HELP, new driver with speeding ticket

twheat

Member
I signed a sheet to drive a few weeks ago, and I begin training in two days. To sign the sheet, you have to not have any moving violations in the past 12 months. I got a speeding ticket today, after I signed the sheet, went to HR, filled out the paper work, yadda yadda, but two days before I begin the week long training course. What does the ticket mean for me? Do I have to tell them about the ticket? Thanks
 

looper804

Is it time to go home yet
I signed a sheet to drive a few weeks ago, and I begin training in two days. To sign the sheet, you have to not have any moving violations in the past 12 months. I got a speeding ticket today, after I signed the sheet, went to HR, filled out the paper work, yadda yadda, but two days before I begin the week long training course. What does the ticket mean for me? Do I have to tell them about the ticket? Thanks
Tell them about it.Not telling them may be considered dishonesty.I don't know what the ruling is regarding your just starting,but honesty is the best and only policy.
 

UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)

Well-Known Member
The sheet you signed was an annual certification completed by the driver acknowledging any moving violations during the past 12 months. Basically UPS wants to know what is on your driving record. You will document the ticket that you just received on next year's driver certification but I would go ahead and tell them about it as they don't like surprises and you don't want to start your driving career by withholding what may or may not be pertinent information. Without getting too personal, will this ticket put you at risk of losing your license for having too many points/violations? If not, I wouldn't worry about it other than this is certainly not the way that you wanted to start your driving career.
 

twheat

Member
No, the ticket won't give me too many points or suspend my license. Do all drivers no matter how long they've been driving have to let their sups know when they get a ticket (assuming they don't lose their license or get too many points), or is it not the sup's business until the annual certification? If you guys got a ticket today, would you tell UPS first thing Monday, or just forget about it?
 

looper804

Is it time to go home yet
No, the ticket won't give me too many points or suspend my license. Do all drivers no matter how long they've been driving have to let their sups know when they get a ticket (assuming they don't lose their license or get too many points), or is it not the sup's business until the annual certification? If you guys got a ticket today, would you tell UPS first thing Monday, or just forget about it?
No,we fill out a form yearly if we have any moving violations.Being that you are trying to get in the front door I would tell them.They may care may not,but if in 3 weeks they run you liscense and it comes up and you didn't tell them it could create a problem for you.
 

twheat

Member
I can see where a problem could occur, but am I obligated in the contract to let them know? Could I claim ignorance since I'm new at this? Who would I tell since I haven't yet been assigned to a center?
 

over9five

Moderator
Staff member
I wouldn't tell anyone. You were honest when you filled out the form. Next year you'll be honest again when you report this speeding ticket.
 

UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)

Well-Known Member
DON'T START YOUR CAREER BY TRYING TO HIDE SOMETHING!!

I don't think we can make this any clearer, plainer or simpler for you.

Is there something that you are not telling us?
 

UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)

Well-Known Member
I received a speeding ticket several months ago (75 in a 55, $250) and will document it on the annual certification in Jan 09. I am also taking a defensive driving course in April which will basically remove these 4 points from my license and I will turn in a copy of that along with my certification. I also received a warning letter from EZ Pass for going 31mph through one of their 20 mph toll booths (that was not a good trip for me) but that will not make it to my abstract. As I said before, UPS basically wants to know what is on your driving record so rather than run 200,000 or so drivers abstracts they have us complete a form and certify by our signature that what we write on that form is accurate to the best of our knowledge. I guess they could then pick and choose several of the forms and verfiy them but the fact that we are signing the form, which has a statement on it saying that the information we have provided is accurate to the best of our knowledge, releases them from any liability that may result from a driver purposely withholding information.
 

twheat

Member
No, there is nothing I'm not telling you, I just really want this job. I've been here for a while now, just got this opportunity, and would really not like it if I screwed it up before I got a chance to get started. More than $28 an hour can change lives.
 

looper804

Is it time to go home yet
I can see where a problem could occur, but am I obligated in the contract to let them know? Could I claim ignorance since I'm new at this? Who would I tell since I haven't yet been assigned to a center?
Basically the contract doesn't come in to play for you till you have 30 days in.You haven't pled guilty yet i'm assuming.It's possible it could get knocked down or overturned.Be upfront about it.
 

UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)

Well-Known Member
Then do the right thing and tell them when you start your training on Monday. One speeding ticket is not going to get you shown to the door but they may give you a good-natured ribbing over it. Just relax, enjoy your weekend, and start your career on the right foot by doing the right thing Monday morning, but be sure to follow the numbers on those signs on the side of the road on your way to your training site. Good luck and don't worry--you will be just fine.
 

smf0605

Well-Known Member
I received a speeding ticket several months ago (75 in a 55, $250) and will document it on the annual certification in Jan 09. I am also taking a defensive driving course in April which will basically remove these 4 points from my license and I will turn in a copy of that along with my certification. I also received a warning letter from EZ Pass for going 31mph through one of their 20 mph toll booths (that was not a good trip for me) but that will not make it to my abstract. As I said before, UPS basically wants to know what is on your driving record so rather than run 200,000 or so drivers abstracts they have us complete a form and certify by our signature that what we write on that form is accurate to the best of our knowledge. I guess they could then pick and choose several of the forms and verfiy them but the fact that we are signing the form, which has a statement on it saying that the information we have provided is accurate to the best of our knowledge, releases them from any liability that may result from a driver purposely withholding information.

UPS runs the abstracts every year and then compare them to what employees sign.
 

over9five

Moderator
Staff member
I signed a sheet to drive a few weeks ago, and I begin training in two days. To sign the sheet, you have to not have any moving violations in the past 12 months. I got a speeding ticket today, after I signed the sheet, went to HR, filled out the paper work, yadda yadda, but two days before I begin the week long training course. What does the ticket mean for me? Do I have to tell them about the ticket? Thanks


My guess is if you tell them about this speeding ticket, they will tell you to take the class you cannot have had any moving violations within the past year. And you will no longer be taking the class.

It is usually smart not to offer up information that no-one is even asking you for!

You're in the class, you told the truth on your form. Leave well enough alone!
 

twheat

Member
If it helps, they are desperate for drivers in my hub. In fact, they called me and scheduled me for training and got me in HR before the bid sheet even came down.
 

UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)

Well-Known Member
twheat, ultimately it is your call as to whether you disclose this information or not. You have received feedback supporting both sides of this issue. If you do decide to withhold this information I do hope that it doesn't come back to bite you in the butt. Over was technically correct in that you completed the driver certification with the information that you had in hand as of the day that you signed the form so not disclosing it may technically be correct but only you can decide the ethics of your decision. Starting your career withholding information can be a slippery slope from which you may never ascend.
 

959Nanook

Well-Known Member
During my latest hiring process with UPS, it was known that I would be driving in a matter of month(s) so I think they essentially did it as though they were hiring a driver off the street from an HR point of view. At any rate, I couldn't always distinguish whether some stuff was normal new hire requirements or driver requirements. I can't recall if it was on the "annual certification" or another document but I do recall that at some point in my latest hiring process that I signed a document that stipulated that I would notify my UPS supervisor of any accidents, moving violations, etc. on the next business day or something to that effect. It was one sentence on the entire document but I noticed it when I signed the document.

I may be completely out of whack here but I wouldn't wait until the "annual certification" anyways. If you are gonna get in trouble, then putting it off may only aggravate the situation when they finally find out. I think looper804 raises an excellent point where not telling them could potentially bite you in the butt on this particular situation. I don't know how the background checks are conducted but it seems reasonable that they check the driving record of all new drivers at some point (maybe it has already been done but why run the risk).

When the state threatened to suspend my license as I was starting the 40 hour driver training (technically, I have not completed it because I still need my Buddy Ride), I let my Center Manager (he is my supervisor) know immediately and kept him informed of what was going on. My license was going to be suspended because I had not submitted proof-of-insurance to the state of Alaska after an accident last May. Evidently, I should have been given a form by the police at the scene of the accident; however, I was not given the "yellow" form so I never sent it in. The point of all that was that I might have been in more serious pickle with UPS if I had not disclosed that accident (the other driver was convicted for his involvement and was deemed liable for the accident) in the appropriate places on the hiring application. The Center Manager was like, "take care of it because you aren't worth nothing as a driver without a license" and didn't seem too concerned.

Even if they kick you out of the class, it seems that you could work inside for another year until you had 12 months if that is the issue. Hard to say if the 12 months counted from when you get hired, start training, or start driving but you are past one of the hurdles. I'm guessing that the powers that be will appreciate your honesty no matter the outcome.
 
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