Question regarding employment

Looking for some advice from you experienced drivers on this forum.
Let me give you the back story:
I was working for a transport company. While they did maintain HoS rules they did it begrudgingly. I was sent out of town to work at another yard because they had one driver at that yard. I stayed out for a week then came back. Several other drivers from other yards were there as well and I basically came in with a partner of mine to relieve them. After all was said and done, someone reported the pushers for drinking while on duty and smoking marijuana. Myself and my partner's names got thrown into the mix and I was called up on the carpet. I told them what I saw, which was indeed one of the pushers drinking when he was supposed to be on duty. I didn't see the other one smoking anything but he did have a pipe and I don't mean the type of pipe your grandfather smoked. I was then told thank you we will handle this internally. After this incident I noticed I would write up stuff on my truck and it would not get taken care of. I simply would just jump into another truck but when I mentioned to another co worker that per DOT, I could refuse to go out if they didn't fix the stuff written up, I was told I just needed to do my job and not stir up trouble. I then got sent out on a job and was given the wrong directions. When I called for correct information, I was given more wrong directions. I couldn't get a response on the radio or anything. I had cellphone service and my boss wouldn't answer when I called. I decided enough was enough and returned the truck to the yard (didn't abandon equipment) I then left a note (it was 3am) for my boss to call me. 8am rolls around I get a call and he wants to know why I didn't do the job. I asked why nobody would answer when I called on the phone or radio and got the "you didn't call me" line. I told him that I felt that since I brought up the two pushers violating DOT regulations I got the feeling I was being forced out. He said if that is the way you feel then go. My wife didn't want me to stay because she didn't want me to work around those #####. So I turned in my equipment and parted ways with the company.

Now for the present. I have applied at several companies driving various types of equipment. I am getting the same response when I call these prospective employers that my background check is taking longer than normal. Now I got my background check for haz mat back in less than a week and supposedly that is all criminal databases (or so I was told) I only have one charge on my record and that was a 2003 charge for unauthorized use of a credit card. I have had two tickets in the last three years in a non cmv and no accidents in the last 10 years. I have lived in the same town for the last 7 years, my current address for the last three and have lived in Oklahoma all of my life. My question is could my previous employer be keeping me from getting any of these current jobs by something they put on my DAC? I just got my cdl in February and have only been driving a CMV since August of 2011 (permit until I obtained license) I checked with OESC and a former employer can not tell a prospective employer anything other than "yes/no he/she worked for us" I guess I am asking first off is the DAC tied into the background? and if so, could a former employer do something like that? and how do I go about checking my DAC?

 

I figured they might because when I hired in there were seven drivers and I made eight. Then the other drivers started quitting because with this job one week we would max out on our hours, then the next you would be sitting around the house twiddling your thumbs. When I left there were just three drivers at our yard and as of yet nobody else has came in for a job. It pays terrible and the thing is the inexperienced drivers like myself can only get jobs here unless we just happen to come across someone willing to give us a chance.

Someone asked how the pay worked. Basically like this:
Interviewer: How much experience do you have?
Applicant: I have driven big rigs for 20 years but I haven't worked in the oil field.
Interviewer: Well you have CDL experience but no oilfield, so we will start you at 14/hour until you can be evaluated. After one year you should be at 17.25/hour

Reverse that experience and have an oilfield hand who has just gotten their cdl and they still pay the same.

If you have experience at both then there is some reason why you would want to work for them seeing as how there are other companies doing the same type of work and starting drivers out for more (and yes I have applied)

but back to original question, is a DAC tied into a background check or can something on your DAC be used in a background check?

 

yeah I clicked on it already and filled out a request was I not supposed to?

 

lol I thought after I refreshed the page and seen your post I was like "oh ####"

 

Yeah I knew that it didn't matter what kind of job you had former employers could only answer a couple of questions like "Did John Doe work for you?" "How long did John Doe work for you?" Those are the two I know of pretty much cut and dry questions answers. The former employer can't go and say, "well that no count so and so" because it opens a door libel and/or slander. This employer I did work for is not a nationwide carrier just regional and the owner isn't known for coughing up money for anything above and beyond what the law requires so he probably wouldn't pay to submit anything for a DAC. An example of this would be my safety triangles got destroyed (had a flat and an OHP pulled up to check on me then proceeded to run over two of them when he took off lol) I told them hey regulations say three triangles I have one and several pieces of two more can you order some. I got no answer other than yes they have been ordered. I kept asking because if you get checked, I believe they can indeed fine you for not having adequate safety equipment. I guess they got tired of my asking because they finally said, "go down into the graveyard and see if you can find some down there" Ok fine if I can find some and save a bit of money great, but the "graveyard" was overgrown with trees, weeds, brush, wild animals, etc. You couldn't drive a vehicle down to it so I had to walk. I actually found a set still in the orange box SHRINK WRAPPED! However I also found a family of skunks, a couple of copperhead snakes, and I managed to trip over a bumper I couldn't see because the grass was grown up so high