So you’re looking for a new trucking job and you’re wondering what will disqualify you from the job.
A lot of drivers are wondering the exact same thing. Will that moving violation from three years ago still be on your record? What about the time you struck a pole in the shipping yard, does that count? Do you have enough verifiable driving experience?
The list of questions is endless.
It’s always a good idea to have a strong understanding of what carriers are and aren’t looking for from driver applicants. When you’re prepared, you’ll know what companies you can apply to and which ones may or may not accept you based on your driving record. If you don’t pay attention to this information, you may end up wasting a whole lot of time pursuing carriers that are never going to accept you. (Or worse, heading to orientation and being sent home when your criminal background check comes back with less-than-desirable information.)
I’m a driver consultant at Anderson Trucking Service (ATS) and I talk about driver qualifications and disqualifications all day every day. While every carrier is different and requirements change fairly often, you can be sure that if these things below don’t disqualify you, they’ll at least make trucking companies think twice.
I’ll discuss common violations that may disqualify you from top trucking companies. This includes:
When you’re finished reading this article, you’ll have a great idea of what could disqualify you from most top trucking companies.
When you’re talking to recruiters, be prepared to talk about your driving history, especially in terms of your accidents and incidents both in your commercial motor vehicle (CMV) and your personal vehicle.
These eight issues may potentially disqualify you from trucking companies.
Trucking companies are required to run Motor Vehicle Records (MVR) from the last 36 months per Department of Transportation (DOT) requirements. Violations or convictions on your driving record will show up on your MVR — DOT accidents and non-preventable accidents included. These violations weigh against your Compliance, Safety and Accountability score (CSA) score. A high CSA score can prevent you from being hired.
Every company will have different standards. Many companies won’t allow serious violations in the last several years. If you have a specific number of moving violations in the last two or three years, you may be turned away. Behaviors like reckless and careless driving, speeding and violating a law and causing an accident can cause you to be turned away from many carriers.
Similarly, if you have too many CSA points, you won’t be hired. There are seven Driver Fitness Behavior Analysis and Safety Improvement Category (BASIC) categories, that your CSA score is tied to. They include unsafe, vehicle maintenance, Hours of Service, driver fitness, drugs and alcohol, hazmat and crash. If you have violations in any of these areas — whether you were driving without a seatbelt, you were caught texting and driving or you failed to complete preventative maintenance — your points can really add up.
If you have any serious moving violations that you think could be held against you, call the companies you’re interested in. You may need to wait a few years — until the violation or points drop off your record — to be considered at particular companies.
If you aren’t in a trucking company’s hiring area, you will be disqualified. Or, if you take your home time in a location outside of a hiring area, you may not be hired.
When you are talking to companies, be sure you understand their hiring areas and that you disclose where you take your home time if you have more than one house or family out of state that you regularly visit.
If you have a suspension on your record, it’ll show up on your background checks that the carrier runs. Recent suspensions or any withdrawals or denial of your driving privileges can be held against you.
Unless you’re going to a training company, you’ll need verifiable driving experience. Every carrier is different. You may need six months of experience or a year. Depending on what type of driving you’ll be doing, you may need specific driving experience. For instance, over-the-road (OTR) trucking companies require verifiable OTR experience.
Companies want to ensure that your experience matches the experience required for what you’re applying for.
You’ll also need to provide work verifications so carriers can review your work history. If you’ve hopped from job to job, you may not be hired. If you have bad reviews from past carriers on your work verification, you’ll probably be asked to explain it to your recruiter.
Be sure that your medical card is recent and updated on your license and with the state. If your medical card is expired, it can prevent you from getting in the door at a carrier or can at the very least slow the process down.
The MVR shows when your medical certificate was issued, when it expires and if you have any medical restrictions.
Some carriers prefer that drivers have at least a 90-day or six-month medical card to ensure they’re hiring a safe, healthy driver.
Truck abandonments are extremely costly for the carrier that has to recover that truck, so many carriers are strict about turning away drivers who have a truck abandonment on their record.
However, this is one guideline that can be blurry and vary from carrier to carrier depending on the circumstances of the abandonment. If a driver can explain and prove that they didn’t abandon the truck or that another reasonable circumstance prevented them from turning in their truck, a carrier may consider them. It’s situation-dependent.
Each trucking company has varied criminal background policies in terms of what they will and will not allow. They also all have different policies regarding what they can and cannot ask drivers about their criminal background. For instance, some companies cannot legally ask about a driver’s criminal background. It’s up to the driver to disclose that information.
You as a driver may not be comfortable talking about your criminal background history, so make sure you articulate that to your recruiter. They will disclose their guidelines to you and it’s up to you to recognize when you are disqualified because of your criminal background. If you don’t, you may end up at orientation before your criminal background check comes back. If you have a disqualifier on your record, you’ll be sent home.
Certain convictions, like sexual assault, a DUI (CMV or personal vehicle), manslaughter and homicide, are usually big disqualifiers at most companies. Some companies won’t allow any of these convictions on a driver’s record, while some will accept drivers based on how long ago the incident happened. Pending criminal charges may also disqualify you.
Most carriers will not hire you if you’ve failed a drug test or alcohol screening. If you fail or refuse a test, whether it’s a pre-employment screening, random drug test or something else, you will need to go through a SAP (substance abuse professional) program if you ever want to work in the trucking industry again.
However, even if you complete this program, many carriers still will not hire you — no matter how long it’s been since the failure or refusal. You’ll need to look for second chance carriers that accept the SAP program. They’re out there, so don’t give up hope.
The industry is changing, especially because failed drug test rates have been increasing after the recent Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse updates, so there is always a chance guidelines will change. Check back with carriers you’ve talked to previously to see if they’ve adjusted their guidelines.
Ultimately, each carrier will set unique hiring guidelines that are different from every other carrier. The disqualifications above are just to give you an idea of what to keep in mind when you’re searching for the perfect company.
Remember to be honest when you’re talking to recruiters and to know what’s on your reports. It helps if you know what does and doesn’t count as a moving violation, how many CSA points you have and when violations will be removed from your record.
Check out ATS’s article about how to get hired at a top-paying trucking carrier if you’re looking for more tips.
You can also download our guide, where we discuss the top five mistakes truck drivers are making when they switch jobs.