Character references / personal references - jobs, getting into trucking school

i wouldnt put any truck driver as a reference. but on the side note. i would see why you would have too.

 

I don't remember having to do any of that, but I graduated from a trucking school a few years ago.

 

You don't "apply" for trucking school, you enroll. No references needed, they'll take anyone as long as you can pay and have a clean MVR and can pass a physical.

The big OTR trucking companies operate pretty much the same way, they'll take anyone with no references needed. The places where you actually have to apply and formally interview for the job might ask for those. I had to provide them as part of my applications for US Foods and FedEx Freight, but I don't think they ever actually called any of them.

 

I'm in CDL school right now and didn't need any references or anything. But I'm at a community college and not a company school, their requirements might be different.

The biggest thing is that you will have to pass the standard DOT physical to start CDL school b/c you'll be required to have your med card to get your permit and start driving. The other thing that people sometimes seem to have trouble w/ is that when you start applying to companies they're gonna want to see 10 years of uninterrupted employment history even if you haven't been in the trucking industry. If you're younger and don't yet have 10 years of employment history I think you can stipulate to that effect but this requirement is is a DOT / DHS / post - 9/11 security thing so they tend to be pretty stringent.

Good luck!

 

Nope. Didn't even need an application. Just walked in with my permit from the knowledge test and money to pay for it.

 

Those names, if asked for are usually to help track you down if the company needs to track you down later to collect money later. The company isn't very interested in the opinions of strangers that you provide to them about your nature as an employee. Those names and contact info is used by Skip Tracers and often show up in your credit file as possible contacts that know where you are.