Question:
I am trying to find a way back into trucking. I had three beers on Dec. 16 1999 and was stopped by a police officer who had an axe to grind with me. He wrote me a dwi because I had drank those three beers in 1 and 1/2 hrs. I have been ban from the job I was born to do ever since.there is no other job I can do that satisfies me out here. some drive for the money out here but, I also drive because it is in my blood and I love to drive. I am thinking that if I could get my foot in the door I could do what I love to do..I know that most of you out there are thinking this guy is totally nuts but I am a driver...nuf said...

Answer:
"axe to grind" or not, you drank the three beers!
Now, whenever you get past making up excuses for your screw-up. Maybe, you will listen to by the folks that do the hiring! But, grow up first and stop blaming someone else!
Remember you did drink the three beers!
No cop could have gotten you if you were sober!
Progress is not made by the cynics!
Things not worth doing, are things not worth doing well!
Indiana RoadRunner
A legend in his own mind!
[This message was edited by Indiana Roadrunner on January 01, 2003 at 13:05.]

Answer:
For a profession you love claim to love so much, seems to me you traded it real cheap!!! Three beers!!
I got nothing againest drinking. I used to do it. But, I always knew driving afterward was not an option. Your proably SOL for 3 to 8 years!!

Answer:
If you loved trucking so bad you wouldnt have had those 3 beers and drove while drunk. A DWI is a DWI and you cant get that off your record. Any carrier in their right mind wouldnt hire you to drive a 80,000 lb truck with a DWI. What stops you from having a few beers on the road while driving truck?
No matter how much I hate motorists sometimes, having a few beers isent worth the lives of the motorists that you have a potential of dangering.
Just face it you screwed up. All carriers look at your driving record, so you will never be able to hide the bad things on your record. You better look for another job/career.


Answer:
First off, let me state that I do not think I know it all or think I know better than you. I am also not nessesarily trying to tell you what to do, be your father, brother etc. I find this topic/ predicament to be interesting and plus I had the day off and enjoy chatting on the computer etc. Also, don't nessesarily take my word as gospel. I'm just one person with one opinion on the matter.
Having gotten that out of the way, here goes:
1)Aside from the abovementioned DWI conviction, how does your driving record look? (You will see why I asked below.)
2)I guess the most obvious way to get back in is to try to get on with a trucking company. As you have probably found out, most of them won't hire you with a DWI on the record. However some will hire you with a DWI after a period. Swift and H.O. wolding, for example, will hire you after five years. So, your DWI is three years old, and so you've only got 2 more years to go and you are hireable to a greater extent---assuming there is nothing else on your record. Some companies may even hire sooner than that. I believe there are two companies in my area that will hire after 3 years, but I will have to look into this.
A) You mentioned that you love to drive, (don't we all?)
Does this mean tractor-trailer? OTR? Or does this mean driving in general?
1) Because in the mean time, while you wait for time-statutes to pass, you may want to consider other driving jobs such as taxi, pizza delivery, courier etc.
3)Another way is to drive for a small owner-operator. They are usually more laxed in their hiring standards as they tend to run a more "under the table" operation. Come to think of it, I know one that could definitely use you--if you don't mind lots of unloading. You may want to advertise in truckstops by posting notices up on the bulletin boards etc. Owner operators tend to be slow to pay, and sometime not to pay at all. But, this would have to be handled between you and the O/O.
4)The most guaranteed way to get back in, (but also the riskiest and most potentially financially damaging) ,is to buy your own truck and go into business completely for yourself. This is different than buying a tractor and leasing on with a larger carrier. (Leasing on to a carrier would be covered under #2 above.)
Now, I don't know your financial position, but the best way to do this is to have plenty of money. More than you think you need before you even think of doing something like this. While many on this board might disagree with everything else I've mentioned so far, I know they will agree with this!
A)If it turns out this is the only way you can get back in then:
1) You'll have to save up lots of cash doing something else.
If you'd like to discuss more privately, I am in the process of getting an email address back as I don't use AOL anymore.