Comments By Tweak

I actually had a question on this topic. I had a minor accident last month, but there was no police report filed. Would that still show up in a background check? I ask because it already cost me a job at Jim Palmer because I openly put it on the application, thinking it would be no biggie. Apparently, they won't hire someone with even a minor rear-end collision in the past year.

If there was no police report and nothing was reported to any insurance companies then it won't show up anywhere.

Damn. Insurance did get involved. Crap, I hope this doesn't mean I can't get a trucking job for a year...

I actually had a question on this topic. I had a minor accident last month, but there was no police report filed. Would that still show up in a background check? I ask because it already cost me a job at Jim Palmer because I openly put it on the application, thinking it would be no biggie. Apparently, they won't hire someone with even a minor rear-end collision in the past year.

Yeah. Also, fresh out of Chemlight batteries, grid squares, and I need to take an exhaust sample. Let me check my ID10-T to find the right requisition number...

Just got an update from the recruiters at Prime. They said I'm good to go with a note from my doctor detailing no side effects! I know Rick said some people were sent home even with that, but I'm taking this as a good sign. Woo! I was freaking out all week waiting for that phone call, afraid my trucking career was over before it even began.

Also, Big Grumpy, they said the Welbutrin is okay, same as above, with a note from your doc.

Being in the Army, I'm a decently fit guy, and I'd like to stay that way. I'm already researching different types of exercise programs that I can use in the field: bringing a set of dumbbells, go for a run/jog during my 30 minute break if time permits, utilizing the gyms at some terminals, etc.

However, one thing that worries me is eating right. I've read plenty of horror stories about the price—both monetary and caloric—of truck stop food, and how easy it is to fall into the Fast Food Rhythm. So, my question is what do y'all eat while under way? What do you stock up on, where do you get healthy food on the road, how difficult is it yo eat healthy?

Thanks for the info!

Rainy, thank you so much for chronicling your journeys at Prime. I have decided on them and will be shipping out sometime this November, once I'm good and retired, and your assurances and stories have me convinced I'm making the right choice.

That sucks, brother. Good on you for not letting it ruin your day!

Reminds me of a funny story from Iraq. We were guarding this gas station—the only working gas station in all of Sadr City—so we were sitting all day. Intel said there was a possible sniper in the area, so our tank was completely closed hatches. If you've never been inside a tank, that means your field of view is severely limited, especially in the areas right around the tank. So, we sat all day until our relief arrived. As we pulled away, we hear a call over the radio:

"Hey, Blue 2, this is Blue 4. Love the new paint job, over."

Say whut?

Yup. Apparently, while we were sitting there, some punk spray painted the words, "Love Live Muqtada"—as in Muqtada al Sadir, the main man behind the insurgents in Sadr City—in Arabic in big ol' black letters all over the left side of our tank. Man, the entire FOB was laughing at us as we pulled on base, all the way to the fuel point and back to the motor pool. Since we were in country, all we could do was cover it up in black paint. So, for the rest of the deployment, our tank had this huge scribbled out mark on the side, like a 1st grader made a mistake in crayon.

Ah.

Howdy, all!

So no crap, there I was, all set to head to Prime Inc. for their training program. I had done my research on different companies, CDL schools, and other options, and found myself deciding on Prime...

Until I found out about a fantastic program offered to veterans. It's called Troops Into Transportation. Basically, they work with an accredited CDL school and, using your Post 9/11 GI Bill, pay for your schooling, testing, everything. Sounds pretty sweet, right? Well, it gets even better. They work with 16 different trucking companies, and at the outset, they "sell you" to the companies. That way, by the time you're done with school, you have around 6-7 job offers waiting for you, and YOU get to decide which is best for you.

This way, I won't be locked into a single company for a year, paying back tuition. AND, depending on the company, I could be authorized to enter an apprenticeship program. Since it's OTJ training, I would be collecting money from my GI bill for a year, at the same rate as a full-time college student.

So, yeah! I'm pretty stoked. And if any of you know any vets who are down on their luck, lost as to what to do now that they've left active service, feeling down and getting into a bad way, tell them about the program. It just might save their life. Their website can be found here.