron, I applied a little over a week ago and have already made a call to find out the status. Im in West Virginia and I just replied to your thread as well about a minute ago. Thanks Ronand I hope all goes well for you. Doc

Brett Aquila's Comment
member avatar

Welcome aboard!

You will indeed find some companies will not hire anyone with a DUI , but many companies will be fine with it since it was so long ago. So that won't keep you from getting your trucking career underway.

As far as your credit, that won't be a concern either. There may be some companies that want to pull your credit and have a look, but it certainly wouldn't be a deciding factor on whether or not they would hire you.

DUI:

Driving Under the Influence

Gerald H. AKA Doc's Comment
member avatar

Thanks Brett. I did talk to the recruter today and he said my app looked great and wanted to know when I was interested in starting. I told him I had some things to get taken care of around home before I could start and he said no problem just call him about a week before I was ready to go and he would get things set up for me. So I guess my worrying about it last night was unwarrented. Thanks again Doc

guyjax(Guy Hodges)'s Comment
member avatar

Thanks Brett. I did talk to the recruter today and he said my app looked great and wanted to know when I was interested in starting. I told him I had some things to get taken care of around home before I could start and he said no problem just call him about a week before I was ready to go and he would get things set up for me. So I guess my worrying about it last night was unwarrented. Thanks again Doc

Thank god you found use and we are here to help you out. 10 minutes over at that 'other' site and you would not even be thinking about driving a truck.

Gerald H. AKA Doc's Comment
member avatar

Yes Guy, I too am glad I found this site.I have learned a lot just in the short time I have been a member.I read the forums every day to see what is going on.I am using allot of the advice I get here to get things figured out. Thanks to all of you and be safe on the roads. Doc

Dave D. (Armyman)'s Comment
member avatar

Welcome aboard!

You will indeed find some companies will not hire anyone with a DUI , but many companies will be fine with it since it was so long ago. So that won't keep you from getting your trucking career underway.

As far as your credit, that won't be a concern either. There may be some companies that want to pull your credit and have a look, but it certainly wouldn't be a deciding factor on whether or not they would hire you.

That is so true Brett. A friend of mine from school wanted to work for this one company, and they turned her down. She is doing local now, I think, which is what she rely wanted to do in the first place.

Dave

DUI:

Driving Under the Influence

Page 1 of 1

New Reply:

New! Check out our help videos for a better understanding of our forum features

Bold
Italic
Underline
Quote
Photo
Link
Smiley
Links On TruckingTruth


example: TruckingTruth Homepage



example: https://www.truckingtruth.com
Submit
Cancel
Upload New Photo
Please enter a caption of one sentence or less:

Click on any of the buttons below to insert a link to that section of TruckingTruth:

Getting Started In Trucking High Road Training Program Company-Sponsored Training Programs Apply For Company-Sponsored Training Truck Driver's Career Guide Choosing A School Choosing A Company Truck Driving Schools Truck Driving Jobs Apply For Truck Driving Jobs DOT Physical Drug Testing Items To Pack Pre-Hire Letters CDL Practice Tests Trucking Company Reviews Brett's Book Leasing A Truck Pre-Trip Inspection Learn The Logbook Rules Sleep Apnea
Done
Done

0 characters so far - 5,500 maximum allowed.
Submit Preview

Preview:

Submit
Cancel

Why Join Trucking Truth?

We have an awesome set of tools that will help you understand the trucking industry and prepare for a great start to your trucking career. Not only that, but everything we offer here at TruckingTruth is 100% free - no strings attached! Sign up now and get instant access to our member's section:
High Road Training Program Logo
  • The High Road Training Program
  • The High Road Article Series
  • The Friendliest Trucker's Forum Ever!
  • Email Updates When New Articles Are Posted

Apply For Paid CDL Training Through TruckingTruth

Did you know you can fill out one quick form here on TruckingTruth and apply to several companies at once for paid CDL training? Seriously! The application only takes one minute. You will speak with recruiters today. There is no obligation whatsoever. Learn more and apply here:

Apply For Paid CDL Training