Comments By Bulwinkle J. Moose

Not uncommon to be sitting at the Greyhound Bus Station in Springfield MO. waiting for the dog to pick you up and hear of someone who came to Prime Orientation after a background check and the initial thumbs up only to be sent back home at the person's expense when a more in-depth background check was performed.

Although my initial reaction was that these people would not have made the cut in the first place my feeling was that Prime also in a way did jerk their chain a little bit and should have vetted them a little bit more thoroughly before bringing them in from across the country.

Not to pass judgement on the people or be negative about the company I think the blame may be on both sides of the equation to some extent.

The people probably would have been OK and be driving for Prime today if they would have been a bit more level headed and calm about the whole situation and explained themselves.

Being tactful is telling someone where to go and they look forward to the trip :-)

When you go for the CDL Learners Permit will there be questions specific to all the different endorsements? For instance all the different Hazmat classifications for substances or questions on pulling doubles or triples or maybe even bus questions about hauling passengers?

Or is it more of a general test covering things that are common to all types of driving?

When I go for the learners permit do I have to ask them to include endorsement questions about what I intend to drive? Say I want to pull tankers do I ask them I need to take the CDL Learners permit test for tanker drivers?

From the FAQ section of Celadon's Website:

http://www.driveceladon.com/faqs-1/

What type of drug screening do you require?

Drivers are required to take a urine test during orientation.

I'm just a bit gun shy because when I went for my Class E license the lady gave me the MO Drivers Manual and said "don't worry about these sections of the book you won't be tested on that material" It was a 20 question computerized test. 5 wrong answers and you were out. 10 questions into the test I had 3 wrong answers already. Guess what? the wrong answers came from material in the sections she said I didn't need to know. 15 questions into the test I had 4 wrong answers with 5 questions yet to go and sweating bullets for fear of failing. I had to guess on one of the last 5 questions and to my relief it was correct, talk about being nervous. There was no option to skip any questions but then again it was not considered a CDL type test.

I was hired by the company before I got the class E and needed to pass in order to start driving and was in desperate need of making some cash since I had just moved to MO from Wisconsin. I also needed to get CPR training as well and ended up driving down to Arkansas through all the flooding we had here in SW Mo in January. Just missed a tornado by about 1 hour that went thru Cassville, MO on my way home from class and made it back home before the roads started to flood. Lots of people got killed. We don't have many roads here in the Ozark Mountains so It makes for a long way around to your destination if you turn around so people take the chance of driving over flooded roads and end up getting swept away in the torrent.

It seems like everything is a bit of a struggle to accomplish down here. Truck Driving is one of the very few opportunities around this part of the country where a person can make a decent living.

Thanks for all the encouragement. I'm going for my CDL Learners permit on Wednesday. Med Card is in hand so step by step things seem to be falling into place.

The High Road CDL is a great learning tool. Highly recommended!

From page 2-14 of the Missouri CDL License Manual revision June of 2015:

Perception Distance-The average perception time for an alert driver is 1 3/4 seconds. At 55 mph this accounts for 142 feet traveled.

Reaction Distance-The average driver has a reaction time of 3/4 to 1 second. At 55 mph this accounts for 61 feet traveled.

Braking Distance-At 55 mph on dry pavement with good brakes, it can take about 216 feet

Perception Distance + Reaction Distance + Braking Distance = Total Braking Distance

In MO at 55 MPH Total braking Distance = 419 Feet or 142ft Perception + 61ft Reaction + 216ft Braking = 419ft Total

High Road CDL Training page 19

Perception distance is the distance your vehicle travels from the time your eyes see a hazard until your brain recognizes it. The perception time for an alert driver is about 3/4 second. At 55 mph, you travel 60 feet in 3/4 second.

Reaction distance is the distance traveled from the time your brain tells your foot to move from the accelerator until your foot is actually pushing the brake pedal. The average driver has a reaction time of 3/4 second. This accounts for an additional 60 feet traveled at 55 mph.

Braking distance is the distance it takes to stop once the brakes are applied. At 55 mph on dry pavement with good brakes, it can take a heavy vehicle about 170 feet and about 4 1/2 seconds to stop.

Total stopping distance - At 55 mph it will take about 6 seconds to stop and your vehicle will travel the distance of a football field (60 + 60 + 170 = 290 feet).

I'm not trying to nit pick the High Road Training manual in any way since I know it has to represent all of the states CDL manuals. It is an awesome learning tool for preparation and has been a great benefit to me. The price can't be beat either, lol. I guess my point is to make sure you are also studying along with your states most current CDL manual as well in case there are any subtle differences in the material.

Is there a fact checked area on the site or a thread that shows variances in the different states CDL Manuals as compared to the High Road Manual? Please! correct my total braking distance example noted above if I'm in error. As far as I know the June 2015 revision of the Missouri CDL License Manual is the most current. I have not consulted any of the other states CDL manuals to see what they have to say about stopping distances. The example above is only! from a hard copy I got at a Missouri drivers license testing station.

Best of luck to anybody else studying for the exams!

Cooking would be good for me because I like to do it, It will cost less to eat, should be better for your health, tastes better <-the best part!

Problems?

Reeks up the truck. Do truck stops freak out if you're cooking outside the truck? Is this practical to do without getting run over?

Heating. Electric devices use a lot of power What if you don't get a truck with an inverter? Are companies OK with installing an inverter into the battery system that will handle the load? Propane is dangerous to carry and use because of the open flame and explosion hazard

Cleaning up the mess. How do you wash all the utensils pots etc after you're done? Water would be needed. How do you carry or find it? How do you get rid of the waste water?

Preparation surfaces. Are you going to sit in the truck with a chopping board on you're lap? Is a small folding table a possibility for use outside the truck?

Not that you're going to be equipped with a full chef's kitchen aboard or be cooking while going down the road like in the movie with Lucille Ball “The Long, Long Trailer” , are there any experienced “road chefs” willing to cut loose with some secrets about cooking while traveling?

The link below is a good resource for those who are interested in learning more about CB radio theory, product reviews etc.

cbradiomagazine.com

Amateur Radio is a great hobby to get into as well. Very little to no obnoxious behavior and a good source for local information like directions good places to eat areas of a city you don't want to be in etc. Most of the good operating frequencies don't require you to learn Morse Code anymore but you do need to learn a little bit about radio theory to pass the test to get a license, which is pretty easy. Tons of neat projects to build yourself. Here's a good link to get started with:

http://www.arrl.org

loads of fun to talk with people anywhere in the world when conditions are right. I heard some people talking in German once on my way into work in my pickup truck and had a nice chat with them. They were actually located in Germany. Kind of a dying art now that the internet has grown so much. Radio operation is a challenge i.e. work and takes a little bit of skill and knowledge but is not that difficult to learn if interested. The hobby lends itself well to confined areas like a truck or boat. Lots of small equipment that's easy to carry on a hiking trip or into the wilderness. A great tool for emergency communication. Tons of good cheap used equipment to buy at swap meets called "hamfests". Don't buy anything though until after the free beer is gone. Prices plummet and the sellers are willing to deal once they loosen up a bit, hahaha

Maximum legal output power is 5 watts which most over the counter rigs ( radios ) transmit at. No license can be applied for to operate at higher in the frequency range CBs operate in and is illegal. A Single Side Band Radio (SSB) operates at I believe 12 watts but is of no use to you unless the other person also has a side band radio. A low power feature that kicks the output power down to 1 watt or less is a nice feature to allow operation with someone close to you like in a shipping yard truck stop or a truck maybe 1 mile away.

Courteous radio operators always use the minimum amount of power required to get the job done. A pre amp that amplifies the incoming signal is nice. As we say in amateur radio " If you can't hear'em you can't work them" No need to have tons of talk power without being able to hear what the other person is saying. Filter features and noise limiters are a nice feature to get rid of all the incoming static.

No need to peak a modern radio you buy today. You do want to get the Antenna(s) tuned to your radio once it's totally installed on your truck. SWR short for Standing Wave Ratio is like back pressure in an exhaust system. Too muck back pressure ( A high SWR reading) limits the amount of output power getting to the antenna(s)

A completely anonymous drug test at a certified walk-in clinic that can provide an accurate result may be a tall order to accomplish do to a process called “chain of custody” as described below. That being said and as already discussed in this thread it doesn't necessarily mean that the lab can give out the results without your permission. Could it happen? Anything is possible. Am I being a bit paranoid? Yes :-( Would it stop me from going to a walk-in clinic? No I don't think so but I'm going to wait until I think I can pass to be on the safe side :-)

Drug testing is a major requirement in the process of employment, licensing, and admission to institutions.  When a sample is collected, chain of custody is the process of accountability; of knowing who donated the specimen, and who had possession of the specimen.  The integrity of the sample is maintained by documenting that proper protocol of custody and control is followed during each step of the procedure:  collection, transfer, analysis, reporting of results, and sample storage or disposal

KT Health Clinic of Springfield MO had this to say in their FAQ section:

Q: Are results court admissible? A:  YES!  Drug screens are collected by certified collectors, with legal Chain of Custody, and processed thru Nationally and Internationally certified laboratories.

Q:  May I request my results be private?  A:  YES!  If you are a private individual, you may test privately and restrict your results to be given only to you.

Q:  Can I get results immediately? A:  YES!  Private tests and some company testing does allow immediate laboratory certified test results.  This is determined on an individual basis.  (We accept walk-ins for all testing.)

Q:  What do I need to bring with me for testing? A:  Please bring a valid government issued photo ID with you for all testing - i.e. driver's license.

Q:  What if I do not have a photo ID? A:  DOT drivers must be identified with a valid driver's license.  If it is not a job related drug test that requires a valid license, in some cases we can accept ID by a responsible party (ie social worker), or we will take a photograph of the person being tested for proof of ID.  Q: Can I send in a privately collected sample for testing? A:  Court admissible laboratory testing requires that our certified collectors obtain the samples.  There are specific collection and storage protocols that must be followed to assure valid results.  Additionally, the chain of custody must be guaranteed secure.  In some testing circumstances (ie infidelity) private samples may be sent for analysis and tested.

Our collectors maintain certification for your safety and protection.

For what its worth and taking it with a grain of salt from a recruiter at Celadon answering yes to questions 15 and 31 will not automatically make you unacceptable for driving school if you can show up with a CDL learners permit and DOT Medical card in hand. Is that true? I really can't say given what others have said about how their organization does business. I'm interested in what other companies have to say about the matter.

I also talked with a Doctor who is certified to perform DOT medical examines here in Missouri. Answering yes to questions 15 and 31 will not automatically disqualify you from getting a medical card. The comment was that answering yes to these questions will prompt more questions about the yes answers. I think that's a fair thing to do to make sure you're not a safety risk.