Truck drivers can be disqualified or turned down for trucking jobs for several reasons. Common issues include serious moving violations, license suspensions, lack of verifiable experience, an expired DOT medical card, truck abandonment, certain criminal history, and failed drug or alcohol tests. Living outside a carrier's hiring area can also prevent you from qualifying for a specific driving job.
It's important to understand that CDL disqualification and carrier hiring disqualification aren't always the same thing. Some issues can affect your legal ability to drive a commercial motor vehicle. Others may simply mean you don't meet a particular trucking company's hiring standards.
Every carrier company has its own requirements, and those requirements can change.
As a driver consultant at Anderson Trucking Service (ATS), I spend a lot of my time helping truck drivers in Minnesota, the Midwest, and across the U.S. understand what qualifies — and disqualifies — them from getting hired by the best carrier companies in the industry.
Understanding potential truck driver disqualifications before you apply can save you time. It can also help you focus on carriers where your experience, driving record, and background are a better fit.
Key Takeaways
- CDL disqualification and a trucking company's hiring decision are not always the same thing.
- Moving violations, suspended driving privileges, and failed DOT drug or alcohol tests can create serious barriers for drivers.
- An expired DOT medical card or certain medical conditions can affect your eligibility.
- Carrier-specific factors can include your experience, hiring location, employment history, and previous truck abandonments.
- Hiring standards vary by carrier, so being upfront with your recruiter can help you understand your options before traveling to orientation.
What Can Disqualify You From Being a Truck Driver?
The reasons a driver may be unable to drive, or may not qualify for a trucking job, generally fall into two groups: legal or regulatory disqualifications and carrier-specific hiring requirements.
- Moving violations or a high CSA score
- Living outside of hiring areas
- Suspensions or withdrawal of driving privileges
- Lack of verifiable OTR experience
- Expired medical card or medical disqualifications
- Truck abandonments
- Criminal background
- Failed drug or alcohol tests
- Appealing a disqualification
1. Can Moving Violations or a High CSA Score Prevent You From Getting Hired?
Yes. Serious moving violations can raise red flags for trucking companies and may prevent you from meeting a carrier's hiring standards.
Trucking companies are required by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to pull your Motor Vehicle Record (MVR) from the last 36 months. Violations that often trigger issues and raise red flags include:
- Reckless or careless driving
- Speeding, especially 15+ mph over the limit
- Texting or handheld phone use while driving
- Causing an accident
Department of Transportation (DOT) accidents and non-preventable accidents show up on your MVR, too.
These violations can lead to a high Compliance, Safety, and Accountability (CSA) score, which can cause you to be turned away from many carrier companies.
If you have serious moving violations that you think could be held against you, call the companies you're interested in and be transparent. Ask questions. You may need to wait a few years until the violations drop off your record before some companies will consider you.
Pro Tip: Pull your MVR — in Minnesota, this can be done through the DMV — and check for violations. The older they are or the lower the CSA score, the better your chances.
2. Can Living Outside a Carrier's Hiring Area Prevent You From Getting Hired?
Yes. You can have a valid CDL and still be ineligible for a particular trucking job because of where you live.
If you live outside a company's designated hiring region, or regularly take home time outside its hiring area, you'll likely be filtered out.
This is an example of a carrier hiring requirement rather than a CDL disqualification.
Pro Tip: When talking to carrier companies, make sure you understand their hiring region. Be upfront with recruiters about your home base and whether your schedule requires home time in Minnesota or across state lines, especially if you have family out of state or more than one home.
3. Can a License Suspension or Loss of Driving Privileges Disqualify You?
Yes. A license suspension or withdrawal of your driving privileges can affect your ability to qualify for a truck driving job.
If you've had your license suspended, or your driving privileges denied or withdrawn, that will show up on your background checks and will raise a red flag.
Pro Tip: If you've had a suspension, make sure it has been cleared. Your DMV should be able to help. Get documentation showing that your driving privileges have been restored before applying.
4. Can a Lack of Verifiable Driving Experience Prevent You From Getting Hired?
Yes. Unless you're applying with a training company, trucking companies generally expect you to have verifiable over-the-road driving experience.
You'll need verifiable over-the-road (OTR) experience, usually a minimum of six months. Depending on the type of driving you'll be doing — flatbed or heavy haul, for example — you'll likely need experience specific to that division.
Companies want to make sure your experience matches the job you're applying for. Otherwise, you could be set up to fail, and that's good for nobody.
Be aware that if you've hopped jobs rapidly or frequently, or if your past carriers don't confirm your history, you'll likely be excluded.
Pro Tip: Be proactive before calling a carrier company. Gather your prior employment information and verify your CDL driving history. Make sure there are no unexplained gaps. If there are, be ready to explain them to the driver recruiter.
5. Can an Expired DOT Medical Card Prevent You From Driving?
Yes. An expired DOT medical card can delay or even block your application with a carrier company.
Your DOT medical certificate is part of your Motor Vehicle Record (MVR). It must be up to date and correctly filed with your driver's license.
Your MVR shows when your medical card was issued, when it expires, and any medical restrictions listed on your record.
Many trucking companies prefer drivers to have at least 90 days to six months remaining on their medical cards. Keeping your certification current shows companies you're compliant with FMCSA medical standards and ready to hit the road.
What Medical Conditions Can Disqualify a Commercial Driver?
Certain health conditions can temporarily or permanently prevent a driver from holding or renewing a DOT medical card. These can include:
- Uncontrolled high blood pressure (≥160/100 mmHg)
- Insulin-dependent diabetes without an approved FMCSA exemption
- Epilepsy or seizure disorders
- Untreated sleep apnea
- Vision worse than 20/40 in either eye, with corrective lenses allowed
- Significant hearing loss that isn't corrected with a hearing aid
Drivers diagnosed with severe depression, bipolar disorder, or substance abuse disorders may also be disqualified until an FMCSA-certified medical examiner verifies that the condition is stable.
6. Will a Truck Abandonment Prevent You From Getting Hired?
It can. Truck abandonment policies vary from one carrier to another and depend on the circumstances.
Truck abandonments are extremely costly for the company that has to recover the truck. Because of that, many carriers will pass on drivers who have a truck abandonment on their record.
Simply put, it's not a good look.
Pro Tip: If you have a truck abandonment in your history, prepare a clear explanation of what happened. Bring documentation if circumstances such as a mechanical failure or emergency contributed to the abandonment. That way, you're prepared when you speak with a driver recruiter.
7. Can You Become a Truck Driver With a Criminal Record?
Potentially. A criminal record doesn't necessarily mean every trucking company will turn you down.
Every trucking company has its own policies for criminal background checks. That includes what the company reviews, what it can legally ask, and which criminal convictions may prevent hiring.
Some carriers aren't allowed by law to ask about your criminal history, while others require full disclosure. If a company can't ask, it's your responsibility as a driver to decide whether to share that information.
If you have a criminal record and feel uncomfortable discussing it, tell your recruiter upfront. The recruiter can explain the company's background-check policy and help you understand what may disqualify you before you travel to orientation.
Some carriers have strict lifetime bans. Others may accept drivers depending on how long ago the incident occurred.
Common serious offenses that can affect eligibility include:
- Sexual assault
- DUI in either a commercial or personal vehicle
- Manslaughter or homicide
- Pending criminal charges
Pro Tip: If you're unsure about your eligibility, talk openly and honestly with your recruiter. Their job is to help you understand company policies and match you with opportunities that best fit your background. ATS, for example, reviews each case individually and considers both time and rehabilitation.
8. Can You Drive After Failing a DOT Drug or Alcohol Test?
A failed or refused DOT drug or alcohol test is a serious barrier to getting hired as a truck driver.
Most carriers will not work with you if you've failed or refused a DOT drug or alcohol test. Whether it happened during a pre-employment, random, or post-accident screening, you will need to go through a Substance Abuse Professional (SAP) program if you want to work in the trucking industry again.
Completing the SAP process doesn't guarantee that a carrier will hire you.
Many carriers will still pass on drivers who have completed the SAP process, regardless of how long ago the failure or refusal occurred. In that situation, you'll need to look for "second chance" trucking companies that accept drivers who have successfully completed the SAP program.
The trucking industry is changing. As more drivers are added to the FMCSA Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse, carriers continue to revisit their policies.
Pro Tip: If you've had a failed or refused test, research carrier companies that are open to SAP-cleared drivers. Be ready to provide documentation showing that you completed the required program.
Can Disqualified Drivers Return to the Road?
Yes. Disqualified drivers may be able to get their CDL back after meeting state-specific requirements.
That process typically includes:
- Completing required suspension periods
- Paying reinstatement fees
- Providing proof of compliance with court or state requirements
If you lose your commercial driving privileges but want to get back on the road, complete the proper reinstatement process first.
Driving while disqualified can lead to steep fines, possible jail time, and lasting marks on your driving and criminal records.
How Can You Appeal a CDL or Carrier Disqualification?
The process depends on who disqualified you.
- If a carrier disqualified you: Contact the carrier directly. Ask whether it has an internal appeal process and what you need to do to get the process started.
- If a state or federal authority disqualified you: Appeals are handled through the appropriate court or state licensing agency.
This is another reason it's important to determine whether you've been legally disqualified from driving or simply don't meet a particular carrier's hiring requirements.
Can Any Violations Disqualify You for Life?
Yes, but lifetime CDL disqualifications are uncommon.
They usually occur only in extreme cases, such as repeated serious violations or particularly severe incidents involving alcohol, drugs, or a fatal crash.
In those rare situations, state or federal authorities may permanently disqualify a driver from holding a CDL.
What Should You Do Before Applying for a Truck Driving Job?
Knowing what's on your record can help you avoid surprises during the hiring process.
Before contacting a trucking company:
- Pull your Motor Vehicle Record.
- Update your DOT medical card.
- Have your employment history verified.
- Gather documentation for previous suspensions or other issues, if applicable.
- Be prepared to explain anything on your record that a recruiter may ask about.
- Talk to carrier companies that align with your home region and experience level.
Most importantly, be upfront with your recruiter. A potential disqualifier doesn't always mean you're ineligible everywhere. Carrier requirements vary, and understanding those requirements before you apply can save you time and frustration.
Last Stop
These eight issues are some of the more common roadblocks truck drivers encounter when trying to get hired. Some can affect your ability to drive. Others are carrier-specific hiring requirements.
Understanding the difference — and knowing what's on your record — can help you determine your next step.
At ATS, we're looking for qualified drivers in Minnesota and across the Midwest who fit the bill. Reach out and let us help you understand what flies and what doesn't so we can match you with a program that will build your future success.