Truck Drivers: Leaving a Job? Here’s Why You MUST Put It in Writing

Get Out of Prohibited
Aug 4
2 min read

If you're a CDL truck driver getting ready to leave your job — whether it’s for something better or because you're done with a bad situation — there’s one step you cannot skip:

🛑 Put your resignation in writing. Every single time.

At GetOutOfProhibited.com, we’ve seen too many drivers end up in the FMCSA Clearinghouse with a refusal violation just because they didn’t officially document when they quit a job.

Let’s break down what that means — and how to protect yourself.

What Can Go Wrong If You Don’t Resign in Writing

Let’s say you leave a company verbally. You tell your dispatcher, “I’m done,” and go home. Two weeks later, you get a call from that same company asking you to take a random drug screen.

If you don’t show up, and they report you as still employed in their system, your refusal to take the test can be treated as a violation — just like a positive test.

🚨 And if you don’t have proof that you resigned? There’s nothing you can do to fight it.

Why This Happens

Trucking companies are still allowed to test you if they consider you "employed" — even if you haven't driven in weeks. Without a formal resignation letter, they may still have you listed as active in their internal system or in the Clearinghouse.

And if you don’t take that test? You’ve just triggered a refusal violation — and now you’re stuck in the Return-to-Duty process, which can be costly and time-consuming.

How to Protect Yourself

✅ Always resign in writing.

Send an email or hand-deliver a letter. Include:

Your full name and driver ID (if applicable)
The date
A clear statement that you're resigning from your position
The last day you worked

✅ Keep a copy.

Take a screenshot, save the email, or photograph the letter. You may need this if the company challenges you.

✅ Update your Clearinghouse.

Check your FMCSA Clearinghouse portal and ensure your employer status is accurate after resigning.

Real Talk from the Field

“Believe it or not, there are a lot of drivers who ended up in the Clearinghouse with a violation — not because they did drugs — but because they never officially quit the job.”

Don’t let that be your story.