For those entering the business, or those looking to move to a new company, finding the right job can be extremely difficult. There are many dos and don’ts to job hunting, and some are more intricate and elusive than others. One man in Safford County, VA has stumbled upon one of the more obvious “don’ts.”
Michael Rene Ruiz, went to interview for a job at Estes Express Lanes because he wanted to be a truck driver. The problem was that he didn’t have any experience, didn’t have a license, and, oh yeah, he was drunk. Police were called after Ruiz got into a bit of a heated argument with Estes officials after they informed him that there was no job available. Before police could get there however, Ruiz had driven off. When leaving, an eyewitness reported that he threw an empty 22-ounce beer out his window.
Ruiz retreated to a nearby parking lot to continue to drink when the police caught up with him. When the officer informed him that she was placing him under arrest, Ruiz retorted that she wasn’t allowed to arrest him because she hadn’t actually seen him driving drunk and therefore had no proof.
Ruiz was charged and convicted of driving while intoxicated for the third time in five years, driving on a revoked license, and refusing to take a breath test.
So let this be a lesson. I know the dos and don’ts can be tough to keep track of, but if you’re wondering if it would be a good idea to show up for an interview drunk, the answer is no.
Next Story: Trucking Company Owner Accused of Stealing Trailers
Source: Fleetowner
Oh that FHWSA Group ! They have so many ” party pooper ” rules ! The statutes are difficult to keep track of ; and the book is so thick ! How could anyone read all of that stuff ? In all seriousness , what on earth are we coming too as A Nation ? Driving an 80,000 lb. vehicle on public highways is an activity of extreme gravity. Hence , the entry protocols are rigorous. Someone I work with once commented ” geez , you would think we were qualifying for flying A 747 ! I thought about that , and later remarked ” yeah’ you would think that . Perhaps because the potential consequences in terms of loss of life , property damage and mayhem, for one error in judgement, dozing off at the wheel, could equal or even surpass the carnage resulting from piling up an airliner. Something to think about ! Mike
Glad he isn’t on the road with me or my family and friends !
Other then this dip driving anywhere or anything while or after drinking is this,this DIP is also being charged with “Refusing to take a breath test” What kind of country has this turned into?? If a cop knockes on your door and wants to come in your house just to look around and you say NO then he (the cop) has to get a warent sign’d by a judge and come back,only when the cop comes back and you have to let him in YOU don’t get charged for not letting him in the 1’st time he was there!It’s the same thing as this, But in turn,if we refuse a piss test you dont get the job and may never work as a truck driver again (if they put it on your DAC report) The point is, ower right’s as people are and have been stripped away little more everyday…WE NEED TO STOP IT BROTHER’S AND SISTER’S!!!!!!! And think of it this way, They (trucking Co.) Have a truck setting there costing or more over lossing them money and you have a clean driving history and add in the fact that thier’s 200,000 trucking job’s that need filled….NOW I ASK YOU,,,WHO’S THE BOSS?..SOUNDS LIKE THEY NEED US MORE THEN WE NEED THEM.. WE NEED TO STAND TOGETHER AND STOP GETTING SHIT PAY TO ONLY GET SHIT ON!!!
If it was as simple that. The stadards set for entry into this industry are set by the FMCSA, and corrupted by the large firms that run their trucker mill schools. Entry into this career shouldn’t be based on vague standards, minimum knowledge, a chew em up spit em out, anyone with a heart beat qualification. Instead of listening to the anti trucking groups and ATA that thinks more warrantless, unnecessary regulations on current drivers are the answer, maybe we should place more emphasis on qualifications and traing.
there’s obviously been several that have slipped through the cracks,from the estes drivers i’ve seen in action.
There is a huge difference between a cop needing a warrant to search you house and a cop locking your stupid ass up for refusing a breath test cause you are obviously wasted. You want me to pass in a cup to prove I haven’t been drinking? Bring it on. I will piss in a cup every day any time of the day that I am driving. Cause I don’t drink and drive. Don’t get me wrong, I drink. I like my drink after dealing with dips in the north east all day. You will never find me showing up for work drunk and it burns my ass when I see “professionals” that do. There is a huge difference between a privilege and a right. You have a right to privacy but driving is a privilege and if a cop wants me to take a breathe test to catch the dumb as behind me then bring it on I got nothing to hide and if it saves a little kids life then hell yeah I will blow into your little gizmo and then be on my way.
BP- Not to rain on your rant, but it’s called “Implied consent.” When you agree to the privlige of driving and being a licensed driver you also agree to take breath/piss tests.
Sounds like a perfect candidate to driver over-the-road.
OH, but he IS! you didn’t see the part they said his 3rd in 5 years. Do you really think this idiot is going to stop drinkin and driving? But then again He ISN’T a licensed driver let alone a CMV license holder. This article has no place in this rag.
Very well said. I am as concerned about an individual’s right to privacy as the next person, but at the same time, that right does not extend to protecting any jackass driving under the influence of anything–whether they are driving a tricycle or an 18-wheeler.
I say over and over, there is no cure for stupid!
The trucking industry and drivers pay and economic circumstances and been heading into the dumpster. Since a truck with a sleeper became a place for a person to live ..Rather than a truck being used to deliver freight and a driver a skilled person capable of doing the job. As long as poor desperate people need free housing ..and trucking companies supply long term living in a truck. Overall pay for truck drivers will continue at the poverty line. Sorry this is the truth.
I dont drink. BUT…. If a cop wants you to take a breath test, ALWAYS refuse. You breathing into that tube is you convicting yourself
I agree with you that our rights are systematically being stripped from us. Many of us have forgotten that the Constitution gives us equal protection under the law. For instance, I have a hard time figuring out how I can’t use my radar detector in my truck, but it’s okay to use it when I get into my car. If laws are passed they should be passed for ALL the people, not just a certain group of people
EZX, in many states you cannot refuse to take the test. Some states like Tennessee have mandatory testing for repeat DUI violators. I will read the Implied Consent Advisement and warn the person of the consequences of refusing the test. If the person refuses then I determine whether he/she meets one of four categories for mandatory testing: 1) Involvement in a crash with injuries to anyone other than the driver, 2) Involvement in a crash with death, 3) Any prior convictions for DUI, Vehicular Assault, or Vehicular Homicide, and 4) Anyone under the age of 16 in the vehicle. If the person meets either of the four categories then a force blood drawn is done and the person is also charge with a violation of Implied Consent.
We consent to that explicitly when we sign our drivers license application, and most states have this clearly stated on the license itself