Profile For Jason W.

Thanks, guys. Since I'm in college, I receive financial aid -- I'm thinking about just taking all of it come December and applying it toward a trucking school; I'll have about three months between now and then to study and take care of anything else. Glad this forum exists!

That right there is the sort of advice I'm looking for -- the only problem is cost. Private schooling seemed the way to go, but, for example, how do most people balance working full time in a pre-trucking job while also attending training, let alone while being able to afford these crazy-high tuition costs? Any suggestions, insights?

Hey all,

I've long considered the option of becoming a trucker, local or long-haul, for several reasons. First, despite being a college graduate, jobs are extremely hard to come by. Next, it's sort of a family tradition -- my uncle, an aunt, and my grandfather all drive/drove. And, to be blunt, I both love driving and enjoy my own company on the road. I've driven cross-country in my own cars and trucks over the last fourteen years at least fifteen times, round trip, and while that's nothing compared to what some truckers amass in a year alone, I've rarely had trouble balancing out my driving with sleep, breaks, and entertainment. I love the road. I love new places, even recalling, "Yeah, I've been through here before." And I'm a writer. Not a great one by any stretch, but I figure the solitude might be good for dictating some of my stories while on long stretches. Maybe that's a pipe dream, but I'd like a shot at finding out. In all honesty, I've jumped around from job to job, college to college, done so many things you couldn't imagine, but I still have yet to find something to earn a paycheck that I can deal with, that leaves me to my thoughts without any bothersome work dramas day in and day out.

Thing is, I'm diabetic. Not seriously so, mind you, but it is a reality I live with daily. I'm definitely not anywhere near the level of a Type I diabetic -- no crashing or comas or anything like that. I don't inject insulin, rather I manage my blood-glucose levels through diet and exercise, and I've so far been as healthy as anyone else. But I heard trucking companies don't tend to want to employ diabetics, despite research online suggesting, to me, that there should be plenty of acceptance by now of certain low-risk diabetic drivers. I mean, whether one is diabetic, there are certainly non-diabetics out there that choose to drive while intoxicated, exhausted, etc. Still, is this going to be an issue? Are there any diabetic drivers out there that can offer any advice, any tips? I mean, I've read how much drivers can make -- although, I'm sure it'll take time for me to even get close to those yearly earnings. But I know I'd make a great driver. I seriously want to do this.

While I've never had any accidents, I did have a license suspension recently, though that was only because of Virginia's insurance verification laws, and it was ultimately retracted because they didn't know I had moved out of state and had already acquired a Washington license, sold my Virginia-registered car, bought a new one in Washington, etc. Is that going to be an issue, too? If so, does a willingness to start at the bottom help my case? Am I worrying over nothing, or are there certain companies that are willing to look beyond the transcript and see the person?

Any insights would be greatly appreciated.

Other info: I'm 31. I'm also as clean living as they come -- ever since being diagnosed diabetic, I've sort of grown up and started taking my health a bit more seriously, and I was never into anything else besides cigarettes. I've got great vision, I learn quickly, and I have a great instinct for driving amid the insanity, and even boredom, of the road.

Name's Jason. And thanks in advance.