Profile For Tim F.

Wow. I think your barking up the wrong tree. This post belongs on another forum where the super truckers hang out.

Most people here are just trying to get going in the industry. Now, you want them adjusting brakes...lol.

I get your point...largely, don’t leave it for the next guy.

But to suggest they get under a trailer and adjust brakes is just foolish. A light bulb...maybe...but even the newer trucks aren’t as easy as they used to be.

If you think you have the technical knowledge then go ahead and fix it...otherwise....call maintenance and let them direct you.

Congrats Turtle!!

This makes us neighbors...sort of. I run for Ruan Transportation at the Target DC in Amsterdam.

That Johnstown DC was my home load when I ran for Roehl Transportation on their Kraft Dedicated fleet.

Good luck in your new adventure!

I can’t speak for Swift/Walmart deliveries but we were told to expect to run six days A week during the month of November/December. We’ve seen an increase in trip counts during the last part of October.

I’ll probably end up running Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve and off Christmas Day...but if not I’ll take the $200 plus whatever my trip pays and get home ASAP.

I’m taking any and all I can get, cause in January , February it’ll slow down.

I run for Ruan/Target dedicated.

As Errol said when the stores are closed has no relevance to our schedules.

I’ll just add this. Companies report things to DAC that may or may not be your fault. I had a truck clip my front left hub and damage the lug nuts on 95 ( I didn’t get a truck name or number) Roehl didn’t fuss about it...but they did list it as an incident in my DAC. ....I hasn’t cost me any opportunities since. In fact, Roehl hired me back once and I now run for Ruan Transportation...both high in safety.

So I guess it would be good to challenge it, But I would’nt lose a lot of sleep over it.

Good luck

Turtle & Rick,

Thank you both for the information. I will look for and pick up a kingpin lock. Anything that will assist in avoiding a problem is time saved. Yes, I am hoping the company will allow me to take the rig home. As I understand it “time off” begins when I arrive at a terminal or park the tractor. One company I am seriously looking at is 5hrs away, and would prefer not to use 10hrs for personal travel. I do have a farm, no longer personally live there, but at which I am hoping to gain permission to park the tractor, trailer if necessary, within the Morton shed there.

I will add these to my questions for perspective employers. Thanks again guys.

I would hold off on buying any equipment for the tractor. Let’s get you through school first. When I went to Roehl they supplied the locks and the deducted it from our pay. When we left and returned the locks we received a refund.

Focus on getting your license first , then training and then you can worry about the tractor.

Good luck!

Hey Wild Bill...thought I’d add my two cents. I went through Roehl’s CDL program in 2014. I dealt with a recruiter, Kim Calhoun. She was specific to the GYCDL program. Everything she said and “promised” came true.

I asked for Kraft Dedicated out of school and got it. I started at .35 cpm but quickly rose to .405.

My first full year I made 50k...I was home biweekly some times weekly based on what I chose.

You should take a look around at other programs, but Roehl would be a great choice, IMO.

Good luck!

He likes his choice. They keep him moving and treat him well.

I am surprised you say you submitted the apps over a week ago, and haven't gotten anything back. Most people, including myself started getting responses within hours. Do you have something on your driving record, or criminal past that is causing an issue?

I’m not surprised. In the initial post it says...I’m about to turn 21. They probably have it set aside for when OP turns 21. Also, OP needs to realize that there are probably more attractive candidates with some “life history” that they’ll look at first.

My guess is if it were a month later TheY might show a little more interest

Congrats Marc. Not sure I would worry to much about the “little percs” or the CPM....in your situation I might just worry about getting through the next few weeks and on boarding with Veriha. ...you laid out the schedule, but remember to take it day by day.

Good luck

I’m not familiar with that DQ. Seems to me we have had a lot worse posted here. What I would do is use the link to apply for

Apply For Paid CDL Training

You’ll be able to get some feedback from those companies as to if you are hire able. Don’t be afraid to call companies. Talk to them about your past and see what they say.

Schools will tell you what you want to hear. 7000 dollars later you have a CDL-A, they have your money and no one will hire you.

Good luck

Dennis, you don’t say for sure but I thought I’d ask. Most companies will look for your Driving record when filling out an application. You say you’ve been in South Korea for 14 years. How long have you been back in the states? Have you held a valid State drivers license for all 14 years your were in S Korea?

Have you talk to any of the carriers to see what their hiring requirements are for a . Person in your situation.

Just don’t want you to go through school and get your CDL if you can’t get hired.

Good luck

After 14 years in South Korea I decided to move to our new place here in Indiana. Got my 2 year DOT medical , DMV and drug test all good. Just need to get my permit before my start date on September 9th. Any drivers on here from Indiana area ? I talked with a driver from First Fleet that was hired as a grad from SAGE and does night runs out and back daily for Kroger and loves it. He had me put his name down as a referral , maybe help us both out ???

Still looking for home daily and there are a few out there like Hogan ( driver facing camera's :( , for coaching they say HMMMMM

Carter express is regional but home every weekend , Might work out. They seem to get home some through the week also.

I appreciate any info of companies hiring new grads.

I paid up front for driving school but a company with a reimbursement would be okay :)

Thanks

Thanks for the laugh

Ive been out of prison for 10months obtained my class b cdl 8/6/19 And getting doors shut in my face.wht road should i take

I have a couple non-violent/non-sexual/non-drug/non-vehicle-related misdemeanors on my record but I'm now in the legal process of getting my name changed by a local law firm. Here in Oklahoma the courts don't even run background checks for name-change petitions or ask about criminal history. Just can't be a registered sex offender in Sooner State for name change. I'm certainly not one of those creeps. Basically years ago I entered a plea deal for making verbal threats over the telephone to two bureaucratic college professors and leaving them on their answering machines like an idiot. The police claimed they had voice-print ID technology because I had disguised my voice . The other was for trying to shoplift Walmart for $97 in groceries. Covering the meat up with reusable blue Walmart shopping bags in the shopping wagon and saying "I forgot to pay" didn't cut it in one red state I was in. My lawyer said that case would have likely ended up as a conviction had it gone to a jury trial. In California maybe, but in any red state not. It's tough to plants the seeds of doubt in the minds of jurors in conservative states. They'll darn near hang you for spitting on the sidewalk. The loss-prevention women claimed she saw me cover the stuff on camera and then started to follow me around the store. I suspect that they stated to follow me as soon as I came in the store with a bunch of empty blue bags. This red state, being a red state, is not very environmentally conscientious and I'm perhaps the only person they ever saw using reusable shopping bags. Yes, I'm guilty on all counts. I was caught after all.

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.