I started my driving career hauling airfreight, back in 2005. Can't think of a single cargo airline at JFK or Newark that didn't require me to submit my DL for photocopying, whether I was picking up or delivering - regardless of whether or not the load was HAZMAT

Many - but not all - of the container stations in North Jersey were the same way. No DL, no load. Period

That said, I've seen some pretty amazing scams that got around this requirement, one way or another

The one that really took the cake was one time that I was delivering a load to Lufthansa JFK - normally a pretty strict airline as far as security went (they're also slow as molasses in January, but that's better left to another thread....). I've got about 50 of those stupid photo-nametags they make you wear to get onto the loading docks, stuck on the inside lid of my clipboard, for instance

But I digress....

Anyway, as I was standing in line at the receiving clerk's office, I watched one clerk ask the latino driver ahead of me (in english) for his DL. The driver then proved to everyone's satisfaction that he could not speak a single word of english. Annoying, but not all that uncommon in the NYC/North Jersey area. What happened next was a real shocker, though. The first clerk passed the driver off to another clerk who spoke spanish, and a short conversation resulted in the driver pulling out a badly tattered photocopy of a DL, which the second clerk accepted with barely a raised eyebrow. The second clerk then photocopied the photocopy, clipped it to the shipping papers and sent the driver on his way to the dock doors, to unload

I've had my identity stolen as a purse with my checkbook inside. Havoc. Consequently, my credit is trashed from bad checks that I have had little luck removing from my reports. The DA of Mobile County even got on to me a couple of months ago from one of the stolen checks (good thing I have a copy of the police report with the bank acct number on it!) But I digress....

I give up my DL when asked. I protect my reputation as a professional driver and not a troublemaker. I do my best to uphold my company's reputation as well. If something happens from that, well, my credit is already trashed. I yes sir, no ma'am to all of the guards anywhere I go and they have a tendancy to not only be nice to me but to cut me breaks when I might need them. I am not suggesting that is the course for anyone else to follow, it's just what works for me.

It is funny that i find this thread just now. I was working at the truck stop last night, my shift started at 4p and shortly after, this guy, seemed nice...probably was, but wanted to cash a ComCheck. Our procedure is to stamp the back, and fill out DOB, DL # and initial it. The guy didn't want to give his information saying "its a private issue, and very aware about ID theft". Then coped an additude, my supervisor came over and said we needed to see it in order to cash it, and again the driver refused. He was handed his check back and told we couldnt cash it then. I can understand not knowing a company well enough to get that kind of info, but it isnt like your DL information is just laying out for the public to see.

Lots of places want DL info for checks - not just cashing them, either. DOB, I can see not needing to be there, since it can be obtained via the DL if need be.

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Keep the big doors at the back!