DUI & employment after 5 years

[CalFla]

What gives? My lil brother, who finally got his CDL back after 5 years, still can't find a driver job. Is this common, or is he bsing me? Thanks.

 

[CalFla]

Also, is there really a catch22 about no experience in 5 years?

 

[Injun]

The DUI is only five years old and he lost his CDL as a result of it. He'll have a hard time finding employment because of that.

Then, there's the fact of no recent experience. One way around that will be to take a refresher course.

And, it may have something to do with the circumstances of the DUI. If he was in a CMV when he got it, he's hosed. If he caused a crash because of it, he may well be hosed.

There are enough drivers with valid CDLs who have not been revoked or suspended for any reason, do not have DUIs and do have more recent experience that the competition he's up against will be pretty stiff. That's fact.

Suggest he pursue a different line of work.

 

[Southern Fried]

Agreed. This is a pretty unforgiving business..... it has to be. With lawyers who "specialize" in suing trucking companies watching on one side and an over ambitious government on the other, trucking companies are under more scrutiny than ever before. Let's face it, if your brother got in an accident..... having a DUI and a 5 year suspension on his record would be a lawyer's wet dream. Even if he were not "at fault", that could tie the carrier up in court battles for years and cost them a crapload of money. Heck, even if they (and your brother) won out in court in the end, the media has a field day dragging their name through the mud.... which costs them a bundle of money in lost customer base.

Is it fair? No, of course not. But it is the reality that each carrier has to face these days.

Now, having said that..... your brother apparently has a CDL now. Ok, long haul, OTR and the "main stream" is closed to him for awhile. Guess what? There are hundreds of other jobs out there that a CDL is required for that are not automatic targets for the " big rig" lawyers. No, they aren't what you immediately think of when you say "trucking". Shunting trailers at a warehouse for instance. Drive a wrecker, do deliveries for a lumber yard, etc, etc.

But you better get one fact through his head. He's going to have to leave booze and "recreational drugs" totally alone. Because the next time he FUBARs up he's completely done.

 

[revelation1911]

Buy your own authority and flip them the finger. I saw a sign on side of 12 today with a
truck lawyer standing on KW billboard. I was thinking to bad this turdd don't fall in front of my tires.
Tort lawyers should be drawn and quartered and their parts burned, like william wallace was.
I disagree with WW having it done though.

 

[THBatMan8]

Tell him to start practicing saying: "Would you like fries with that?"

I'm going to be blunt and rude, but a DUI is not a mistake. It's a choice. Your brother needs to live with that choice and move on. This is not a industry of "2nd chances".

Most employers go back at least 10 years for DUI's, and top that off with no recent experience. Even if he was able to buy a truck and get his own authority, he'd have a very hard time getting insurance.