Comments By Tweak

I'm glad this thread exists. See... I am horrible with directions. Like, I've Been based in Houston my whole life, driven those streets countless times, and yet every time I go home... I end up getting lost if I don't have my iPhone GPS. That's been one of my biggest worries about trucking, having to use a road atlas. I'm horrible with maps, unless I'm on foot and you give me a grid coordinate and a compass.

I plan on using a combination of QC and one of those Rand McNallies to keep my on point.

I agree. I've been splitting my time between the Missouri CDL handbook and this website. Taking practice tests a few days after I study a section really helps nail it into your mind, and shows you're actually learning the material instead of just filing it in short term memory.

In addition to medications that are STRICTLY PROHIBITED by FMSCA regs - trucking companies do not like certain other medications (specifically psych meds) that are not specifically prohibited by the regs.

Sadly - these companies will not tell you ahead of time, exactly which meds these are. The companies claimed fear of being sued for discrimination as the reason they would not provide applicants with a "company prohibited meds list" before the person showed up for orientation.

We have had members here, relate stories where they were on a medication, had a letter from their doc stating they were stable and the med wouldn't affect their ability to safely operate a CMV - and were SENT HOME to get off the medication (with an invitation to return once they were off it for 30 days).

This is more a matter of the safety/insurance departments fearing liability in the event someone on meds gets in an accident - rather than whether or not the driver can actually operate safely with the meds.

Don't want to PRY or anything - but if you'd care to disclose what you're on, perhaps we can offer a little more guidance based on what we've heard here on the board.

DON'T GET OFF YOUR MEDS without medical guidance/supervision. You're on them for a reason, and there's a way to safely get off or stabilize on new meds that won't put your well being at risk.

And THANKS FOR YOUR SERVICE. Must suck with all your time in, to get kicked on a medical. I assume you will be getting some service related disability out of the deal also?

Rick

Yes, it sucks that I was aiming for my 20 but only made it to 13. But it's the best thing for me at this point. I am not capable of doing my job, nor effectively leading soldiers. I'm rated as 70% disabled by the Army, and 80% by the VA, so I will be getting compensation for the rest of my life.

My issues mainly stem from major depression, but it is controlled by taking Effexor, Wellbutrin, and Abilify. The Wellbutrin is the one that has been shown to cause impaired driving, but like I said, I've had no issues. I left a message at Prime Inc's recruiter asking about the medical portion of application. Once she calls back, I'll have better knowledge.

And I know not to change my meds without my doctor, Mom!

Okay, so I stated in another thread that I am medically retiring form the Army shortly. Without getting into personal details, it's several behavioral health issues. Basically, my body is in tip-top shape; it's my mind that's the problem. Is there a list somewhere of mental health conditions that disqualify drivers?

On the same note, I currently take three different medications, but only one of them cautions about driving ability. But even then, I've taken it for over a year, and have noticed no impairment in my driving abilities in my truck or my motorcycle. No excessive drowsiness, no slowed reaction time, no dizziness, etc. Would this be an automatic disqualifier, or something that would be on a case-by-case basis? I ask because as of now there is still time for me to either switch medications, or wean myself off the one.

Thanks!

Tweak, I love the way you Military guys have nick names for each other. I assume that is where "Tweak" came from.

Yes. It was my nickname in basic training. See, I was skinny as a rail, had blonde hair, and had a bad tendency to freak out about things going wrong. SO, they called me Tweak, like the over-caffeinated kid from South Park.

Howdy, all! First off, let me introduce myself. Name is Jake, been in the US Army for 13 years, and set to medically retire in October. After lots of soul searching, I've decided that Trucking is the life for me. Why, you ask?

Well, the first thing I hear complaining about is the possibility(certainty?) of low pay. That's not a major problem for me. I have no wife or kids, and I won't have a "home", per say. All my stuff, which isn't much, is going to be stored at my Mom's house(you can ALWAYS count on Mom!). On top of that, I will be getting retired pay from the Army. So, if a week rolls by and I don't get many miles, it's not a life or death situation for me. Don't misunderstand, I still plan on maintaining the discipline and work ethic the Army gave me. I'll be hard-charging and asking for any and all loads I can get.

Next thing I see complaints about—mind you, these are mainly from disgruntled people on Glassdoor.com, indeed.com, etc—is lots and LOTS of driving, for long stretches. Well... I LOVE distance driving! I am currently stationed at Fort Myer, VA, and my hometown is Houston, TX. Whenever I get leave, I always drive. I love the solitary nature of it. Just me and the road, putting on some music or an audio book, and falling into that "Driving zen" as I call it, where the miles fly by, even though you're minding your surroundings.

The rest of complaints I hear are quiet familiar. Low pay, extended periods away from home, having to be alert and "on top of things" with little sleep at odd hours, solitude, hard deadlines and an unknown schedule, constantly changing plans, lots of "Hurry up and wait." I see these things, and I think, "Wait a minute... That's a deployment!" I've done that! Twice, once for 12 months and once for 15. I only got to see my family once during each of those stretches, I'm enlisted, so my pay sucks, pulling mounted patrols and over-watches at all hours of the night( I was a tanker), never knowing when the schedule would change... which it did... often... with little to no warning.

On top of all that, well, I'm a pretty solitary guy. I work best when alone, and I prefer it that way. Hell, the part of training for my CDL that bothers me most is having to share a moving closet with another guy for weeks at a time. Not a HUGE deal—again, Tanker. I used to have my tank commander's knees in my back—but still something I will be uncomfortable with. I like doing things by routine, as far as pre and post tripping. Plus, I'm the kind of guy that needs a purpose. I need to feel that I'm contributing to society in some way. Hauling freight seems right up my alley.

All that in mind, I've decided to take the plunge. I'm already in talks with both Prime and Swift; Prime being my primary(hehehe) choice, and Swift my secondary. I've been studying the Missouri CDL handbook, which Prime requires, and been using y'alls nifty High Road program. If anything, I'm a bit irked that I can't go sooner! The Army likes to drag things out, especially when it comes to getting out.

So... yeah! I think I'm gonna like the lifestyle. I don't expect it to be easy, but I think I'll be able to adjust quiet nicely. I'd like to thank all of y'all for this great website. Just reading the forums has taught me a lot, and the various blogs have put a lot of things into perspective. On top of that, it's good to be a part of a community, you know? So, thanks!

Congratulations, brother! I'll be following your footsteps in October.

Howdy! Okay, my question has to do with CDL permits and driver's license. I have an odd situation. I am military, so I live in Virginia, but I have a Georgia Drivers License. In my dealings with Prime recruiters, they gave me a Missouri CDL study guide. SO, my question is this: If I have an out-of-state driver's license and a permit from another state, would I still be considered good for not having to take their permit test?

Thanks!

Good luck, Josh! Please keep us updated, as I am going to be applying to Prime once I retire from the Army

Howdy, all! Just joined the forum today. I've been lurking for weeks now, soaking up any and all advice I can get. I'm currently enlisted in the US Army, scheduled to medically retire around October time, and I'm looking at OTR as my next move. I'm in talks with both Swift and Prime, and just sent an email to Maverick. I don't have my CDL, so I'm looking at company run training.

Anyway, I had a question about hiring zones. I sent an application to Roehl, and was denied because they weren't hiring in my area—Arlington, VA. Why would they not? And looking at the pages for other companies, they have very irregular hiring zones. Why? Is it because they don't regularly ship there? Or are there legal reasons?

Thanks for the help!