Made Mistake Will It Cost Me My Future Plans!

Ok my husband drives OTR and I was with him in Kentucky and he grabbed his chest and I thought he was having a heartache, that being said he slipped out the seat and I started driving and of course forgot my seat belt , and only was gonna drive to safety , got stopped by lawman and of course I am worried! Worried not because the lawman-husbands boss hired a lawyer and it’s fixed that being said I am wanting my cdl ! What and will any one hire me ? I am going to school in August to train and I know a lot of things already won’t never know it all, but I also found out my ex husband. Didn’t pay a ticket and my license had been suspended due to non payment so I paid the ticket got reinstated, but his boss said no one will ever hire me because I drove without a cdl! So if it happens again and I don’t have a cdl I will do what it takes to try to save my husband? I know I was wrong but I would do it again if need be! My husband is fine now and I love the road and enjoy seeing all the trucks , just wish truckers were nicer like the old days when dad drove !

Well you could've just called 911 and let someone come out to help him. Not only that, but the fact that you already know how to drive a truck but don't have a CDL means this is far from the first time you've done this.

Having a recent suspension and a ticket for driving without a CDL is going to make it nearly impossible to find work in the near future. Once the suspension and ticket get to be three years old they'll usually drop from your record.

Ya know, 50 years ago this kind of stuff wasn't taken so seriously. Nowadays it's taken very seriously. If you want to be a professional driver in today's world you're going to have to show a much higher level of responsibility. You have to take care of your license. You can blame your ex for your suspension, you can say you had to drive without a CDL for a good reason, but as you're finding out no one really cares about any excuses. Take care of your license and follow the laws or you won't be a professional driver for long in today's world.

I would call some companies, tell them your situation, and see if they'll be willing to hire you. I wouldn't waste your time and money going to school unless you can get a few pre-hires first. Having a CDL is not enough to guarantee you'll find work.

• Article: Understanding Pre-Hire Letters: The What, Why, And How Of This Important Step
• Trucker's Wiki: "Pre-Hire Letters"
• Forum Topics Tagged "CDL Pre-Hire Letters"

No matter the circumstances involved in your situation, you will no doubt soon find that there isn't much "sympathy" in the trucking or law enforcement worlds. If I understand correctly, you wete cited for driving a tractor-trailer without a CDL. To law enforcement, and I would assume,prospective trucking companies, that is the bottom line. Call multiple companies and get some feedback from them regarding their thoughts/policies about your particular situation and their recommendations. Call your state (or federal) agencies and get their opinions also. I am not certain, but a training school/program will/may not accept you with your current record. Even if they did, why spend your money for school if you not cannot obtain employment with any company?

Ok my husband drives OTR and I was with him in Kentucky and he grabbed his chest and I thought he was having a heartache, that being said he slipped out the seat and I started driving and of course forgot my seat belt , and only was gonna drive to safety , got stopped by lawman and of course I am worried!

One of the qualifiers any reputable, safety conscience trucking company will consider with a driver candidate is their ability to exercise good judgement and common sense. Unfortunately your story basically shows a lack of good judgement and no common sense. Unless your husband literally "slipped out" of his seat while the truck was moving, there is no reason why you should need to drive the truck to safety. If we are to assume the truck came to a complete stop before you replaced your husband in the driver's seat, you should have put the 4-ways on and called 911.

Unfortunately this is not going to bode positive for you when seeking employment with any trucking company. Do you understand "why" this was the wrong thing to-do? I read nothing indicating you are taking responsibility or accountability for any of the issues pointed out in your story. How will you explain this to a prospective employer? Did you learn anything?

I did take responsibility I am not saying it isn’t my fault , all I am asking is do I have a chance ! So you all are telling me that if your spouse was in the seat and slowly going down you wouldn’t help slide them out and slide in to get to safety! Far as not being my first time behind the wheel I have drove and hauled stuff around home base so yeah you can say I know some things , I ain’t asking for sympathy at all just basic do I have a chance with this situation! This don’t make me stupid or irresponsible! Fine been paid and court is done ! Just wanted some drivers to answer and thank you for your time and answering!

Ok my husband drives OTR and I was with him in Kentucky and he grabbed his chest and I thought he was having a heartache, that being said he slipped out the seat and I started driving and of course forgot my seat belt , and only was gonna drive to safety , got stopped by lawman and of course I am worried! Worried not because the lawman-husbands boss hired a lawyer and it’s fixed that being said I am wanting my cdl ! What and will any one hire me ? I am going to school in August to train and I know a lot of things already won’t never know it all, but I also found out my ex husband. Didn’t pay a ticket and my license had been suspended due to non payment so I paid the ticket got reinstated, but his boss said no one will ever hire me because I drove without a cdl! So if it happens again and I don’t have a cdl I will do what it takes to try to save my husband? I know I was wrong but I would do it again if need be! My husband is fine now and I love the road and enjoy seeing all the trucks , just wish truckers were nicer like the old days when dad drove !

Maye, you have a chance. You'll have to apply everywhere and take whatever you can get. There will be a lot of folks who say no - just be prepared and willing to start at the bottom and prove your worth as you establish yourself. Best of luck!

You have got to realize how bizarre your story sounds to us. I can't imagine a trooper taking the time to visit with you and write you some citations while your husband is sitting there having a heart attack! Something doesn't add up when we look at your description of the events. So, please understand the hesitancy of our members to try to give you the advice you're asking for.

So you all are telling me that if your spouse was in the seat and slowly going down you wouldn’t help slide them out and slide in to get to safety!

When LEO pulled you over and wrote you the ticket, did he call emergency medical services for your husband?

If not, then in a first responder's judgment, a medical emergency did not exist.

And even if a medical emergency did exist, the proper protocol is to call 911 to obtain emergency medical services. Even if you are in the middle of nowhere, the time it would take for an ambulance to arrive at your location would approximately equal the time it would take for you to find an emergency room (the distance is the same, but they would come to you). And, en route to your location they could be obtaining information about your husband's condition and/or walking you through CPR rather than you showing up at the ER where they would have no advance condition information.

BTW, while I never used, it I did obtain my EMT basic license in 2011.

Maye, you have a chance. You'll have to apply everywhere and take whatever you can get. There will be a lot of folks who say no - just be prepared and willing to start at the bottom and prove your worth as you establish yourself. Best of luck!

You have got to realize how bizarre your story sounds to us. I can't imagine a trooper taking the time to visit with you and write you some citations while your husband is sitting there having a heart attack! Something doesn't add up when we look at your description of the events. So, please understand the hesitancy of our members to try to give you the advice you're asking for.

...I am in total agreement with the above.

Maye...we basically answered your question.

Fact is, you are going to have a very difficult time finding CDL employment with any reputable carrier. Please decide if you want coaching or not. If not, good luck. If you do want our help then understand you will have some very tough questions to answer. You'll need to do so with humility and professionalism, void of any negative or defensive attitude. If you cannot interact with this forum in a believable manner, and handle our feedback, how on earth do you expect to get past an interview with a safety director? They will figuratively "shred" you.

So back to a very basic question that you have yet to answer...

...are we to believe you slipped your husband out of the driver's seat and somehow managed to get yourself into it, all the while maintaining control of the moving truck? Not able to wrap my thick head around that...not one bit. Remember Maye...the majority of drivers on this forum have years of experience, many are trainers and understand the reality and dynamics of your story.

So please decide...if you truly want help or not.

P>...are we to believe you slipped your husband out of the driver's seat and somehow managed to get yourself into it, all the while maintaining control of the moving truck? Not able to wrap my thick head around that...not one bit.

I mean...Indiana Jones , Mad Max , James Bond, I think Jason Bourne, probably somewhere in the fast and furious franchise, hell I'd bet Buster Keaton probably did something slip seat on the move

Not to beat a dead horse here, but I agree with spaceman. Many people will think like I do, that you were driving the truck, got caught and made up the story of "slipping" into the seat while moving. I almost always error on the side of giving people the benefit of the doubt, but this one is a little to far fetched for me. Wish you luck.