Realistic Expectations

I have had a driver's license for the last 25 years and in that time I have never had an accident, ticket even a fender bender. I am going through the steps of joining a school and looking for a company but I do have a question pertaining to MVR. After reading all the job requirements for different companies, is it unrealistic to be a truck driver and not expect to get some form of citation or accident? What I mean to say is that with what the companies will permit on your MVR at hiring is it expected that a driver will get some kind of a ticket in their career?

I have had a driver's license for the last 25 years and in that time I have never had an accident, ticket even a fender bender. I am going through the steps of joining a school and looking for a company but I do have a question pertaining to MVR. After reading all the job requirements for different companies, is it unrealistic to be a truck driver and not expect to get some form of citation or accident? What I mean to say is that with what the companies will permit on your MVR at hiring is it expected that a driver will get some kind of a ticket in their career?

Basically you know what the max limits are for your driving record when hiring onto the company. At anytime during your employment you reach that limit they will let you go cause you have met or exceeded what their insurance allows.

I may not have been completely clear in my question. I am wondering if it is possible for a driver to go through their career and not get any tickets or fender benders. I mean I am sure that this is the case but is it the norm or a rarity.

I may not have been completely clear in my question. I am wondering if it is possible for a driver to go through their career and not get any tickets or fender benders. I mean I am sure that this is the case but is it the norm or a rarity.

Some people just don't get any citations or get in accidents. Luck, providence or abundant caution? Who can say?

I don't think anyone would find it "suspicious" that you have a sparkling clean driving record.

For myself, I found my driving habits completely changed after I went to school and got my CDL - when my license/record became more important to me than just having a great ticket attorney.

So much so - that when I changed the address on my CDL recently, and they left the "Safe Driver" notation off the license, I went back and made them cut me a new DL and put it back on.

I earned it - it's important to me.

Congrats on a clean lifetime MVR.

Rick

Yes it is very possible. We have a driver here at Roehl that has 4.5 million miles and not one ticket or preventable accident. He was also name the Professional Trucker Association trucker of the year. That was huge because they gave him a brand new Ford pick up with the honor. I, also know of another driver that has 2.5 million safe miles. It is possible but hard to achieve. We all have moments where we become distracted or make a bad decision. Sometimes nothing bad happens. Be safe and strive to be one of these guys or gals that have achieved greatness.

Yes it is very possible. We have a driver here at Roehl that has 4.5 million miles and not one ticket or preventable accident. He was also name the Professional Trucker Association trucker of the year. That was huge because they gave him a brand new Ford pick up with the honor. I, also know of another driver that has 2.5 million safe miles. It is possible but hard to achieve. We all have moments where we become distracted or make a bad decision. Sometimes nothing bad happens. Be safe and strive to be one of these guys or gals that have achieved greatness.

Great post and so very true! Sure, luck is a part of it but one's driving habits are the biggest factor in having a blemish free career.

I'll make this quick, I got pulled over in California a few months ago and CHP came back and said "Wow, your record is Clean!" It pretty much meant he was gonna tarnish it. So after a few minutes of debate I told him, there is no freaking way I will sign for this crazy Citation that he is going to give me. He even went as far as saying "once I decide to pull you over I have to issue you some form of a Citation" and then said "Here I'll give you a break, I'll give you a correctable violation for a no front plate"

What a crooked cop he was. I'm a pretty safe and attentive driver but in this case I almost could have not avoided a ticket regardless of how hard I tried. So to go an entire career and never get a ticket whether it was warranted or not is going to be hard.

I appreciate the responses so far. I guess that is what I was alluding to when you mentioned the cop was gonna give you a ticket regardless of the situation. i would imagine that many small villages, towns, counties would view their little stretch of highway as a bank they can draw on to offset budgets. If you look hard enough any person can be given a ticket, and I would think that Trucks would be very appealing to many officers that need to meet a quota.

I appreciate the responses so far. I guess that is what I was alluding to when you mentioned the cop was gonna give you a ticket regardless of the situation. i would imagine that many small villages, towns, counties would view their little stretch of highway as a bank they can draw on to offset budgets. If you look hard enough any person can be given a ticket, and I would think that Trucks would be very appealing to many officers that need to meet a quota.

That pretty much sums it up but I can only speak on my personal experience from Trucking. You'll figure out which Cities are hurting budget wise the longer you truck. They make it almost obvious in what they are doing and they always go after trucks because we are an easy target.

The economy being what it is...traffic citations...especially to truckers is a fast form of revenue. Especially for truckers because unlike 4 wheelers truckers can't make it back to go to court. So they about have to pay the ticket, and go on with their lives. Is it fair ??? no...is it reality?? yes. Do alot of police agencies have a unwritten quota system ?? everyone that I've worked for.