Profile For Tim F.

As others have stated companies are not going to look at a suspension as favorable. The speeding is probably old enough. There is a saying in baseball...tie goes to the runner. How does it apply here? Tie goes to the person without the suspension. They are likely to overlook you or any candidate with recent marks on their license, when compared to other applicants. That being said....good luck in your search. Although some harsh words in some of the post, it’s all designed to help you understand what you face.

So I posted on a thread that Big Scott had concerning losing his medical card (how’s your progress Big Scott). I went for my DOT Physical on August 1 and was thrown into a “suspended” status for a couple reasons.

1. High blood sugar. I had eaten myself into Type 2 diabetes. My A1C was at 6.5...that is THE line for prediabetes vs. diabetes. As a result I had to present the DOT PA doing my physical with a “plan of treatment” which was not a big hassle.

2. High blood Pressure. I registered a BP if 160/80 both times. So she said maybe I was nervous and to have my personal physician take it in his office and report the results.

I should note that the DOT PA was a sweetheart who really gave me a break by suspending, rather than pulling my med card altogether.

So I went to my personal physician and promptly registered 168/80. They adjusted my medicines and told me to come back in a week.

So from August 5 until 8/14 I was unavailable to my company to drive and support their customer. I was also not making any money.

Lesson learned?

I can’t treat my health care like a faucet that I can turn on/off when I need it. It needs to be a 24/7/365 thing.

I’m so fortunate that my company stood by me as I attempted to get the numbers in line.

I started this “journey” on July 11th with my personal physician and have lost , as of yesterday 16 lbs, my BP is under control and I’m making better choices on foods. I feel better physically and mentally.

Hoping that this story encourages drivers that might be doing the same thing as I did to be proactive and not risk their employment by neglecting their health....like I did.

That’s it for me. Still wanting to hear BIg Scott’s progress.

Wow. My ears are ringing. Sorry to hear this Big Scott. I’m going through the same thing with my blood sugar. I have developed type 2 diabetes. It right at the lowest level. I won’t say I was blindsided, but I’ve never had this issue in the past. Probably a combination of age, diet, and exercise. (Or lack of exercise)

Here’s the difference though. The DOT physicians is working with me. Probably because I knew about it and listed it in my long form (I had found out a few days before my physical).

I need to have a form completed by my physician and return that to her. Also, I qualify for the sleep study...I have 6 months to do that. My current card expires on August 6th, so I have an appointment on Monday to try to get everything done. Then I return it to her and she’ll issue me a 6 month card pending the sleep study.

Good luck in your return to driving. I’m sure it won’t be long.

I think you all missed the fact that she HAD her class A back in the 80s. Now she has her class B. That’s a bit of a different animal ...on my opinion...if I had to guess it’s being perceived she wouldn’t be able to handle the physical part of some of the class B driving. Just my guess.

I was let go from 4 trucking companies because I can't back a trailer very well . I haven't had my CDL very long at all. I can drive a straight truck and back it to a dock with no problem . I can perform straight line backing and the off set backing but I am not able to do the alley docking maneuver very well. I barely made it out of trucking school because I couldn't back very well but I made it. I have been out of trucking now for a year and 9 months. I guess what I want to know is should I try again maybe with a straight truck company what do you think. Thanks from DP

After that time period you’ll undoubtedly have to go through a refresher. Which will benefit you. Who were the four companies that you were with. It will help with suggestions. Also, as Errol said...there’s no shame in backing troubles...I still have my days even after 4 years.

Listen, you’ll never know if you can give another shot unless you try. Good luck

In my 5 months out here i have yet to do a true 90 alley dock mainly 45s and straights. Even the 90 test wasnt really a 90 its more of a 70°. Not to hijack his thread but how many actual 90s are out here? I mean a true 90, im not being a wise guy im generally curious.

No. Your pretty accurate there. If your a company and you know he can do an alley dock, then he will be able to do the others

Why not just go get an eye exam and glasses to fix it....

I thought I had great eyes, I can see way down the road etc, just need me some $1 store readers for reading lol Proof that computer screens for 25 years, and mig welding took its toll on my eyes

Well,at DOT I couldn't read line 5 on the chart......$115 at eye Dr's, I got the cheapest ugliest glasses in 2 hours , just to pass exam (now to carry em along and have it on my new license oh well) Found out my vision was 20/40 hmmmm Then read line 9 on the chart hahahaha

It sounds to me like he has something a little worse than what pair of glasses would fix. I wear hard contact lenses to correct my vision for DOT. No pair of glasses would be strong enough. As he stated above. My left eye is 20/30...my right eye is 20/200. I couldn’t read line 1 on the DOT chart. Corrected both eyes read 20/30.

To the OP...you may need to spend a little at an ophthalmologist. They look in, around, behind your eye and give you a full list of options. I too thought I was done...until I found the specialist. Good luck.

Oh...btw...these are specialist. My doctor takes my medical insurance AND NOT any sort of vision plan.

Something doesn’t seem right here. Companies don’t fire for one preventable. So either Big Al ain’t dropping the whole story or that one preventable was a doozy like a roll over or something.

Big Al...you need to drop the whole story, in order for these people to properly help you.

No the company first told me I would just have to take a drug test and long as I passed I’d be good(I can pass a drug test anytime). When I got back to the yard for my home time and went to the office to go take my drug test. Instead of them sending me for it the woman in safety told me just to go ahead and clean my truck out. But it wasn’t a roll over or nothing major.

So it wasn’t just a preventable. You don’t get asked to take a drug test for a preventable. You are asked to take a drug test for a DOT recordable accident. Which means equipment was damage enough where one or both vehicles needed to be towed.

What type of accident? Did you rear end another vehicle? Head on?

You could try some of the second chance companies. Carolina Cargo, Western Express...good luck

Something doesn’t seem right here. Companies don’t fire for one preventable. So either Big Al ain’t dropping the whole story or that one preventable was a doozy like a roll over or something.

Big Al...you need to drop the whole story, in order for these people to properly help you.

Wondering why two fuel stops for an 800 mile trip?

Companies will buy 50 gallons of fuel to satisfy highway tax laws for certain states. Roehl used to do it all the time. Probably still do.

Also, one of the things the 50 MPH rule allows for us all the breaks...fuel, bathroom, safety checks. If you do the math after your trip...I think it’ll work out about the same.

As another poster said, it will become easier and less concerning as you learn going forward.

Good luck!!

You could give Roehl a look. Most likely you’ll be schooled in Conley GA( outside of Atlanta) they do list you location as hiring. They also list your location as available for southeast regional, which would allow for a little better hometime. You can look at other things available at your location by going to their website.

Good luck!!

Thanks Susan / Grumpy / Tim.

Yeah... that sounds about right.

Just to clarify... I admit I fell! Purpose of 3 POC is to prevent falls. I fell so clearly I did something wrong or failed to do it right!

BUT... my honest belief is that I had 3 POC, missed the step and lost my grip while holding on to smoothly painted grab rails with my slippery gloves. To anyone but me not fixated on all 3 points I would think that would look like I just let go. Who knows! Maybe I did.

At this point the only issue i can see which matters is even if I was 100% liable, am I eligible for WC? Does my level of negligence (whatever the %age) make me ineligible for WC?

Susan, you are correct. I was cleared physically... 1st by Radiologist who viewed X-rays (fell Tuesday... OK to return w.o. restriction following Monday). Then after the EFA (Range of Motion) tests (tested Thursday, cleared Friday).

I tried to go back Wed., (new trainer was off Monday and Tuesday). I was told I needed the new DOT physical which I passed (Thursday) but ould not receive the new medical certificate. While that prevents me from driving a CMV it is not due to the physical injury per se... it is due to the inability to satisfy the paperwork requirements necessary to get a new Federal Medical certificate (which is a requirement to return to work after the fall).

Sounds like I will be lucky to get a week or of back pay as the physical injury portion will probably be counted at something between 6 - 10 days or so, depending on what "approval" one accepts. (I would think the last physical approval in the chain would be the right date... paperwork aside. Haven't been able to find how the amount is determined...

To be clear... blood sugars are great! Readings are 90 - 127 over several days... essentially "normal". (80 fasting and 120 2-hours after a meal is considered "normal" AND there is about a 10% margin of testing error (so 100 = 90 = 110!). The issue is I don't have the data needed to support getting the form signed and when I do the Endocrinologist will probably be out of the country. Primary care physician could do it but he may require even more data.

Tim, are you saying my "slippery glove" "explanation" was what happened in your case too or did you just leap off carelessly like it appears I may have???

If the glove fits... oh f!@# it!

Be safe everyone!

No. What I’m saying is W.C. is a pain in the butt and to avoid at all cost. I was stepping off the back of a trailer doing an inside delivery. I misjudged the distance to the ground and lost my balance twirled around and fell at the same time...right on my shoulder. In most states W.C. is a no fault insurance so how you got hurt is irrelevant.

Again, good luck moving forward and advoid W.C. if at all possible in the future. BTw...my company knew if the fall and never sent me to a doctor. I did fill out a report to cover their ass. In retrospect (for a few months after) I regretted not seeing docs....now it’s back to relatively normal function so I don’t think about it at all.

My overall guess is they will bare with you and get everything straightened out.

Good luck

A few years ago I fell off a trailer and drilled my shoulder into the ground. I’m quite sure I tore up a bunch of ligaments and muscles. I fought threw the pain. Couldn’t really use my shoulder for a few weeks. I did it safely and made it through.

It was stupid on my part...but part of the reason I did it was due to the story you told. It’s a great big hassle. Shoulder seem to recover and it close to normal today. The whole W.C. experience is horrible.

Good luck moving forward.

Lee..don’t sweat the Roehl physical test. It’s a resistance machine and also will test your range of motion on one of the portions. It used to be a test where you did exercises and then they checked heart rate....but no longer. Now your are tested on 1. Leg strength 2. Arm strength and range of motion 3. Back or “core strength” They have a predetermined number you need to reach in each event to pass. Just go in...get set in the machinery and have at it. You’ll be fine

I only work half days onFriday, I like to start the weekend early.

Wow! Great job! I would think if Stevens gave you the green light, many others will to. You may want to use the link here to send out more appsApply For Paid CDL Training

Good luck!

Where are you located? If your location is good you could land a pretty lucrative line-haul type job pulling doubles. You can make 80,000 plus dollars a year and be home on weekends, maybe even home nightly.

Southern California.

I'm capped out (salary wise) in my current office job (60k being the highest I'll ever make) and I'm sure most of you are aware that 60k for a large family in Southern California is extremely difficult to make it.

It's my understanding that if I drive for a company with no CDL (Swift for example), they pay their drivers $700 a week and it takes like 3-6 months to start making more than that.

I simply can't survive on that income and would have to figure out how to survive for 6 months.

I'm sure it gets better after the 6 months but if I could make at least 1k a week (which is at least equal to what I make now), it would be something I'd jump into right now.

I’d get the hell out of California and get to a place where I’m making money for me and not the government.

Does King Pin mean 'Abused Trucker Syndrome'?

There another created syndrome. I got abused as a truck driver. Here’s some of the abuses that Roehl Transport gave me. 1. I was able to travel the east coast on a weekly basis 2. My commute to work was three feet and I used no gas to get there 3. I made a damn good living driving and looking out a window all day 4. I did my job. No one called me, harassed me or stopped me at the water cooler. 5. I went to Florida for free in February 6. Ditto Georgia, SC, NC 7. They provided health care insurance at a surprisingly low rate. 8. They face us profit sharing every year(they’ve done it for 30plus years) 9. I was home weekly (sometimes biweekly if the freight didn’t workout)

You can see from all the abuse I took the reason I came back to local. That reason was ....MY SON. Roehl called me a few weeks ago that I’d be welcomed back if I do desired. I’m just not sure if I want all that abuse I listed above, maybe in a few years when my son graduates HS

The funny thing is...to get away from the “Truckers Syndrome”...he took a job as...a trucker.

Now...what he should have said is...I wanted to be home every night on a schedule and be home for my family....but instead he created a syndrome.

What drivers don’t realize is the same hassles you have OTR exist in different forms on local jobs.

I run for Ruan out of the Target DC in Amsterdam. We have delays caused by the shipper and are often delayed at the stores. We still hit traffic in the NYC and Boston metro area (although I Run nights). So we face the same problems...we’re just home every day. Occasionally I have what I’ll call “local truckers syndrome”. That’s the desire for the fun and adventure of the OTR lifestyle. In a few years, when my son is done with HS, I may hit the road again, but for now I need to be home.

Big Scott,

My drivers license states that I have vision loss right under my restrictions. I just spoke with a supervisor at KLLM and he suggested that I submit the form to DOT and see what happens. He doesn’t have experience with potential drivers having the type of restriction that I have, but has had a driver successfully receive their exemption for hearing loss. I plan on getting an eye exam on Monday. From there, I’ll go to the DMV and see if I can retest and obtain a new license with something that will be approved for driving.

When both eyes are open, my vision seems fine. I just covered my left eye and my right is blurry so I guess it’s time to wear glasses. I’m ok with whatever is safest and healthiest.

So...I’ll share my experience here. I wear gas permeable contact lenses to correct my vision to 20/30...which is under the required DOT mark. I have the same ...my left eye is stronger than the right. It cannot be corrected with glasses or regular soft contact lenses. A regular optometrist probably will not help you. Go see an ophthalmologist. It’s acmore specialized eye care but highly worth it.

Good luck