AA And Truck Drivers

I am a member of AA. Are there many drivers who are in AA? How does this affect the driver qualification process? Does an AA member need to disclose this information to a prospective employer?

No, you will need to disclose any recent DUI's though. Even then you only need to disclose the ones that fall within the time frame the prospective company is asking for.

Jim, thanks. I have no DUI's or DWI's. I have read in AA literature about drivers who are in AA and who attend AA meetings wherever they go. Seems like truck driving is very compatible with AA

I'm sure it is, in fact it wouldn't surprise me if there were meetings that you could attend going on at the truck stops themselves.

16+ Years. You do not have to disclose AA membership - nor should you.

Despite my long term sobriety being a source of personal pride, I keep it to myself when it comes to potential employers.

The DOT Med long form asks if you drink alcohol - simply answer NO.

Rick

I am a member of AA. Are there many drivers who are in AA? How does this affect the driver qualification process? Does an AA member need to disclose this information to a prospective employer?

16+ Years. You do not have to disclose AA membership - nor should you.

Despite my long term sobriety being a source of personal pride, I keep it to myself when it comes to potential employers.

The DOT Med long form asks if you drink alcohol - simply answer NO.

Rick

New at this so bear with me if this doesn't post correctly. I'm taking steps to become a truck driver and this is a very important concern of mine and greatly appreciate this post.

New at this so bear with me if this doesn't post correctly. I'm taking steps to become a truck driver and this is a very important concern of mine and greatly appreciate this post.

Is there a question in there somewhere?

Jim, thanks. I have no DUI's or DWI's. I have read in AA literature about drivers who are in AA and who attend AA meetings wherever they go. Seems like truck driving is very compatible with AA.

I'm not altogether too sure about "compatible with AA". You are OTR and you get a 10 hour break every day - and a 34 hour reset when you run your 70 clock out (if your company doesn't make you run on recaps and reset at home). Not sure about there being "meetings at truck stops" - I can't honestly say I've heard of this.

There are some "virtual/online meetings" that can be found - they never really did anything for me personally. There are meeting EVERYWHERE YOU GO, as far as "regular AA" goes. Simply google "AA Location", and you'll get the intergroup website for that area and be able to find meetings that way. I do it all the time when I'm traveling - love hitting out of town meetings and seeing how they do it in other places.

I used to go to an annual motorcycle event in Kansas City, Mo. Hit meetings while I was out there (and the other bikers were sitting around drinking). I walked into a meeting I attended a year earlier - and people remembered by name.

Here's the rub though.

Even if you trip plan, know where you're going to be stopping ahead of time, check for a meeting in that area/time-frame, etc. - you have a 10 hour break to SSS (crap, shower, shave), eat, do laundry, paperwork, whatever - and SLEEP. Barely enough time to arrange a ride (cause you can't drive your truck) uber it maybe, or cab it - do an hour meeting, get a ride back (might be able to get someone at the meeting to give you a rider or uber again). Unless you're on a 34 - chances are, you ain't going to be hitting many meetings while you're OTR. It CAN BE DONE - but the balance of is it PRACTICAL versus how important it is that night - gets questionable.

I got a friend that I kind of "road sponsor". He's shut down early in Sulphur Springs, Texas - he tried to deliver early, and the best they could get him in was 8 AM tomorrow. I googled AA Meetings Sulphur Springs Texas - there's a meeting 3 miles down from the truck stop at a church @ 7PM. He can taxi there for like $5.

If you are NEW IN RECOVERY - and you aren't very stable in your sobriety - the loneliness and solitude can be problematic in your recovery. I'm the lone wolf type - but I still have my "crew", folks I hang with and do dinner with after meetings. My entire life doesn't revolve around meetings and fellowship, but it is an important feature in it.

If you're an old-timer and can make it until resets to hit meetings, well, there you go.

Rick

Rick said:

If you are NEW IN RECOVERY - and you aren't very stable in your sobriety - the loneliness and solitude can be problematic in your recovery. I'm the lone wolf type - but I still have my "crew", folks I hang with and do dinner with after meetings. My entire life doesn't revolve around meetings and fellowship, but it is an important feature in it.

Rick has a really good point here. I never was into drinking, but I did used to smoke (cigarettes, not weed). I quit a few times before going OTR...never was an "addiction" per se, but a bad habit I had a hard time kicking. I didn't make it but a couple months, if even that, before I picked it up again on one of those really stressful days. I kicked the habit again and haven't smoked for a good six months I think (yay!). Point is, Rick's right--some days are going to be very tough and might be a little too much unless you've totally kicked the habit/addiction, whatever it may be for you.

Nope no question . Went online several times looking for info and finally came across this in the forum. Was just expressing my appreciation for finding someone else with a similar concern. I too was wondering what sort of fellowship I might find OTR and if there might be ways of staying connected that other drivers could share. I expected it might be difficult. Just nice to know there's some friends of Bills out there.

Old post, sure, and so is alcohol and the powerlessmess I entered every time I willingly filled a glass, raised my hand and poured it down.

Please allow me offer some updated information on the subject of AA meetings from an OTR truck driver's experience today. It is nearing the end of July 2022.

Nobody has to be reminded that 2020 kept people locked down. As a result people turned to seeking sanity and freedom from alcohol online. As another result, online meeting places improved and Zoom became a powerhouse for substituting in-person meetings. Those meetings continue today. As yet another result, other alcoholics took to starting Zoom rooms in an effort to reach to and help other alcoholics making places where we alcoholics can gather, support and be supported by other alcoholics.

As for me, I found sobriety through Zoom. I learned to allow a power higher than alcohol and higher than my own self to ground me and guide me toward sanity, transformation from my self-made miseries, and set me on a path to happiness, joy and freedom from alcohol and all my other afflictions. That opportunity is available to all who are willing and have a desire to stop drinking.

I am grateful beyond measure. I found my place in a meeting called Alcoholics 101: Elevators Broken, Take the Steps (link below).

I hope my share here leads other truck drivers (and anyone) to find fellowship, friendships, guidance and higher quality of life as I have. For me this journey has been an eye-opening enhancement toward coming to trust, hope and believe in a higher power, who has my absolute best interest at heart. To each his or her own understanding, of course. I can personally attest, this opportunity to become a toll-free member of Alcoholics Anonymous has been a worthy, life changing journey, the road of with has been, and God willing, will continue to be the best road I can ever hope to travel.

Thank for letting me share.

Have a problem with alcohol? There is a solution. Alcoholics Anonymous