newbie question about an old ticket

How old is the misdemeanor?

There are a bunch on here who are going to B-slap you about controlled substance abuse behind the wheel, be prepared.

 

You got caught on the truck with it? then yes. If you got caught intoxicated and in possesion on your personal car then yes. If you got caught with out being high and not driving then you might have a chance.

 

It depends mostly on how old the misdemeanor is and what the specific circumstances were. This is not a ticket. It is a criminal conviction. Many companies will hire people with convictions in their history if they are able to show they learned from their mistakes. Best you can do is call and ask. You have to do the work yourself. When you talk to a company about it, be candid and accept the responsibility for it. I hear a lot of, "I was hanging out with.....and they made me...." or some variation thereof. I'm never impressed with this line. If someone says, "I did.....and since then, I accomplished...." I am much more likely to give you another chance. I suspect most companies are the same way. It appears by how you worded your question, that you are on the right track.

One piece of advice: Don't run out and spend thousands of dollarss to get a license until you know you can be hired.

Good luck to you.

 

How long ago was it and what substance/quantity are we talking about? This information is part of whether you can move forward or not. If you are uncomfortable sharing this publicly, PM me.

 

If the incident is 10 years or older I would say not to worry.

However it sounds recent, I expect it will cause problems if more recent than 5 years.

It may also influence Hazmat or TWIC background checks.

I think you will find Meth, Crack, or Smack inexcusable in most cases without some significant time.

 

Don't spend money on a truck school unless you have a definite job offer.

You "MIGHT" have a chance with a squeeky clean driving record.

Even though it was not a felony conviction it will be viewed as such.

There are felon friendly companies out there....

 

The best advice I can give is to make some phone calls to the recruiting depts of the carriers. Be precise with your history and I am sure you will get your answer. As a comment however with a misdemeanor count your future as a truck driver is not ruined, just maybe delayed. Your largest enemy right now is just time. A misdemeanor drug count while a blemish on your record is not necessarily something that will disqualify you for life. You might find a carrier that will hire you, but my guess is most of the better ones might want some time to pass first, the amount of time depends on the carrier.