Medical Card... Changing How I Think

Today I went to get drug screened & get my medical card through Roehl. Other than signing my contract, it's my first official step in the process to becoming a driver. Roehl sent me info on the urgent care facility in my area to go to. So, as Roehl suggested I called them to schedule. They gave me a date (Fri 15th), and told me to just walk in... easy enough.

I don't usually use a GPS. But, being the future super trucker I think I am, I punched the info into my iphone, and off I went like a boss. When I arrived to the address they sent me, it was a deserted building across the street from another deserted building. Now, normally I would just turn around and drive home with the attitude "Ehhh, if they can't give me correct directions, then they don't really need me there".

But, I have read posts from several veteran drivers that some keys to success as a pre-rookie noob is to be humble, be flexible, and open to new situations. So, I drove back down the street until I found a medical building. Sure enough it was the one I was looking for. The weird thing is, it was a different company name, at a different address. This was not Roehl's fault BTW...

To be honest, the reason the situation didn't frustrate me is because, I recently made a conscious decision to change my approach to things I cant control or change in order to adapt to my new future career. It was actually kind of funny, and made the appointment seem not so bad. I got my med card, and I'm ready for the next step.

Thanks to the Vets here for the good advice

I had a similar experience. I pulled up the place on Google and the road it was supposed to be on didn't exist. Guess I got a small taste of the future lol. Considered roehl but I can't decide on a company right now.

As for flexibility, think wet noodle.

I have rolled with a dispatch, then told I had to drive an extra 130 miles/2 hours further. (Extra $$, buy it messes up your planned driving clock.)

Is also picked up a load, then told it would be a T-call at a terminal. (T-call means you get a load, but take it to a terminal or drop yard, and someone else will take it the rest of the way.)

Or you arrive for a pick up, and it won't be ready for six hours - either you lose the assignment, or you take a 10 hour and come back.

Be flexible, your DM will love you.

To be honest, the reason the situation didn't frustrate me is because, I recently made a conscious decision to change my approach to things I cant control or change in order to adapt to my new future career. It was actually kind of funny, and made the appointment seem not so bad. I got my med card, and I'm ready for the next step.

Thanks to the Vets here for the good advice

Oh this is a subject I love.

Man, I am not exaggerating when I say you've experienced one of the most important aspects of not only a successful career in this industry, but happiness and sanity in general - objectivity:

Judgment based on observable phenomena and uninfluenced by emotions or personal prejudices

In Buddhism they talk about remaining "detached" or unaffected by the world around you like a monk. They would tell you, "Do not cause your own suffering by judging things to be negative or harboring negative thoughts".

Computer geeks would call it being purely logical, like Spock. They would say, "Analyze the facts and draw a logical conclusion. Don't waste your time and energy bringing emotion into it by judging everything as a positive or negative experience. Deal with the facts and move forward."

Regardless of who you are or how you define it, avoiding a negative bias towards the world around you and keeping your emotions out of your decision making will save you endless amounts of grief. There is a line of thinking that claims almost nothing is negative, nor is it positive, until you've decided to make it so for yourself. I'm one that subscribes to that theory.

A lot of people also have what I refer to as a 'negativity filter' where somehow the negative things that happen take precedence over the positives. If five good things happen and one bad, a person with a negativity filter is going to focus on that one bad thing and unfortunately remain mostly unaffected by the positive. Those people also tend to 'keep score' as they go along. They don't forget the people who have wronged them or the bad luck they've had over the years and with each passing day their outlook on life deteriorates.

What you're going to notice once you get out there is that most of the older veteran drivers that have been out there 10+ years are either as pleasant as a monk or as incessantly bitter and miserable as Ebenezer Scrooge. Why such a stark contrast? Because most people have been applying filters for many years and they've either learned that it's best to enjoy life and try to remain pleasant and relaxed at all times or they've become filled with bitterness and resentment from years of what they perceive to be endless hardships.

And don't doubt for a moment that practice makes perfect when it comes to applying these filters. You really do have to practice keeping a positive attitude and preventing yourself from making negative judgments about normal everyday things. The more you practice remaining positive and relaxed the more it becomes your nature. Before long you'll have people saying, "Man, nothing seems to bother you!" and that's because you've simply learned not to allow things to become bothersome to you.

People who are truly happy will tell you that being happy is a conscious decision you make. They'll say happiness is a state of mind, a way of thinking that you have full control over.

People who are unhappy will tell you that happiness is a fleeting emotion that occurs once in a while for short periods of time if you're lucky enough to have good things happen in the world around you.

In reality, both of these approaches turn out to be correct because your attitude toward being happy will become a self fulfilling prophecy. If you believe you have full control over your own happiness and learn to take responsibility for it you will indeed see this theory becomes true for you. If you choose to believe it's impossible to control your own happiness and that your emotions are simply a reaction to the world around you then that also becomes true for you.

Yes, my best friend of almost 50 years, his wife is the most negative person I have ever met! It don't matter what it is, all she ever see's and whines and complains about is the negative aspect.... I'm constantly telling her to let it go woman! sheeesh it's none of your businesss or control so why bother??? Go to a casino with em, all she ever does is whine and moan how " She can NEVER win in these places, I don't know how you do it Stevo" wah wah wah lol I say because, I come here to relax, have fun, win or lose, it don't matter! And tell her it's ONLY money! we can't take it to grave with us, so might as well enjoy it while ya can jeeeze..........Or, stay home! lol

Today I went to get drug screened & get my medical card through Roehl. Other than signing my contract, it's my first official step in the process to becoming a driver. Roehl sent me info on the urgent care facility in my area to go to. So, as Roehl suggested I called them to schedule. They gave me a date (Fri 15th), and told me to just walk in... easy enough.

I don't usually use a GPS. But, being the future super trucker I think I am, I punched the info into my iphone, and off I went like a boss. When I arrived to the address they sent me, it was a deserted building across the street from another deserted building. Now, normally I would just turn around and drive home with the attitude "Ehhh, if they can't give me correct directions, then they don't really need me there".

But, I have read posts from several veteran drivers that some keys to success as a pre-rookie noob is to be humble, be flexible, and open to new situations. So, I drove back down the street until I found a medical building. Sure enough it was the one I was looking for. The weird thing is, it was a different company name, at a different address. This was not Roehl's fault BTW...

To be honest, the reason the situation didn't frustrate me is because, I recently made a conscious decision to change my approach to things I cant control or change in order to adapt to my new future career. It was actually kind of funny, and made the appointment seem not so bad. I got my med card, and I'm ready for the next step.

Thanks to the Vets here for the good advice

Congratulations! I can't tell you how many shippers/receivers I've been to where the company name is different and/or the Navigation says I've arrived but I either have to keep going or have already passed it. My favorite is when the navigation says "look for your destination on the left" and it's actually on the right.

Sometimes I'll be going somewhere with a company name I don't recognize and when I get there I'm thinking; I know I've been here, and sure enough they say the company name I was given is a previous name or a parent company or something like that.

Great job on accomplishing your objectives!

Today I went to get drug screened & get my medical card through Roehl. Other than signing my contract, it's my first official step in the process to becoming a driver. Roehl sent me info on the urgent care facility in my area to go to. So, as Roehl suggested I called them to schedule. They gave me a date (Fri 15th), and told me to just walk in... easy enough.

I don't usually use a GPS. But, being the future super trucker I think I am, I punched the info into my iphone, and off I went like a boss. When I arrived to the address they sent me, it was a deserted building across the street from another deserted building. Now, normally I would just turn around and drive home with the attitude "Ehhh, if they can't give me correct directions, then they don't really need me there".

But, I have read posts from several veteran drivers that some keys to success as a pre-rookie noob is to be humble, be flexible, and open to new situations. So, I drove back down the street until I found a medical building. Sure enough it was the one I was looking for. The weird thing is, it was a different company name, at a different address. This was not Roehl's fault BTW...

To be honest, the reason the situation didn't frustrate me is because, I recently made a conscious decision to change my approach to things I cant control or change in order to adapt to my new future career. It was actually kind of funny, and made the appointment seem not so bad. I got my med card, and I'm ready for the next step.

Thanks to the Vets here for the good advice

the built in Iphone gps sucks, download the google app and use it, google maps is way better, it is constantly updated, can provide real time traffic information and routing options. Try it and see if it wouldnt have taken you to the correct location.