new to trucking
I got my cdl back in march of 2011.In July I was lucky enough to have the owner of a small local carrier go to the school i graduated from and ask if they could recommend any students,well I got hired all well and good.However I would like to do OTR and it seems what I am doing now nobody will consider me without actual OTR experience.Then to make matters worse I had several DWIs the last one almost 17 years ago,that has cost me 2 jobs as a guy was going to hire me for specialized hauling 40cpm and when he told the insurance company they said his premium would go up about 40,000$ a year.I realize this is also going to be a huge issue.I have seen you can seek to get that expunged off your record however they will always be on my driving record unless somehow I can get the DMV to also expunge them. I always wanted to drive a big rig and knew this would be an issue but i am going to keep trying until i get that chance.Are some insurance companies more lenient than others?I would like to be an owner/operator eventually would that make it any easier than trying to get on with a big carrier and as soon as they hear more than 2 dwis instant disqualification.Would appreciate any feedback or suggestions.Thanks and stay safe out there
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I'm afraid, insurance companies are no different than so many other businesses that will use any excuse to add dollar signs. As far as I know, trends like that tend to be industry wide. Any more, insurance companies use dollar signs to dictate who will have a job and who won't. You can research which might be more lenient, then which carriers use them, but you might have better luck going back in time and correct the mistakes.
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diesel demon said:
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I'm not saying to give up the idea of ever owning your own truck. But, I want you to put that on hold until you get to a position where you can afford it, and understand the total costs of it. There is a wealth of info on this site about what that would cost you. It is NOT a "shortcut" to getting into the industry with a bad MVR. Meanwhile.... there are (many) companies out there that will hire you for OTR with your record as you have confessed it. It will be a good living if you can stand the time away from home. OR.... you can continue to have a good paying local job(s) because you CAN drive a truck and have a CDL... whether you ever go OTR or not. Beggars can't be chosers... and you are not in a position to completely control your choices. But, I promise you... that is not a deal breaker. Quote:
I'm sure you can understand why the regs (and insurance companies) are as strict as they are. If your mishaps are that far in the past, I can guarantee that you can get into OTR. Just don't try to cheat the system. Too many lives are at stake. Keep trying if OTR is what you want. But, also be grateful for what you have. And by all means... whatever you do... YOU be safe! Hobo |
Demon, I'm going through kind of the same thing; although I've only got one DUI from 4 1/2 years ago. I know for the state of Colorado, mine cannot be expunged. It CAN be expunged on the court level, but at the DMV level it CANNOT be expunged. Mine is different also in the fact that I got my DUI while driving my personal vehicle, but I was in possession of a CDL. That is why it cannot be expunged at the DMV level; because they always need to know that I had a DUI. With the rules and laws the way they are today, if I ever get a second DUI, I lose my license for good. 17 years is an awfully long time for those to be on your record though. The laws just recently (I'd say within the past 10 years) started changing with the DUI's and commercial vehicles. I could be wrong with that time frame, but one of the more knowledgeable gentlemen here will correct me. To me something from that far back before the laws were changing should be of no consequence now; especially since you haven't had one since. Have you pulled your own driving record to see if those DUI's are on there? Getting a DUI in a personal vehicle, while not holding a CDL, those should have fallen off by now.
As far as looking for an OTR company, most I've looked at are 5 years since the conviction date. Some companies are 7 years, some are 10 years, some are never. I had a line on one company, Total of Mississippi, that only required 3 years since a DUI, but they just changed to 5 years. Don't know if any of this babble really helps you out, but I just thought I'd send my experiences so far. |
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