Comments By Lunchbox

Got a call from the Recruiter today just to verify my travel arrangements. Not much to verify as the terminal is about 34 miles from my home. I found out that at this time (5 days before class starts) that I am the only person signed up for the class. This is going to be interesting. I will have 4 weeks of training where I will be the only one learning. It will be good as I will get A LOT more 1 on 1 time with the trainer and loads more time behind the wheel.

The excitement is real at this point...I took this week to get my Honey Do's finished around the house and have been getting a lot done. I have been studying and trying to get as much of the Theory down as I can before class starts so that when it comes to the practical part I will be ready to go.

Sorry to hear that, I am looking forward to the continuation of your training Diary. I was following along with anticipation as I start my training with Roehl in TX here on Monday. Good Luck, I hope you get everything sorted.

Take it for what's it worth (only my own decision) but i am leaving a job that pays 18.56 an hour for Truck Driving. Chase your dreams and provide for that boy....the insurance alone is a big deal...and once you get established...he is going to totally LOVE riding with daddy on summer vacation.

But bear in mind, depending on the company, you will have ALOT less time with him in person. But, if you feel you can better provide for him and he's okay with it...GO FOR IT! You have to do what you feel is best for your family.

Take it for what's it worth (only my own decision) but i am leaving a job that pays 18.56 an hour for Truck Driving. Chase your dreams and provide for that boy....the insurance alone is a big deal...and once you get established...he is going to totally LOVE riding with daddy on summer vacation.

Finished up my last day as a Document Control Specialist. Just got home from my farewell Happy Hour. From here on out it's Trucking for me baby!!! One week for getting my affairs in order (that honey do list the wife has been getting for me while i have a week off.) Then it's time to start my training a Roehl. Can't wait. The anticipation is just murder. I AM SOOOO EXCITED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

One quick question though: The FMCSA is supposed to be putting out guidance on hair testing which it hasnt done yet (or is using some form of witch craft to hide it from all of my search queries) that said, did Roehl collect hair samples or Urine? I ask because afghanistan left me bald, and if I gotta hair test I need to start growing out my hair now (and start looking like friar tuck haha)

Roehl has you do the DOT Urine test (part of the DOT Physical) and they pay for their own Hair Follicle test. Depending on who you go with I would ask the recruiter with the Carrier you are planning to drive for about what tests you will need to take.

FMCSA sets the guidelines and like with any industry that's the loosest anyone can go...Individual Companies are allowed to tighten their controls as much as they want. For example, FDA guidelines requires a medical device to be properly labeled indicating the type and contents. The company can go even further and label for the most restrictive items in that container (the Surgery Kit includes implants and instruments, instruments can be reused but implants cannot. The Surgical Kit can then be labeled as do not reuse as they are labeling for the most restrictive even though the instruments CAN be reused.)

Does that make sense?

The FMCSA regulations are the bare minimum that companies and ME's are required to do but they can be more restrictive at their own discretion (hence the big hulabaloo about Sleep Apnea, No official ruling, but an ME can categorize it under a respiratory ailment.)

The hair on your head isn't the only hair they will take. They will take hair from wherever they can get it. Facial, Pubic, Arm, Leg, anything they can cut enough of to get a good sample (about the size of a cotton ball is needed.)

The best and only way to overcome your fatigue is sleep. While some of these are good things to perk you up in the morning (after a full night's rest). I personally wouldn't recommend to use them to overcome your body's natural request for rest. Instead, I would say, cut out that movie before bed, or those chapters you were going to read. Don't hang out in the lounge and play games on your computer, use that extra time to get some more sleep. A 20 minute Power Nap on your 30 minute break can give you more energy than a "BFC" of Monster or whatever stimulant you normally go for.

Awesome! Glad to hear it!

Starting Roehl on March 13th, My final day at the office is March 3rd. Getting closer and closer to achieving my dreams. Thank you TT for all your information and advice. I am so excited to be starting this Journey, and glad to know I got you guys here to bounce questions off of.

I am getting ready to start my final week at my current job before getting everything situated. I had mentioned in a earlier post about giving some background and I guess I never did so here goes:

The past 5 years I have been working for a Medical Device Company in Lewisville, Texas. The company I work for manufactures Spinal Implants, External Fixation Devices and Bone Growth Stimulators (if you want a run down of the specifics hit me up and I will chew your ear off for days about some of the cooler stuff we make.) I started as a Quality Inspector, working with optical comparators, Visual Measurement Machines, and other technical measuring devices (yes micrometers and calipers are in there as well but they aren't as cool as the ones I mentioned.) After working there for the first 4 years they "Promoted" me to Document Control where they sat me behind a desk and had me work on the Labeling end of things. Labeling Medical devices is a completely different animal as far as all of the FDA Regulations that must be followed in order to create a label that is legal to put on any given device. It was in this position that I realized something VERY IMPORTANT... I am not a people person. I can interact with people on a limited basis, but when it comes to people who either can't or won't do their job properly or to the letter, it really gets me going. I grew up in a Military Family, and as such, I take responsibility very seriously. If I am told that something needs to be done a specific way by a specific time, by God it will happen. Unfortunately for me, my deadlines never took into account the fact that other people needed to weigh in or even take over part of my work. And once that happened, all hell broke loose. My deadlines weren't met at times because people wouldn't get their stuff done so I could finish my work, or they just thought it was too complicated and gave up.

This is why I am drawn so heavily towards Trucking. My deadlines will be My Deadlines. I can't stand life in a cubicle. I prefer to be responsible for my work and only my work.

This final week will be the longest week of my life it seems...40 hours left in the cubicle (which is bare now) and then I will spend a week at home getting some unfinished projects taken care of before starting my CDL training and taking off on a new adventure. The anticipation for a move like this is both exciting as well a nerve racking. It's the stepping into the unknown that is the scary part, but on that same coin that's what is so exciting. The High Road Training here has been INVALUABLE and all of the people here at TT have given so much advice and information that I honestly feel as though I have a better than decent picture of what is to come.