Your Record, Read ProperlyNot just scored by a rule
Big fleets run on rules. One flag on your MVR and the system says no before a human ever opens the file. We actually read the timeline.
Why automated screening misses good drivers
A fleet hiring hundreds of drivers a month can't read every application, so it leans on rules: nothing in three years, no gap over thirty days, zero exceptions. Efficient, sure — but it also filters out plenty of drivers who would have worked out fine.
A smaller operation like ours can spend ten actual minutes on your history. That's the entire difference.
What actually factors in
How long ago matters more than how bad. Five clean years since beats one rough year recently.
A steady work history since the incident is your best case — it shows this was a one-off, not a trend.
DOT-recordable isn't the same as at-fault. Got rear-ended at a light? Bring the report and let's talk.
Normal life stuff — illness, family, a carrier that wasn't paying right. Explained gaps aren't held against you.
Non-negotiables
- Valid, currently qualified CDL-A
- At least 2 years of verifiable OTR experience, any trailer type
- Able to pass a DOT physical exam and drug screen
- No unresolved prohibited status in the Clearinghouse
Handling the conversation
Bring it up first, keep it factual — what happened, when, and what's different now. Skip the long defense. A driver who lays it out plainly sounds like someone who's moved on. One who buries it sounds like there's more to the story.
Already finished a DOT return-to-duty process? That's covered on our SAP page.
Common questions
Second chance FAQ
Any experienced driver an automated system would auto-reject — an old preventable accident, an employment gap, a suspension that's since been resolved.