Comments By Buttercup

Just wondering what they do to verify employment history? I am doubtful my current employer would actually return a phone call to them (the same employer that 'kept' my last commision check when they laid me off...I don't know why I thought new management would be any different). I also am not sure on the accuracy of the dates i provided. Looking at my timehop notifications I may be several months off in my timeline with my 2 employers from 2011-2014. I don't mind editing and making sure I have correct info, I should have done that prior. 🙄

Other than employment verification, I am set to go to training May 22. Exciting. So long as I didn't just shoot myself in the foot!

If it had been a few months, cut your hair short.

No way! I don't have a feminine enough face to pull off a pixie haircut LOL

The doctors note isn't a problem. My doctor doesn't think it's a big deal and feels his note should be sufficient, especially since it was on a temporary basis. Good to know, though.

Now, I am not a recreational drug user. I have no intention of becoming one. I have not been one in the past and only just drink the occasional summer day brew on the porch or glass of wine over dinner.

Last year, my doctor suggested I needed to lose weight (thanks poutine and michigans) and I enlisted the help of a weight specialist doctor (out of state) who prescribed me phentermine. The idea was to take it for no more than 3 months and it will have helped my stress/emotional eating.

I took the first month, had the second filled, and then stopped taking it. Attempted to regularly take the remainder a month or so ago but I think I remembered twice and haven't since. Still have nearly a full months worth. I'm worried that it will show up on a hair test as an amphetamine, even though the doctor would give me something in writing, how likely is this to affect my chance of employment if it shows up on a drug screen? Has anyone gone through this with a prescription drug?

I don't want to 'fail' a hair test relating to this industry. False positive or not, the stigma is enough to follow you I'm sure. I just don't want to create unnecessary problems for myself. I am 110% confident I would pass otherwise.

After speaking wirh recruiter and filling out the required 10 year history instead of 3 year, I was declined from their student program. I assume it's because I have left and returned two my current employer 3 occasions (laid off once) and have a couple 6 month jobs and a 3 month unemployed span after the layoff. Recruiter didn't specify, just said to consider them later, that they didn't have anything for me now.

I guess I don't really have a question, just a little disappointed! C'est la vie, eh.

No biggie, Taxman. The info is good for me too.

And your feelings about the company? Pay, flexibility, training, time home? Anything else? Calling a recruiter back tomorrow. Want to be prepared!

Forgot about the wire haired fox terrier. My favorite terrier of them all!

Personally, I think the small terriers make great trucking dogs. I've got a rat terrier that loves to ride. Also a West Highland terrier hardly sheds at all, is extremely intelligent, playful, and a great companion.

But... don't get the cart before the horse! About 90% of the folks who can't wait to be truckers give it up in the first three to six months. Concentrate on being the best at this you can be, then you can figure out what type of canine to bring along with you.

You're right. Housebreaking a puppy, especially in a moving vehicle, doesn't sound like a great idea. I got my aussie as an adult from a show home who needed to downsize on dogs. My instructor breeds Shiba's and Siberian Husky's and she has placed several of her retired show dogs in homes as well, otherwise they stay 'on the farm' until they pass. I'm sure she would be thrilled to see one of them go over the road, however, Siberian's are too vocal for me. I think maybe the Shiba's are too feral for that sort of environment. It might be beneficial for you to check out some local show folk and see if they have any retired dogs that could use a home. It's my understanding that most of the smaller breeders do not kennel their dogs and they are mostly housetrained and crate trained.

I also don't think I want a dog with an undercoat.

I personally love a hound face but am more fond of the coonhounds and beagles. Though an aging beagle is never a pretty beagle lol.

When my Aussie crosses the bridge to doggie heaven, I think I'm going to try a GSP or a Shiba. I love my herding breeds but mine is fairly shy. My uncles boxers are absolute clowns, I'll bet you'll love them.

Michelle, I have been asking questions about dogs for truckers on CL as well in that site's Pet/Animal forum lately.

Some people there don't recommend a boxer, not for trucking reasons, but claim this breed has trouble breathing and cannot tolerate hot weather well because it is a blunt-muzzled breed. I must now set my sights on long-muzzled breeds. I need a healthy animal as well as a trucking dog.

Next I will consider the Rottweiler.

Lab retrievers might be OK. I have owned them in the past. But they really don't make the best guard dogs or watch dogs. They are too kindly to most strangers. A good security dog should be aloof of people they don't know.

The trouble with German Shepherds these days is that many of them are imported and cost an arm and a leg as puppies. I can't fancy paying over $1,000 for an AKC pup with no training and housebreaking.

A trucker should try to get an adult dog that has already been trained and housebroken if he can. Who wants to deal with a nuisance pup on the road?

I am a bachelor. No wife. No children. Nobody can take care of the animal at home except somebody I pay to pet-sit, perhaps. This could even be a responsible roommate who could pet-sit and house-sit (in lieu of paying his share of rent) for the bachelor trucker while he is on the long haul. If he works, a telecommuter (work at home person) would even be ideal.

Thinking this whole dog thing thru and how to make it work for truck driving is gonna take a lot of research and homework on my part.

Basset hounds and bulldogs, though popular in the cab, are too lazy and too ugly for me. The bulldog also has breathing troubles.

Ok I'll check those out. A while ago I started a new birth control and became depressed and anxious after a few weeks. I didn't know why I was suddenly feeling so awful, went to dr and depression was a side effect of the birth control. Doctor suggested switching or ceasing hormonal birth control and taking ssri 'in case' it wasn't related to b/c. I quit the birth control and took the ssri for about 3 weeks. stopped taking it as I felt normal and doctor wasn't convinced I really would need it. I didn't know if that would be of concern for employment.