Driving Record Violations

Most companies ask if you ever had any license suspension at any time. If I were you, I would wait until that violations falls off you record and I would keep QUIET!!! about the license suspension. They would have no way to find out about it. Check your MVR to see if that violation no longer exists. Whenever they ask questions on an application that say "Did you ever have such and such at any time", that is a trick question that they use to get you to disclose info that they otherwise would never be privvy to. Many companies go back 5 years so request an MVR that goes back for that length of time to ensure peace of mind for yourself. A license suspension will be held against you if you have a big mouth and unnecessarily blab it. As far as the tickets go, its usually 3 or more tickets that will prevent you from getting hired.

 

Take the job, answer the question truthfully.

Failure to pay is a lot more common than you think. It's also NOT a disqualifying event, since you got it resolved.

Companies are more concerned about suspensions that are a result of "dangerous" driving.

 

Also, did you do any jail time for the driving while under license suspension violation and was it treated as a traffic violation or as a misdemeanor? As a traffic violation, you can ignore it. As a misdemeanor, you can't hide it so you will have to declare it.

 

Driving a van part time shouldn't be an issue as long as your license is valid. It doesn't require a CDL or falls under FMCSA regulations. If you wanted to drive a big truck there are variables but it is usually 7 years on a major violation or suspension and 10 years on a DUI on average.

Background checks cost money. They might or might not do it. If they are a small company I doubt it. Don't volunteer info but be honest if they ask. I doubt it will be an issue. Going in peoples homes it might be an issue if you had theft charges or some sticky fingers charge like that.

 

It doesn't pay to be a good citizen and an Honest Abe in the trucking industry. All that stuff gets used against you down the road. I had a safety director once tell me that if I ever had an accident and nobody saw, to take off and keep quiet. He said that it didn't pay to be honest and report every little thing you did. The companies accumulate this and, if you get a nasty dispatcher, they will present all this evidence to have you fired.

 

This is the sad but true truth. I learned the hard way. I used to work for Werner and that safety team told me to report everything and it would only be a slap on the wrist. Well I did, and now I no longer work for them and they put it all on my DAC even after they said they wouldn't. Werner tried to ruin my trucking career.

 

California has a sliding scale on suspensions...

• Four points within a 12-month period

• Six points in a 24-month period

• Eight points in a 36-month period

CDL holders get points at 1.5X for the same thing.