Thinking about re-obtaining a CDL.

Have a unique question for those that may be willing to help me better understand via providing useful information rather then critisism.

Here's my story.

I was a truck driver for 11 years. Got out of truck driving because we were exspecting our first child. Imediately started work as a yard jockey. Was there for a year. (Heres where my question, and story begins)

On my 1 year anniversary with X named company as a yard jockey. I put in my 2 week notice, since I was moving onto a different carreer field altogether. 2 weeks came and I thought for sure I was not returning to X named company. So on that saturday evening, mary jane was heavily present. We smoked till sunday early morning. Some people drink, some smoke, some do other things. Prior to this, I didn't smoke since high school. So it was well over 15yrs of time without any mary jane. Anyways, back to the point.

That monday came, I recieved a phone call from X named company asking if I could cover the following week and train someone to replace me.(even though this is now after my 2 weeks) I stated I could. I went in, met my trainee, trained the trainee during the entire shift. At the end of my shift I was told I was to go do a urinalisis. To me at this time, this sounded ridiculous, but it was what it was. I came clean, stated to my supervisor, "I don't think thats a good idea". I was asked "why?" So I stated "Well, I thought for sure I was set forth onto my next adventure into a new carreer path, so I was around and may of inhaled marijuana smoke at my career changing party." I was placed on a phone call with corporate safety office immediately and again asked "why?" I repeated the same exact thing to that person, and I stated I can go down to the medical center if you like and take the test". I was told there is no need for that, and that this will be placed on my dac report and that if I wished to remained licensed I would need to go to some kind of drug addiction classes.

So what I did, after I was escorted off the premises and fired. Because I assumed that the corporate safety office took our conversation as me addmitting use. I ran down to the motor vehicle licensing branch and I degraded my CDL Class A to a regular operator's license. To this date, over 1 year later I have not recieved any type of mail or contact regarding this matter what so ever from anyone or anything. I did not refuse testing, and I did not test positive. Though in a round about way, I can see how the conversation between myself and the corporate safety office could be viewed as admitting fault.

So here's question number 1: If I was to go and apply to get any type of CDL today, would the need for some kind of drug addiction classes still be a issue? Even though I could pass w/ flying colors now.

Question number 2: If I was to go and apply to get any type of CDL today, would my dac report be tarnished because of this, and if so how badly?

Question number 3: Do you think this incident was actually reported to any officials including a dac agency since I have not received any type of information regarding procedure protocol to date since event occured?

Thankyou for taking the time out of your day to read this, and to help me having a better understanding. I greatly appreciate it. Have a great day!

 

I read through this twice, but still it is a bit confusing.

I think what you are dealing with will be a refusal to take a drug test. The company X had to remove you from driving and give you the steps to go through to return to driving. The fact that you were fired interrupted the process. I would say, and I have no experience with illegal drugs, that you will have to put down that you have refused a drug test on your next application. One of the things they do when you are hired is to ask your last 3 years of employers if you failed or refused a drug test. I would call a random trucking company, one of the big guys, and ask them that question. Call someone you are not going to work for and ask them. I am sure they all treat this the same way. I do know for a fact that you are not the only person with a CDL who has smoked a reefer. So it must have come up before.

 

You're not getting back in a truck for a while. End of story, and before you do, you may have to go through a dependency class. I'm not going to preach that you should have known better, and that you're an adult and should act like one. But by refusing the drug test you won't get hired anywhere. You can go get your CDL again, it just won't do you any good.

 

I would just take a gamble & apply somewhere. Maybe find an 0/0 or small company that needs a driver. Check the "Trucking Jobs" thread on here & click on "Seek Employment." Lots of good stuff on there. I wouldn't mention the problem in the past because right now you have nothing to lose.

 

For some reason you were set up.
They knew about the little party all along.
There is absolutely NO reason for an employer to do a "random" drug screen on an out-going employee otherwise.
Did you give them your two weeks notice in writing?
Did they give you the extension in writing?
(Of course not.)
You should have never admitted to anything and simply walked out. See how they did that?
Check your DAC and see if anything is even on there.

 

I appreciate the replies. Since this I ordeal I have had 2 background checks, yet I have passed the background checks with no questions. Though I'm not sure if these background checks that have been done, include a dac report, or if the dac report agency has any juristion outside of non driving commercial positions nationally. Both were state background checks that were administered.

I dont plan on driving a semi again. Though I would like to venture into other professions of driving, maybe driving a bus for greyhound for an example (not that I'd do that, but it gives a good example as to my intentions for asking these questions). As for the statement of refusing the drug screen, I can see how that may seem like I refused with my original questioning. Though in all honesty, I actually was willing to do the drug screen. Just happens that the company safety advisor stated that will not be neccissary at that point. Though if I understand the system correctly.. If my conversation was taken as me admitting guilt, then that is taken as a fail. Regardless of me stating "I may or not pass, but I have no issues going down there for you to take this test."

The companies safety advisor did state something about having to do some kind of drug addiction classes if I wanted to ever drive for any company in the future. I think it was called SAP or something,.. I'm not sure, I didn't even bother to call the SAP company (if thats what its called) to get any information from them. Only because I looked at this whole matter at that time as a joke. Since I was doing them a favor by returning after my 2weeks to help them by training someone for them for an additional week beyond my 2 week self termination notice period. And additionally since I knew there was no way I could be addicted since I don't drink alcohal nor did I take part in any type of federally illegal drug use during my entire trucking carreer. Plus with all this, I was not only disappointed in myself for having a event like this occur, because I was a great driver to be honest. 1.3m miles logged and never caused a accident. But I was also so very angry at that company and the supervisors that something like this would happen only because I was asked to help them beyond the self termination time frame. Anyways I probally should of took this matter a little more serious.. And I probally should of said "no I can not help you train someone." Sometimes we can't predict what the future holds for us lol. But I'm a nice guy, or at least I try to be.

Maybe I should just order a dac report, and see if theres actually anything stated on there in regards to this event. Is it common to not recieve any type of notification via mail for such events? I don't see why something like this wouldnt be placed on there since some companies will, from what I understand, place just about anything they can get away with on there. Because if this is on there, this is the only thing on there. If I do need to do such type of classes, how much does a class like this cost? Who administers such types of classes? This entire event is just a case of bad luck with a pinch of sourness to say the least.

Overall, people can tell me to grow up, can tell me to act like an adult, can tell me many other things. It really doesn't bother me. One fun weekend out of over a decade was probally one of the funnest weekends I've ever had in my life. This may sound ridiculous but if I was to do it all over again, I would do everything exactly the same, minus the willing to come in and help train someone after my self scheduled termination date was set in place of course. lol.

Thanks again for the info and I look forward to seeing any new replies from my above questions. Any help to get me pointed in the right direction is greatly appreciated.

 

as stated above.. you need to check what your dac says. i"m sure what you did will be considered a refusal of a drug test. google hireright and go to their website. you can get a free copy once a year.

 

My question is how long has it been since this happened? Is X named company a mega carrier? The next company will ask you why you quit your last job, and what in the world are you going to tell them. They also will ask Company X why you ended your employment?

You should of never trained anybody. When a random comes it comes and you refused a drug test no matter how you put it. Its very hard to get a job when there's anything to do with drugs. You also since you degraded your cdl. Might have to go to school again to get a CDL and start back at the bottom of the pile if you did get employed by somebody.

 

My 2 week notice was first in writing, with the termology placed on it that I feel we also need to speak to have a mutal understanding. Only because I like having such types of conversations in person rather then in just writing. When its soully in writing it can be read in multiple ways and taken multiple directions. And I didnt want to give the impression that I was angry or anything. And this only occured in this manner because the supervisor was not in the day I placed my notice. But I wanted to make sure it was in the supervisors hands by no later next morning. Though when I spoke with the supervisor, everything was good, there was no change in my self implied termination date from the writen notice.

Of course there was no extention in writing. Though I thought just by simiply walking out could have been deemed as a refusal as well. Since it was braught to my attention that I was to go have a random done. So by walking out would have been similar? I was trying to save face so to speak even though inside my head I was fuming lol.

As for duration of how long its been. The X named company isnt a mega company, but its still a good sized company. Its not been 3 yrs (and if I understand correctly, such things like this fall off after 3 yrs?) Anyways, as of right now today, its probally been about hmm working on year and a quarter, maybe year and a half.

 

It doesn't "fall off" in 3 years. It "falls off" in 10 years. DAC goes back ten years.