Will my driving history affect my ability to get a job

Thats true for sure. Maybe look for a company that does reefer live loads so you have sit around time. Good luck.

 

Honestly if feasible I’d just go all in on computer science and get the BS. Those jobs pay a lot and trucking will distract you from your goal. That’s just my opinion. I know like 2-5% of people can pull that off but most can’t. You can get a weekend shift warehouse job such as Walmart supply chain (or whatever is nearby) for supplemental income. I wouldn’t pick more than two days if you are a full time student. We had several people doing it.

 

When I went back to school and was going through a divorce, I got back into expediting in my cargo van... I scheduled 2 in-person classes for Tu/Th, and 2 online classes. When I got out of class on Thursday afternoon I would take a quick nap, then head out to pick up a load heading east (usually for Fri afternoon or Sat delivery in AL, GA, or SC). I would then mosey back empty (it paid well enough to do so), fishing in Orange, TX on the way back. I would get home Monday afternoon, where I would turn in paperwork, deposit the paycheck (my broker also factored as a part of the rate), and get ready for another week of classes. Tuesday was spent in class and the library, Wednesday was spent in the library doing research and the online coursework, and Thursday would be spent in class and napping just to do it all over again the following weekend.

I was also living in my van, showering a lot on campus and disguising the fact that it was an actual residence at the same time.

By the time I transferred to a State University for my junior year, I had to cut back to 3 days instead of 4 due to scheduling conflicts, and by the time Senior year rolled around, I hired someone to drive for me while I moonlit as a 30-ton wrecker operator.

School can be completed while driving, but only if the proper planning is done and only in certain circumstances. In my case, I spent 7 semesters in school and completed an AA in Accounting, Business, and Economics, as well as a BA in Business Administration and Economics. 5 degrees in 7 semesters, 6 of which found me living in my van at the school or a local truck stop. It was my ticket out of a truck in the end, as I now am home with my new wife and our little boy almost every night.

 

It sounds like your driving record likely says the fatal accident was your fault, especially since you received a citation for it. If that's the case, it doesn't really matter that you don't think it was your fault, because the insurance companies sure will. You're going to have a hard time finding a company to hire you. I certainly wouldn't spend any money on a CDL school unless you have a commitment from a company to hire you first.