Alcohol Related Charges

Well let me start off my saying....I'm not a criminal!! :'(

All these different trucking companies are definitely treating me like one though...okay maybe that's a little exaggerated.

Basically, I was charged with "possession of alcohol while under age" when I was 19. Sad part is, I hadn't even had more than 2 beers yet. Anyway, I was honest when the cops started banging on the apartment door. I said yes I was drinking and these cops turned out to be not-so-nice. Now it's on my record and it's come back to haunt me!

Apparently any alcohol related offense disqualifies you from working with most of these trucking companies. I've tried just about all of the ones I'm really interested in. Talked to recruiters the whole 9 yards and I keep being told that this is a big deal.

I have NOTHING else negative on my record. No other charges and a perfect driving record. Does anyone know I anything that could help me out with this? I'm really interested in a trucking career. I can wait until my 22nd birthday and try again in October because they said after 3 years it's okay. I'm just ready to get my CDL NOW though :( any advice?! HELP!

Hello Gabrielle and welcome to the jungle.. Yes, you are going to find trouble having a charge like that on your record, BUT it doesn't mean you can't go ahead and get your CDL now..you WILL however, probably have to go the private school route to get it though, so that may be a limiting factor. You say that some of the recruiters you have talked to say to wait three years and it's not a problem. Ask them to put that in writing and then you will know whether or not they're just blowing smoke. I wish you success in your pursuit of a trucking career and don't fall off the grid. There are lots of great people on this forum and more knowledge than Wikipedia..we should call it Truckapedia..

You will probably need to wait another few years before you get a better chance. Also try Swift if you haven't already. I think I read somewhere that they tend to ne a bit more lenient on certain things. Best of luck.

Hello and Welcome to TT. Now about your little problem. You didn't say how old you are now, but were it me, Id keep applying t every company that had a cdl school. There is one out there for you, you just have to find it !!! Be tenacious, put in your online apps, then call and call. The charge that you got is really considered the same a "Minor In Possession",so I don't see the difference. But you may want to look into WHEN your state seals your juvenile records, as some states seal them at 18, and some seal them at 21. If its at 21 in your state, you are not under any legal onus to reveal your juvenile record. And when they pull a records check on you, they won't find it either. So its worth a call to the Juvenile court... Good Luck, and come on back and tell us how your doing...we'll brain storm some more, if thats what it takes.

I almost forgot....If you have kept out of trouble since then, you can also send a motion to the court that you were convicted in, tell them that you have been a good girl, and you learned your lesson, and this conviction is prohibiting you from gaining employment in the field you have chosen.You ask that the court expunge this charge from your record....Since the charge is really minor, they will in all probability will expunge your record. You can have an attorney write this up for you, or you can just write a letter, but you will need to give them the court record info, date, place, etc.....

Thanks a lot for all the replies!

Okay, first thing, swift was my first choice because my mom knew a guy who worked for them...but I'm only 21 and I think you have to be 23 for them.

I found out some great news after I posted this. Ive been trying lots of companies even though prime Didnt work out. I was talking with a recruiter from roadmasters about the charge and he said he'd see what he could do. Well he ran my background check and nothing was there! Great, right?!?!!! So maybe you're right, since I turned 21 it was expunged. I remember when it happened ppl told me it would go off record when I turned 21 but I didn't know how true that was.

Wish me luck with prime. Do y'all think they'd reconsider if I tell them it's not on record at all...even though I already admitted about it happening?

Hard tellin' about Prime...but atleast you know now whats on your record, and what you do and don't have to put on your application... Good Luck !!

I don't think the issue is the alcohol. Many companies have policies is you have is thing on you criminal record it has to been 5 years for non felonies and 10 years for felonies since you were last in trouble. Since it happened when you were 19 and a recruiter said to wait 3 more years well that would be the 5 years rule that companies use for non felonies.

Now granted not all companies go by this. Mostly the big companies. All depends on what their insurance companies say.

It is 3. 3 for misdemeanors with This company. Ill try to reapply in October it'll be 3 years then

Welcome Gabrielle! Sorry I was slow to respond to this.

First thing I would say is don't fall into the thinking that there's 2 or 3 great companies out there and you're not interested in the rest. Baloney. There are tons and tons of great companies out there to work for and you can be happy and successful at any of them if you turn out to be an awesome driver. They all make money the same way - by keeping those wheels turnin. If you're hard working, safe, reliable, and have a great attitude then any company will keep putting good miles on you. So I would definitely open your mind to more companies. 95% of your happiness and success in trucking will depend on the quality of driver you are and how well you're able to get along with people. An awesome driver with great people skills will be happy almost anywhere they go. A lousy driver with lousy people skills will be miserable anywhere they go.

Now you've mentioned Swift and Prime. I'm guessing you're looking to go through a Company-Sponsored Training Program. If so, I would apply to every one of them. Get a conversation started with the recruiters and make sure you keep calling each of them until you can get an answer. If you wait on them to call you, they may just let the application sit on a pile collecting dust. So be proactive and call them if you don't hear from them within a couple of days of applying.

As far as what's on your record, what you say on your application must match your record. What you should do is ask for a copy of your criminal record and speak with someone about that charge - maybe a judge or a court clerk or someone - I'm not sure. But you have to make sure that the charges have been completely expunged and that no record of them shows up anywhere or trucking companies are going to find it. If the charges are 100% expunged then it's like it never happened and you don't have to report it. Hopefully that will be the case, but hope is not a strategy, so make sure you speak with someone that understands exactly what can be found and what can't.

Lastly, you mentioned Roadmaster. If you plan on going through a private school, do not assume you'll find a job after landing your CDL. That charge, if not expunged, will make it difficult. Make sure you can land at least 2 or 3 pre-hires before you commit to attending a private school. The schools may tell you not to worry about it, but ask them if they'll give you your money back if you can't find a job and guess what they'll say? Yeah, exactly. They're happy to take your money but that doesn't guarantee you'll land a job. We have an awesome article on the pre-hire process. You can find it here:

Understanding The Pre-Hire Process

Hope this helps