Comments By Half Pint

That sounds great.

I'll have to incorporate the celery and peanut butter. I use PB2 to keep the fat content down. I don't mind eggs on occasion, I've been lucky to find a few truck stop restaurants that will adjust their cooking style for me if I just ask.

I was in a truck stop in West Virginia last month, I was on a bike trip and I had camped up the road. I stopped in for breakfast to let the fog burn off. I asked the waitress if she would ask the cook if he would be willing to fix me a veggie omelette with no oil and very little cheese. I heard him laughing when she asked him, big ole belly laugh, it was great, lol. So be sure to ask, it doesn't hurt. Grits with no butter are good too, you should be able to order that any where. You can mix it with steamed veggies or get them to saute in water.

I'll tell you how I'm doing it right now which isn't too difficult. The simpler the better. I drive for a living but I don't drive a rig. All my work is pretty much local between Delaware, Maryland, and sometimes Philly. I always bring my food and eat on the road. We have no lunch or break schedule, it's grab it when you can.

I eat either cream of wheat or oatmeal in the morning. I found a store here locally that makes a blend of all natural instant oatmeal. There are also recipes online for over night oats. That might help you in the road. I have a cup of hot tea and later a cup of coffee. I love the stuff, really hard to give that up totally.

I'll have 2 bananas mid morning or one banana and an apple. Like you said, fresh fruit and veggies should keep in the truck.

I eat potatoes for lunch. I'll microwave about four or five and wrap them individually in a paper towel and leave them on the counter. They will last three or four days. I do allot with them.

You can buy Heinz Carolina BBQ sauce and dip them in that. You can split them and load them with beans. My favorite is black beans and corn and salsa. I prefer homemade but in a pinch you can buy Newman's own or even Chi-Chi's.

I also have incorporated the rice in a bag. You can either cook it in the microwave or you can put it in a bowl of water, cover it, and let it sit all night. It will be done, I promise. I put veggies on the rice.

I love spinach and edamame but since those are frozen items they'll probably be an occasional thing unless I have a freezer.

This has been my simulation practice at how to eat as clean as possible in a truck.

If you are lucky enough to have a truck that has a microwave and mini fridge, you'll be home free. It's the training that's going to be the hardest.

I take b12 and a vitamin supplement. My youngest son eats clean and body builds, he's after me to add more protien. I might try a vegan protien shake but I'm not sure how that will work in a truck lol.

I think I did that quote thing wrong...

Lol

I don't eat fish, or meat of any kind, but I'm not a vegan. I agree that they would have a bigger problem, but luckily that isn't me.

That's great!

I'd really like to see your meal plans. I'm WFPBNO (whole food, plant based, no oil) and I eat fairly simple. You sound like you have a better handle on how to eat on the road than I do.

Patrick, I missed your reply.

I agree with your comments on scrutiny from the forum members. I think it's a good lesson learned. I would rather learn most of my lessons here from you guys than on a truck stop lot somewhere. Although I'm sure I'll get plenty of that too.

Humble pie is hard to eat. Tastes terrible and hard to swallow. But it's worth it in the end.

I appreciate it.

I appreciate that from both of you, I really do. And yes, Brett, I can appreciate having it put straight. I may not like it every time but I'm not one for pulling punches either. So yeah, I can appreciate it.

I am kinda nervous about taking this gigantic step forward, it's going to be a big change and an even bigger challenge. But a rewarding one, I can see that.

I hope that someone does learn from my mistake, Big Scott, it would make it worth it for sure.

I for one, will never forget it.

Look y'all. I'm just here to educate myself and to learn.

I just want my eyes wide open and to be able to do the best job I can for the Long haul. I worked in an office for years before getting laid off and then started driving. I had no idea that I loved to drive as much as I do.

I understand why you're serious about your job and the industry. I'll be just as adamant about it as you are.

I'm not a frivolous, fly by night, kinda chick. Never have been, never will be. Anything and everything I do comes by way of research, study, preplanning, and hard work.

Do you think it was easy to call Roehl and admit to something like that and ask that question? Well let me tell you, it wasn't.

I like TT quite a bit. I read it almost every day. I knew I was going to get flack from the weed before I even posted it, what idiot posts that? Obviously this idiot does because she took the admonition to be honest very serious. But to feel like my whole life is now under scrutiny by future peers is an understatement.

Now before you get started I can here you loud and clear, "if you think you're under scrutiny now.... "

I already know about the back ground checks etc, etc, I already know. I already know they'll turn over leaves I didn't even know were there or were forgotten. I already know that some companies, like Roehl, get upwards of 300 applications a week and only hire 6 out of those. But you see, I expect that kind of scrutiny from a trucking company. I didn't expect it from you.

Every where I've read it's said over and over to be honest. I've been honest. I'll be honest with my applications and I'll be honest with the companies the same way I came in here and was honest with all of you.

And it's ok if you want to question my motivation and my lifestyle (I'm still not sure what kind of lifestyle you think I have) my commitment, and my reasons.

I take the fact that I screwed up very seriously. I take the fact that on my own, I pushed my time table back about three months. I take it very seriously that I have to deal with the consequences.

But I'll make it. Because that's what I do.

Half Pint, What is done is done. Just know in the future such little luxuries of spontaneous choices will not exist. This profession is federally governed and monitored. There is zero tolerance and zero wiggle room. Those who fail to play it straight risk their career, their future, even their freedom.

I am sure in the future, more conservative choices will be made.

Thank you. I understand this. Do you know why I understand this? Because after the fact and after the decision I started researching everything about trucking I could find. I happened upon this web site, the articles, the blogs, the forums. For that I'm thankful, although to be honest I'm feeling like quite the idiot for even bringing it up. I wish I had of just kept my mouth shut.

Going back up to what you said Brett, I respect you, I've read allot of your articles. I am under no illusions of what this life style and job entails. I've never been one to think that it's only the uneducated that drive a truck or people down on their luck.

I asked what sticks out. The first is the pot issue. Understood and resolved.

The second is my life style?

But taking "one draw off of a pipe" is not something I'm worried about or something that will happen. Those kinds of grave mistakes don't "just happen", really have to watch who you surround yourself with.

I'm not really sure where to go with this. I didn't fall into a weed pipe. I don't let my friend's dictate what I do or don't do, and I'm certainly not a slave to peer pressure. You don't know my life or my life style. It's kinda crazy how you're making all of these assumptions, but that's ok. We can leave it right here. I'm adult enough to do that.

Daniel B, you may certainly call BS as many times as you feel you need but it doesn't make you right.

The deed is done, going over it and bashing me now, after the fact, isn't going to change any thing.

Right now you have the world in your pocket. I think that's great. Reach for the Stars young man, you could go far. But you have allot to learn. Driving a fuel tanker at twenty something doesn't make you better than anyone else. You'll make bad choices and you'll make mistakes. You might even make worse mistakes than sitting around a camp fire and taking one draw off of a pipe. Who's to know...

Hopefully when you make them there will be good supportive people around you who will look past that and recognize your full potential. It's those people with years of their own failures that will give you the wisdom you'll need to get back up.

Big Scott, thanks for the information. I looked them up online and read over it. I'll look for them here on the website and see if they're in the list. I appreciate it!

I met a woman with my company who was 52 and retired. She had been driving for three years and almost never goes home. When she does, her kids joke saying, I see you remembered how ro get here.

That sounds like something that would be said over here too lol.

I don't imagine I'll be going home often. My plans are to stop by the Harley dealership once or twice a month and rent a bike to ride in the area that I take my 34.

It would be optimal to just take mine but I don't think that's going to be an option on a company truck.

On the getting clean part I think I'll just have an upfront conversation with my Dr and see what she thinks.

I called Roehl and asked them. They said it's about 90 days. We'll see. I certainly don't want to mess it up.