Skeletons in the closet keeping me awake again....
Was an alcoholic from the first time I ever picked up a drink and have dearly paid the price for it. Received four DUI's within a decade. The first two were in Ohio (late 1985 and early 1986) and I dutifully suffered the consequences. Then again while living in the state of Washington, received another two somewhere in late 1995/early 1996 -- the second of which I refused to take a breathalyzer for (I guess I knew I'd reached my end one way or another) -- yet for whatever reason no one ever actually took my license from my hand. Having just been fired (great reviews but was the company drunk) and honestly down to my last dime while owing everybody, I went to court in Seattle for the first one and when I was appointed an attorney prior to entering a plea, he recommended that I just skip the state (not making this up). Knowing it was completely wrong but totally beaten, destitute and seriously considering suicide, I took his advice and returned to Ohio a couple of months later (I stayed, basically living on the street, long enough to declare bankruptcy -- perfect ending, huh?) a badly broken man apparently hellbent on self-destruction. Once there, I decided to try to get sober one last time before I ended it all -- and already convinced I was a hopeless cause from so many other repeated failures. But lo and behold something clicked this time and I slowly began to try to learn how to live my new life from scratch, taking whatever work for whatever pay I could find initially -- finally falling into a job as a GM in 2002 (just in the right place at the right time, there's a first time for everything I guess) where I turned a disorganized, failing company entirely around, painstakingly rebuilt my credit score to over 800, transformed my neglected health into a body of hard-cut pure muscle, was married two years ago to the most wonderful woman I have ever known who has never seen me pick up anything stronger than a Starbuck's, and have now been very, VERY gratefully clean and sober for nearly a decade with a more incredible life than I could have ever imagined.
But back to our story .... after waiting over five years from my last offense (used public transportation as I wanted nothing to do with any vehicle -- didn't trust myself), I nervously went to the Ohio DMV and after taking all the tests again like a brand-new beginner, I was issued a license in 2001 without a word said. Same thing when I relocated to North Carolina a year later. Recently, I decided to switch careers and enrolled in a truck driving school (no need to panic -- drinking AND driving was always my problem, not driving. I seemingly have asphalt in my DNA), and was issued a CDL Learner's Permit without so much as a raised eyebrow (yes, they did run my record) and anticipate no difficulties when I return for my Class A upon graduation.
Here's my question: Have I somehow fallen through the cracks as far as the National Driver's Register is concerned? How have two states managed to issue me licenses without seeing some sort of red flag? At the very least, shouldn't there be a string of Failure to Appear's somewhere? And is there a Statute of Limitations or will I be looking over my shoulder forever?
Here's why: I have begun applying for work with major carriers. On the job applications it asks: Have you EVER been convicted or charged with DUI? And while I dutifully confess to the Ohio incidents, I never made mention of Washington as it is still unresolved. For while I have by the grace of god truly totally changed my life -- what occurred in those dark days seems like it happened to someone I don't even know, I would hate to get preliminarily accepted, report for duty halfway across the country and then kicked out the front gate without so much as a ride to the bus station before I even get started for falsifying my job application (welcome to the trucking industry, kid) -- not to mention being potentially blackballed for life.
Thank you for your time.
Was an alcoholic from the first time I ever picked up a drink and have dearly paid the price for it. Received four DUI's within a decade. The first two were in Ohio (late 1985 and early 1986) and I dutifully suffered the consequences. Then again while living in the state of Washington, received another two somewhere in late 1995/early 1996 -- the second of which I refused to take a breathalyzer for (I guess I knew I'd reached my end one way or another) -- yet for whatever reason no one ever actually took my license from my hand. Having just been fired (great reviews but was the company drunk) and honestly down to my last dime while owing everybody, I went to court in Seattle for the first one and when I was appointed an attorney prior to entering a plea, he recommended that I just skip the state (not making this up). Knowing it was completely wrong but totally beaten, destitute and seriously considering suicide, I took his advice and returned to Ohio a couple of months later (I stayed, basically living on the street, long enough to declare bankruptcy -- perfect ending, huh?) a badly broken man apparently hellbent on self-destruction. Once there, I decided to try to get sober one last time before I ended it all -- and already convinced I was a hopeless cause from so many other repeated failures. But lo and behold something clicked this time and I slowly began to try to learn how to live my new life from scratch, taking whatever work for whatever pay I could find initially -- finally falling into a job as a GM in 2002 (just in the right place at the right time, there's a first time for everything I guess) where I turned a disorganized, failing company entirely around, painstakingly rebuilt my credit score to over 800, transformed my neglected health into a body of hard-cut pure muscle, was married two years ago to the most wonderful woman I have ever known who has never seen me pick up anything stronger than a Starbuck's, and have now been very, VERY gratefully clean and sober for nearly a decade with a more incredible life than I could have ever imagined.
But back to our story .... after waiting over five years from my last offense (used public transportation as I wanted nothing to do with any vehicle -- didn't trust myself), I nervously went to the Ohio DMV and after taking all the tests again like a brand-new beginner, I was issued a license in 2001 without a word said. Same thing when I relocated to North Carolina a year later. Recently, I decided to switch careers and enrolled in a truck driving school (no need to panic -- drinking AND driving was always my problem, not driving. I seemingly have asphalt in my DNA), and was issued a CDL Learner's Permit without so much as a raised eyebrow (yes, they did run my record) and anticipate no difficulties when I return for my Class A upon graduation.
Here's my question: Have I somehow fallen through the cracks as far as the National Driver's Register is concerned? How have two states managed to issue me licenses without seeing some sort of red flag? At the very least, shouldn't there be a string of Failure to Appear's somewhere? And is there a Statute of Limitations or will I be looking over my shoulder forever?
Here's why: I have begun applying for work with major carriers. On the job applications it asks: Have you EVER been convicted or charged with DUI? And while I dutifully confess to the Ohio incidents, I never made mention of Washington as it is still unresolved. For while I have by the grace of god truly totally changed my life -- what occurred in those dark days seems like it happened to someone I don't even know, I would hate to get preliminarily accepted, report for duty halfway across the country and then kicked out the front gate without so much as a ride to the bus station before I even get started for falsifying my job application (welcome to the trucking industry, kid) -- not to mention being potentially blackballed for life.
Thank you for your time.
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