If you are planning to get your CDL, there are some things you need to know before getting started. First, it’s recommended that you take a CDL training program. Second, you must have the following if you plan to get your CDL or get hired as a truck driver:
- Clean driving record
- Clean criminal record
- Clean drug/alcohol history
- Healthy medical record
- Recent and verifiable work history
Let’s go more in-depth on all of these.
Driving History
Most companies will want to see a three-year motor vehicle record, with no speeding tickets, careless driving, suspensions, or accidents. Just an FYI, a 15-mile-over-the-speed-limit ticket is still considered reckless driving! And a suspended license for any reason – even for not paying a ticket, failure to register your vehicle or lack of insurance – will not put you in a favorable light.
Let’s say you have 20 years of clean driving, then over the last year you got two tickets for moving violations. This will still seriously affect your chances of getting hired. Don’t even think about lying on your application. You must tell potential employers about any expunged convictions. They will do their research and if you haven’t been honest, you won’t get the job.
Criminal and Drug/Alcohol Background
Felonies reflect your character, causing many companies to take issue with your application. Burglary or theft on your record shows you can’t be trusted with company equipment or freight. Violent crimes like assaults could reflect poorly on the company’s image. Felonies also show that you may be combative in nature, and no company wants to have an employee who frequently argues with customers or fellow co-workers. And previous drug convictions could make you a liability in terms of lawsuits and even loss of life.
DUIs show you could injure or kill others without considering the consequences. As a result, rates to ensure you would be extremely high and not worth the risk.
Medical Record
You will have to produce medical records for all conditions. Most trucking companies will want to see 30 days of stability in terms of blood pressure and sleep apnea, for instance. Each company will have its own standards for the results of a physical and knowledge of medications you are taking. If you are on psychotropic medications, or anti-anxiety or antidepressant meds, some companies may not hire you. Most companies have a “banned” list that that will show you what they accept.
Employment History
This will show the type of commitment you will make to your new employer and career. If you have bounced from company to company for many years, especially without notice, this puts your reliability into question. If you are guilty of this, you may have to stay in one job for at least a year while keeping a clean driving record until you try again.
Documents
If you have a clean history, you will need to provide:
- Birth certificate with raised seal
- Social Security Card
- Marriage certificate/divorce certificate for married/divorced female drivers
- Driver’s license
- Voided check or bank branch deposit form for direct deposit payments
- List of medications you take
- 30-day record of any sleep apnea treatments you have received
- Last three W2s and three recent pay stubs
Once you have all the basics, you can enroll in CDL school and take the CDL test. Rest assured, here at Taylor Oil, all our truckers have CDLs and clean records. We fully vet all our workers before hiring them!