Comments By Chris (the chick)

Yeah, this. Best fully-informative summary ever.

If you are asking what I think you are then you may want to save your money. Trucking as a back up plan can work but if you go to school and don't use your license right away then you are going to have to go back to school if the time comes that you ever want to drive. If you have a full time career that you plan on keeping I would forgo the expense of getting a cdl and just focus on the other career. Now if you plan on changing careers then the option of going to school on the weekends is a valid choice but you could also go with a company that will pay you while you are going to school such as roehl and others. But if you take that option there is a 1 year contract to fulfill.

I dunno about the entire lack of privacy in that rig with team driving, much less with the team driver already known to have lack of hygiene and unreliability, yadda yadda.... If I'm going to be peeing every couple of hours with someone in the close confines and earshot, I'd like to be 100% comfortable with that person and feel s/he can be completely trusted/reliable at all times... Especially if my pay is involved.

Sounds to me the arrangement was enthusiastically discussed and being prepared for and it's just now sinking in the reality of what it'd really mean to be teaming with this one particular person. The question seems more of a "how do i avoid being the bad guy here if I say no now" matter.

If i may suggest reading your own post again, as if it were someone else's post... And see how you feel with what was just shared. Have a feeling you've answered your own question unwittedly.

Alternate plan could also be going solo for a while to pay off at least part of the tuition with the team driving offer on the back burner and revisit it at a later time.

Currently, I'm in driving school. My plan, so far, is to flatbed once completed. Obviously, already thinking ahead here...

Hazmat/Tanker Endorsement: Makes more sense to just get the duo together then both separate ("X" endorsement.) I have no interest at this time to obtain nor to drive either, though I understand it may create more opportunities. I don't think I should be concerned with this now as a future flatbedder, so I'll be stingy with my money and say "Nah, it can wait."

TWIC Card: Not sure it will come in handy for flatbedder since it seems more tied in the intermodal department, but it makes more sense to have in possession. However, I'm aware there were massive flaws with the chips and all the cards needed replacing in 2015, rendering it pretty much more problematic than simplified for the card-holders. Assuming the flaws has been corrected and newly issued cards are fine, is it smart/worth shelling out for it now while still in school?

Secret Security Clearance: I don't believe I can pick up secret transport loads at this current time for... Well, not sharing so y'all have the plausible deniability here, haha! (No, no need to get paranoid; has to do with pets -- but if I didn't have pets accompanying, then zero issues here.) But, it'd be mad cool if I did have such clearance readied. ["Hell yeah, i get into places you can't even come near, na na! And nope, can't tell ya or I'd hafta kill ya!" kind of ego. LOL] Since right now I'm only planning on OTR for a year and unsure yet of when i resume grad school (whether I'd take regional or local jobs then, or what I'd do over breaks), would it be worth it to get it now, so it's out of the way as well? Also, money.

To be clear -- TWIC cards and Security Clearance are completely separate, right? I get not being able to use TWIC as Security Clearance, but can the Security Clearance be used when TWIC is called for?

Additionally as side note, Passports: Mine is still good into 2018, so I already have this to (perhaps?) create more opportunities, such as travel into Canada. Maybe even Alaska, too?! Oh my. Even if I weren't traveling across country borders, I believe I'd be correct to think a current passport has become a "must" these days, even if the government hasn't made it a law to carry one yet.

Anyway -- thoughts, comments, stuff.....??? For myself and those coming into the trucking industry as to what's worth it, what can (should/shouldn't?) wait, and whether it really does or doesn't help our opportunities with our job hunts and future loads.

Thank you in advance!!

Aww.... :-(

While you guys are talking about PTIs and blow outs, I'm thinking: "That poor little critter...." :-(

I would think some of the concerns with depression also has to do with the medications. Some medications are not allowed in some truck companies (though more a narcotics thing, I think). The medications also comes with their own side effects, the most popular being increased sudiciality. I can understand why a company would be a bit wary of a medicated depressed behind the steering wheel of an 80,000 lbs killing machine, with liability and covering their assess in mind. However, I wouldn't be so concerned if it's in the far history and there no current bouts and/or medications.

The way I'd handle this is, if asked, yes I'd disclose there was a period when I took matters of my personal mental health into my own hands by soughting appropriate assistance, which has been fully effective since (and can be supported, i.e. clearance letter). There's a way to spin it so that it doesn't come across as shameful but as a proud "yes, i took the initiative" disclosure. Employers in general would prefer their employees have this self-awareness to get themselves assistance, whatever the issue -- addiction, alcoholism, and/or depression. It also shows character to be able to have that self-honesty, as well (such as voluntarily committing, as that required recognizance, acknowledgement, and personal action). So entirely own it, without any shame.

Thanks for sharing your story, btw.

With these various pics, I'm even more interested in flatbedding! So here's a newbie question tossed in -- what do you guys do with the loads and the flatbed itself with home time? I'd like to bobtail if I'm actually going to my residence, but I'm not sure that's doable in the world of flatbedding. Also -- suggestions for maintaining balance on top of loads without breaking your neck?

Pathetic pic of my flatbed load:

[==]._πππ____
°__° °°_____°°_______

I saw this video be shared on Facebook. Completely flabbergasted, looked like it was straight out of a movie scene plowing through. Definitely curious why the hell the driver wasn't paying attention. Don't think this driver will be doing that again...

My school offers two separate programs for CDL Class A. One is the "Career Course", which includes prepping for the permit as well as the skills, and the other is just for the skills. The instructors at the school said even if one has a permit already, the career course is still the way to go in obtaining a job afterwards, with solid proof of the entire 166 completed hours.... Especially for those without preexisting experience. So, do the school thang in full entirety.

Reminds me of when I was arriving at the George Washington Bridge toll plaza during rush hour. A trailer was wedged underneath to the side of me... Obviously didn't help the plaza traffic one bit LOL Believe I took a photo, no idea where it is, but I remember wondering how the heck while staring at it. Now I'm going to try find this pic, hmm.

The fact that clearances are not 100% dependable measurements (outdated, snow, etc) is scary, but if the clearances are already clearly marked as inadequate, then that's just driver negligence!

Thanks, guys. Far as I know, I've never actually been suspended but I've seen stories on here about aged or minor exclusions haunting applicants in the hiring process. For instance, my neighbor just lost his new job (experienced driver) for not reporting a minor incident with his prior company that was not marked on his record. Seems trucking employers are very nitpicky in regards to history, whether on record or not, so yeah that got me thinking when I came across those old papers looking for something else.

My abstract is currently clear and next time I'm in the DMV office, I'll ask specifically to be sure how it's indicated on my record.