Profile For Zen Joker

My daughter loves going on overnight deliveries in the upper U.P., heading down to the terminal in Marinette, WI and I drop her back off at home on my way to N.C. for the week. Couple of weeks ago our safety director (in first photo) put her on the simulator. Gotta' say for a 12 yr old she did quite well, only clipped a car making a RH turn at an intersection.

On the way out, we got to meet the company founder and driver who started it all in 1978. Was pretty cool!!!

Just wanted to share something on the lighter side of trucking.

Welcome!! Roehl has a very good reputation and should be a great place to start your career (and possibly keep it there). To echo what OS said, age is irrelevant as is every other distinguishing factor of a person IF they perform at a high level. This is a 100% performance based industry. Listen to Brett's podcast series for some additional insight.

Just remember to take your time learning and be patient with the process and yourself, and you will be fine!

Best of success on your social justice journey to make roads safer for yourself (where everything is black and white and everyone else is a moron that should yield to you)

I guess your site coordinator won't publish any more of my posts. Charade. Really? It seems that you can't accept criticism. You like to hand it out though. One good recommendation from this site is that next time I should call 911. I do have a dash cam now and I will be reporting aggressive behavior and lane blocking. So be careful out there. Now it is my turn to be the highway police (but not judge and jury as one of your compatriots did)....

Hello and welcome,

Due to the never ending influx of “Hey man, I smoke weed and I need a trucking job, how do I pass a drug test?” posts that happen in here on a very regular basis, here is a blanket reply that cuts right to the chase…

THE GOLDEN RULE OF MARIJUANA, TRUCKING, and DRUG TESTS is to wait 12 months from last use before applying for a trucking job for (2) reasons. First, it will guaranty that any THC compounds and/or cannabanoids will be thoroughly purged from your system regardless of your health, body mass, and how much you previously used. Second, you will have proven to yourself, and the trucking industry that you are in full control of yourself and are a “past user” versus an addict. Users can walk away and stay away. Addicts are dependent on the THC and cannot quit without professional intervention or alternate therapies. The problem is so many chronic “dependent” users think they can cope without it moving forward and relapse. If you relapse, reset the 12 month clock.

FIVE REASONS YOU SHOULD NOT EVEN BOTHER BECOMING A TRUCK DRIVER:

- 70% of first year drivers (the majority of which don’t use drugs) wash out and quit due to the stress, job demands, and social isolation.

-Tractor/trailer combos are nearly 70 feet long and can weigh 40 tons and can potentially injure or kill scores of people if the driver is impaired by controlled substances. Loss of limb or life and multi-million dollar losses to carriers and/or their insurance companies are not uncommon in severe trucking accidents. Think about that.

-You can and will be tested at random intervals and can face strict penalties if you test positive.

-Do you honestly believe that you will avoid using literally 100% of the time (including your time off)? That is what is will take to even stand a chance at making a go of this.

-Trucking is the 7th most dangerous job in America, has the 4th highest suicide rate of any occupation, and is always near the top for divorce rate. Do you have the mental constitution to ignore stress and make quick and correct decisions in an emergency WITHOUT having your mind numbed by drugs? An average sober person does not. Ponder that for a minute as it’s a huge question “Can I manage extreme stress while sober for the long haul?”

FREQUENT MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT TRUCKING AND MARIJUANA:

“Anyone can get a trucking job, it’s easy and there is high demand”

-Ridiculously incorrect. On the contrary there are very few that actually CAN do this job. It is stressful, demanding, requires a 12-14 hour workdays with a constantly changing schedule and altered sleep patterns.

“I can still use on my time off as long as I am sober for duty”

-Wrong. THC has lasting effects which impairs your short term memory, ability to focus, cognitive function, and motivation. These are all CRITICAL characteristics of a good driver. And NO, how strong and cool you think you are does not matter...it applies to everyone equally .

“If I fail a drug test, I deserve a second chance!”

- If you failed a DOT drug test your career is most likely over already. YOU made a choice to use and YOU are responsible for this outcome. The purpose of the test is to keep unsafe drivers off the road. You will now likely need to find another career field (preferably non-OSHA).

“Drug addicts can’t be discriminated!”

-Back to reality, yes they can and they will be with no legal recourse (even though there are attorneys who know this but will gladly take your money to make you feel better). Your ability to earn an income does NOT supersede Federal Regulations for Motor Carriers which are designed to protect the general public. Every day people are turned away due to failing a DOT physical for a variety of reasons: high blood pressure, uncontrollable diabetes, etc. You are in the same league as them...physically unfit to operate a Commercial Motor Vehicle.

IN CLOSING:

This may not be what you wanted to hear but perhaps what you needed to hear. Trucking is brutally stressful and demanding lifestyle change. Frankly, if you can’t face and handle stress and react quickly under pressure and have any severe emotional problems, then you likely have a 99% chance of failure. Not trying to be harsh, but most people with mental health and/or chemical dependency issues will have a nearly impossible uphill battle in this field.

I myself am a prior marijuana user myself who has permanently quit prior to trucking. You can do it too! Please come back if/when you are clean for 12 months and there will be an abundance of support to get your career off to a great start! If you cannot stay clean, then there is no shame, in fact there is great respect if you will do the right thing and scratch trucking off of your list of options and find a career better suited to your situation. I pray that you will find not only employment soon, but also greater peace and fulfillment in your life.

Ahhhhhh!!! Thanks for pointing that out Laura.

While it may be a total investment of $300-$400, getting a decent CB radio (regular) and going to a good CB shop on the road and getting an antenna installed and tuned by a professional.

It won't work for Trotter:

Any ideas on how a company driver in a slip seat situation can utilize a CB if there is not one in the truck and one cannot be installed?

Laura

While it may be a total investment of $300-$400, getting a decent CB radio (regular) and going to a good CB shop on the road and getting an antenna installed and tuned by a professional. Sandman J and I drive for the same carrier and he recommended the guy at the TA in Gary on Burr St. His name is Rich Wheeler. But there are good guys all over the US.

The range and reception you get is incredible. And after having a pro set up for a month now I can already say its saved me money by getting intel from 4-10 miles ahead and taking detours or other lanes to get around crashed or construction back ups. Time is money for us and our carrier. It also provides entertainment from guys trash talking each other and poignant moments going through small towns and listening to the local guys talking about their kids growing up, etc.

Cobra and President make solid CB's at a reasonable price. The cheap $60-$100 CB's are crap unless you are 10 feet from the next user. You will get what you pay for one way or the other.

Good luck man!

Stupidity is a full time Equal Opportunity Employer.

I'm very happy at my carrier Veriha. I have only been in the business 15 months but I've been a quick study. Another reason for turnover which has nothing to do with the carrier is the harsh and demanding nature of the job. Many struggle with the isolation, time away from family/friends, and the stress this job produces like many others can't. They think the next carrier will be the sovereign panacea of great trucking. Company's do there best to make drivers lives comfortable and profitable in what is still one of the toughest jobs on the planet. When people ask "What Carrier", it's like asking if one likes Pepsi, Coke, Root Beer, or Mountain Dew? When the answer is I don't like soda pop (soda pop being the nature of the work/industry), well then you won't make it anywhere more than likely.

Aside from natural attrition/washout, I'll build on the prior comments. At the end of day, cpm is huge but that also balances out with miles. In other words, someone earning 60 cpm running 2500 per week is not going to leave to for a carrier that pays 63 cpm and only gives 2000 per week. One HUGE item for me is hometime. That is one thing my carrier is religious about. I've heard senior management audits the fleet leaders to make sure they are honoring driver's hometime requests.

In the end, carriers need to reward good drivers with a good blend of miles and compensation, and place less resources on the less motivated, less intelligent, a**clowns in the fleet. On the same hand, drivers need to bring their best day in day out to operate safely, efficiently, and run a profitable truck. A lot of times when a driver is jumping from carrier to carrier, the driver is likely the issue (attitude, work ethic, safety record, or some combination thereof).

Agreed, If anyone needs speed limiters its 4 wheelers in Chicago. 128 mph during rush hour...SMH

If they impose speed limiters on us all you ain’t seen how stupid things can get!!!

One of my core goals day in day out is to be a good steward of the road. As a rule I don't think trucks should be passing other trucks unless they can go 3 mph faster than the truck they are passing, out in the boonies you can justify passing at 2 mph, or 1 mph if their is zero traffic. It creates too many adverse events in traffic trying to pass with such a small speed margin between the vehicles. Tying up the left lane on 18 wheels going 1 mph faster to pass another truck in the center or right lane will back up traffic significantly. It's a top tier d*ck move which impedes traffic and makes 4 wheelers cut us all off in the right and center lanes who understand the concept of proper lane use. Interestingly enough, most of the guys doing this don't look like top producing professionals trying to maximize miles. It's just lazy, stupid, and inconsiderate behavior IMO.