Trucking With A Disability: A Few Questions.

Hey all,

Just getting into trucking. About 1/2 way through school and excited to get on the road and put in the miles. So, as the subject line states, I have a disability that requires me to wear leg braces, and use a cane. I am more than confident I can perform all the duties required to do the job, and so are my instructors.

There may be certain times I may need to “modify” the way I do physical tasks like tarping and load securement in order to complete things safely, but I always get the job done.

Do companies understand and work with these kinds of situations pretty well?

If so, which companies has anyone had experiences with? Good or bad.

Any thoughts or advice on this would be a great help.

Thanks in advance!

Hi Ken, welcome to the forum.

While I don't know the specific answer to your question of whether some companies will work with a driver with disabilities, I'm concerned whether you know what you'll be up against in some situations.

By mentioning tarping and securing, you're obviously referring to flatbedding. Many times you'll be faced with pretty difficult, physically challenging conditions. The tarps alone are quite a struggle at times. Add to that the loads that you'll need to crawl up on to place straps/chains in just the right position. Then add some snow & Ice to the mix. Then the wind.

You may be able to modify your methods to offset your disabilities, but keep in mind that at times there will be a line of trucks waiting for you to get out of the way so that they can load/unload, tarp/untarp. Or there will be times that the forklift operator is under a tight schedule, trying to keep the line moving. There is often alot of pressure to move at max safe speed for the greater good of the whole. Not a deal-breaker, but a factor to consider.

Please understand, by no means am I saying that it can't be done. I've seen some flatbedders who absolutely amaze me at what they can do. I just wanted to add a little more for you to consider. Good luck!

I would say your best bet is dry van. There is not much physical labor with that. You need to be able to duck under the trailer to make sure your king pin is securely locked. You will need to be able to crank the landing gear up and down and be able to climb in and out of the trailer to sweep it out or add straps or loadlocks to your load. You will also need to be able to raise and lower the hood and check and add fluids like oil, coolant and washer fluid. Try doing all of that every day in school to see what it's like.

As far as flatbed, it's more than tarping and strapping. Sometimes you have to climb onto the loads to get your tarp on and off. Tarps are bulky and heavy.

Refer has a little more work than dry van as you have the refer unit to fuel and mess with.

You will have much to learn when you first start out. Many fleets are switching to autoshift, so that would be easier for you. As long as you have your DOT med card and CDL A, I don't think you shoulf have to much trouble getting a job. Good luck.

Thanks for the thoughtful replies to my question and concerns. It is much appreciated.

I’m not considering flatbed as an option, more as an example as to what I’ve done and where I’m at in training so far.

I have family in the industry and have a pretty good idea of what the job entails and how much more there is to it than “driving”. Although I have all endorsements, and a passport, I’m pretty sure dry van may be my best bet to start with. Then possibly tanker division a few years down the road...?

I definitely appreciate the feedback and advice You both touched on a few points I hadn’t considered.

Thank you!

Ken, I also wear leg braces due to bilateral drop foot. I was concerned at first because there are a lot more physical requirements than one might expect. I really would love to flatbed, but Felt it would be best to start with dry van. So far it's working out well. I've graduated school, gone through orientation and 6 weeks of over the road training. I'm just finishing my first week solo and heading home tomorrow for some much needed time with my bride. Glad she's totally on board with this adventure. Good luck to you.

As a note, I've had an excellent experience so far with Werner with their ability to accommodate as I've needed, and no one has blinked twice over the fact that I use a crutch to walk with. Talk to them, they have training programs in several areas of the country and it might work out for you?

Tarping is by far the hardest physical part about flatbed. Talk to your company about getting a roll tarp or a covered wagon. I have heard rumors of Maverick letting physically disabled drivers use covered wagons and roll tarps. I am in one of Maverick's dedicated glass divisions now and almost never have anything other than a roll tarp trailer. I am in good shape for early 30s and I hated doing tarps in flat bed especially the huge lumber tarps. I would do refrigerated if I had leg issues personally. There is a big demand for it and Maverick almost pays the Temp control the same amount as flat bed. Plus you can sometimes get more miles doing temp control if you get drop and hook loads. I lost a lot of driving time tarping and waiting to load in flatbed.

Good luck finding what works for you.