Comments By Amelia M.

Thanks! All good. I keep my stress as low as I possibly can and have rather good coping skills so my medication is very mild and was already accepted by CRE. I have no intention of training or driving with them myself, though. Honestly if they'd been up front about things at any point rather than giving us a run around, that would be different but I have 0 trust in the company now. Also, fortunately, both of my issues are easily managed with trigger avoidance and management (normally easy, anyway, haha). My doctor has already signed off and I have my provisional med card - the only reason it's provisional is because I have to do a sleep apnea study from being overweight which is another thing I've been working on. Logistically, I'm good to start a training program once I can afford the study and could go get a CDL permit tomorrow. I'm personally not comfortable doing so, yet. I am no where near as good a driver as my husband and terrified of spending time in close living quarters with a stranger. Honestly if I could ride with him as a solo driver and myself as a passenger forever, I'd be happy doing that but it doesn't really seem feasible.

If we can't find a company that allows an adult passenger soon, I'll just have to try going into training without the time, but I'm hoping we can avoid it. Too many stressors at one time for me is rather like a diabetic overdosing in insulin and I'm already spread a little thin.

OMG i know exactly what you mean about the mom!

Check with CRE about your meds. Just because DOT accepts a med doesnt mean the company will.

i would imagine depression meds may be a problem... certain ones are banned at prime.

No he finished his phase two. He's a company driver so not with his own truck, though he's been driving teams since CRE requires that for awhile. Currently his partner is on home time. No, he's not currently trying to stay out for more - the per mileage with CRE during your first year is very low but we knew that going in. He's been pushing for home time but they've got him in a fleet that services the mid-west and west while we're in the southeast which, unfortunately, is proving to be almost entirely regional driving.

We know he'd owe for the schooling, but that is significantly less important to us than being together. We've been married soon-to-be 13 years and together for 17. Repaying the loan for the schooling is fine. We can't have children and have no property to worry about (I'm actually staying with my mother which is part of the problem). All we've got is the cat up there and a car. I'll be doing my schooling work a technical college that's had a program for over a decade and it'll be covered by a grant - just waiting for the next program start. I'd have gone through CRE myself but after these experiences, I don't actually trust them to put us together as a team if it's at all inconvenient for them.

A very large part, I suppose, is wondering if I'll get through this rough phase, then. The separation is bad enough but my mother is the last person I should be around for a year. I have severe chronic depression and PTSD partially genetic and managed well with medication (depression) and partially situational largely from being the only child of a rapid cycling bi-polar parent. Generally I have very few issues despite the severity of my illness but my mom, much as I love her, is a direct trigger so I'll be living the entire time we're together on pins and needles keeping a lid on a very over reactive flight response - not exactly a good setting to add more stress to.

I guess my best option is to finish getting my CDL as soon as possible and see about getting set up as a team for the remainder of his time with CRE?

My husband finished his training and got his CDL the last week of September. CREngland trained well, got him on the road immediately (DM actually called to ask him why he refused a job in Saturday - answer, he did finalize paperwork and get approved until Monday) and we knew the pay was pretty awful going in. We would have trained together but it wasn't financially feasible and I needed physical therapy to be able to climb into the trailer unassisted (scoliosis plus wide load).

He's been home once in all that time and largely because he had to go over his DM, despite approval and being willing to wait a few days, because that home time was also including a doctor's appointment for maintenance medication adjustment and a death in the family. It's been 8 weeks since that visit and we're both very much getting the feeling the DM really doesn't see anything wrong with that. Am I over reacting or is it time to start putting out feelers for other companies? If so, how many really allow a spouse to ride along and how quickly? JB Hunt says immediately, but... Well, recruiters.

We don't have children and we've been together in a truck for days and even weeks before when he drove a box truck for a small company years ago. We loved it! I enjoy navigation, route planning, scheduling and paperwork and he's an exceptional driver with stellar night vision. We'd like some time together with him solo driving for a few months before I go to schooling (I'm less confident and want some familiarity before jumping in) especially after so much fighting to see each other even for a few days out of three months. Any advice is welcome!