Background Check

Do private CDL schools like at a community college and/or the local DMV do a background check before issuing a CLP and then a CDL or is it up to any potential employers to do that?

The reason I ask is because I have a 26 year old felony that I am working on getting expunged. My attorney says there should be no issue getting the expungement but it's a 4-6 month process which I just began. I was wondering (hoping) that I could get the CDL portion completed before the expungement takes effect.

 

Thanks for the replies. It’s not the old felony that I’m worried about per se. I realize that I’m still maybe hireable with that on my record but then again maybe not since it is a drug crime (one of the ones they don’t want to see).

As far as HAZMAT the way I read it is the drug crime is not an issue being that it’s over seven years old (see Part B of the Interim Disqualifying Offenses posted on the TSA website ).

I’m going through the expungement process to have that old conviction sealed by the court so potential employers will never even see it and I can then ‘legally’ say on an application that it never happened.

The benefit for me is, if it’s not there then I don’t have to explain myself to everyone I talk to about work. Other than that I have a clean record (criminal and driving).

Being that the expungement process (which I just started) takes 4-6 months to complete my question was "do private CDL schools and/or the DMV do the criminal check"? I am paying for the school myself.

My only reason for asking this is I’d like to get the classes out of the way before the expungement process is compete.

I know that’s putting the cart in front of the horse but my attorney assures me that we will be successful, there just is no way getting around the slow court process and I want to start applying the moment that it’s complete.

After all of this the only issue I’ll be left with (correct me if I’m wrong) is that even though employers will not be able to see the old conviction the border agents will, so travel into Canada is not going to happen so I need to find companies that don’t require crossing the border. I'm looking for OTR. I have no problems being away from the house for a couple of months at a time.

 

Maybe so but over all going in with a clean record has to be better than not.

This is the info that I've been working from.
"Felony convictions that will bar you from employment as a truck driver.

• Any felony traffic (vehicle) violations including vehicular manslaughter
• Trafficking or distribution of controlled substances, materials or weapons (most)" Trucking Companies That Hire Felons - Nationwide

"Which state do you live in?"
I'm in North Central Kansas.