Rejected For Being Honest When Trying To Get My Foot In The Door On 1st Day

I talked to a recruiter at Schneider , and applied to an OTR job, because it was a while since I graduated from a PDTI certified CDL school, they wanted me to go to a three day refresher truck driving school that they paid for before I could go to Orientation and the eighteen days training after it. Had to sign a Ninety day contract.

First day at refresher school I did great in the straight back, lane changes, 90 & 45 backing, but sucked at double clutching , second day better then the third day a lot better. Then onto Schneider. First day in orientation I along with about 25 were in the room getting tested for drug, urine test again as before I was "accepted" I had to do the follicle/urine test before they let me go further in the application process.

I warned the recruiter in advance that I was hard of hearing & in the 4 DOT physicals I had, I failed the whisper test in person & had to go to a hearing clinic to use the sound booth and passed in that. He checked and said no problem will do same for me. I probably should apply for a federal hearing waiver exception. We all had to go to a room one by one to pass the physical movement part , like bending over, carry some weights, get under a platform and etc. Four failed.

I saw the nurse, answered questions, then saw the doctor, I had a current two year DOT card, was waiting for the company to send me to get sound tested at a clinic. One of the questions I was asked if I ever took any illegal drugs, I said Yes to one as in Michigan it is legal to do medical marijuana with a license from the state and yes it is still illegal in the eyes of the Feds. I explained to them that I stopped a few months before going to CDL school knowing it was not allowed if wanted to be a truck driver.

A secretary got me from the classroom & told me I had to talk to someone from the regulatory team, she asked me questions about the medical marijuana, I explained I only used the edibles or the oil form back then for body pain & lack of sleep a few years ago, she asked how often I took it, Five times is all and it was amazing how long I was without pain and did not need to take any for a long time after. She said OK go back to class, then lunch time, my recruiter came & got me, and said Schneider's drug policy says five years is the cut off point, so I was about the two year point, gave me a Grey Hound ticket to go back home.

I was really bummed out and too bad the company did not do this on a case by case basis as I was not an addict like on heroin or something and as I said before I had quite a few drug tests and always clean, would gladly take a random test too, clean driving history, no DUI's, no felonies. I was honest and would have been a loyal driver, sometimes I wonder if I should have said a "white lie" and say Nope never did illegal drugs!

Since Schneider makes everyone re-new the DOT cards regardless how much time you have left on yours, my two year card is shot since the Doctor started inputting the info to the FEDS. and I did not pass the whisper test & was waiting to go to a sound booth I was sent home, and now i have to go on my own to get a new one.

Live and learn, I emailed another recruiter to ask questions waiting on a reply, now I search again for an OTR job. Safe driving everyone!

I'm not a trucker but I have a lot of family that is. Their advice given to me on a CDL physical, is like your hind end off lol. No should be the word of the day if you have a physical. My uncle has sleep apnea and doesn't use a machine and he still gets 2 year cards. Trust me, you ain't the only one doing it.

I'm not a trucker but I have a lot of family that is. Their advice given to me on a CDL physical, is like your hind end off lol. No should be the word of the day if you have a physical. My uncle has sleep apnea and doesn't use a machine and he still gets 2 year cards. Trust me, you ain't the only one doing it.

Denny - you are giving BAD ADVICE.

You are advising someone TO VIOLATE FEDERAL LAW.

Now - I'm gonna split hairs in this particular case (not in Dennys, regarding LYING about having OSA and refusing to use a CPAP).

Since the circumstances Don describes, refer to "using illegal drugs" - but his particular circumstance had him using cannabis products legally, and under license - his use didn't "technically constitute" using "illegal drugs".

If he was snorting rails off the bellies of strippers - yeah - though I wouldn't obviously necessarily confess that either.

What it comes down to is - even if your use is LEGAL in the state you reside in - it is NOT LEGAL to use when employed in a "Safety Sensitive Position" (such as operating a CMV).

If you were "clean", long enough to pass a hair test for the weed - and you were legally licensed to use it prior to deciding to pursue a trucking career - I would answer NO to the "Illegal Drug" question.

Now - if you happened to test positive for weed - being in a state where it was legal (or you had a med license), would NOT EXCUSE the positive test - since it is still a "proscribed substance" for a pre-employment drug screen in a Safety Sensitive Position. Your "legal use", would still fall on deaf ears - a fail is a fail.

You could have gotten by on the hearing test - with a test from an audiologist, that falls into the acceptable guidelines for hearing loss (or get a hearing aid to bring you into compliance - similar to wearing corrective lenses for vision deficiencies).

Again - Danny. Not trying to be mean here - but PLEASE DON'T ADVISE PEOPLE TO LIE ON MEDICAL FORMS. You want to do so - that's YOUR BUSINESS.

Rick

Thanks Rick, good points and learning here.

NO = N.O. means Next Opportunity!

Now that I have been thru my first trucking opportunity and in hindsight I should have said No to the illegal use because when I learned about the Federal laws that applied to CDL licenses I stopped quite a while before trucking school up to now while holding a CDL license!

I will have to research what the drug policies are at companies that I apply for, like I now know Schneider's illegal drug policy is five years clean, no drugs, So i could have said six years ago, or just say No illegal drugs because I knew I never used it while holding a CDL license.

What bothers me I had a current DOT card and Schneider makes everyone who comes aboard to re do the DOT card whether you already had one! I was waiting to see an an audiologist until they cut me loose because I said to the Doctor about the marijuana. I did warn the recruiter in advance when I filled the application that my past DOT physicals I had to see an audiologist and he checked and said no problem will accommodate me. I do wear hearing aids since I was little.

The Doctor told me my current DOT is no longer valid so I have to get a new one before I apply to a company, I am guessing some will accept my card while others will make me get a new one thru the company???

I assume now that I admitted to the Doctor as he inputted the information on computer that I said yes to illegal drugs (before having a CDL), that when I go get a new card I still have to say yes because DOT now has a record of current & past yes or no answers???

Thank you

Don when ever you change driving jobs in the trucking business, your new employer in almost all cases. will require a new medical exam performed by one of their approved doctors. I have yet to hear of or see an exception to this. This is not a Schneider anomaly, but an industry standard.

Swift didn't actually require me or anybody else in my orientation group to get a second exam when I hired on last June. I thought I remembered reading somewhere that they would accept your current card if it wasn't more than 60 days ago since the examination. It could also depend on the terminal as well as this was in Jurupa Valley.

JJ

Thank you G-Town! Help me understand this, since my current DOT card is probably no good, should I spend my money to get a new one or wait until I apply to a trucking company and they will issue one for me if I passed the company physical?

Don when ever you change driving jobs in the trucking business, your new employer in almost all cases. will require a new medical exam performed by one of their approved doctors. I have yet to hear of or see an exception to this. This is not a Schneider anomaly, but an industry standard.

I had an email from Knight, which I assume was mass email sending to cdl holders? I emailed a recruiter asking questions waiting on a reply. I am thinking about joining Knight or Swift since I know they "merged" I have to do an App with one of them or both ?

Swift didn't actually require me or anybody else in my orientation group to get a second exam when I hired on last June. I thought I remembered reading somewhere that they would accept your current card if it wasn't more than 60 days ago since the examination. It could also depend on the terminal as well as this was in Jurupa Valley.

JJ

Jim J wrote:

Swift didn't actually require me or anybody else in my orientation group to get a second exam when I hired on last June. I thought I remembered reading somewhere that they would accept your current card if it wasn't more than 60 days ago since the examination. It could also depend on the terminal as well as this was in Jurupa Valley.

JJ

Didn't you train through Swift though? When I attended Richmond Academy I had a medical card from their approved Doc's at Concentra.

Jim J reads somewhere:

Swift didn't actually require me or anybody else in my orientation group to get a second exam when I hired on last June. I thought I remembered reading somewhere that they would accept your current card if it wasn't more than 60 days ago since the examination. It could also depend on the terminal as well as this was in Jurupa Valley.

Hiring on to Swift two years ago, I got the required DOT physical (1 year, Blood pressure) at a local clinic. A year later, back to the same clinic (and $60 out of my pocket) for the next physical.

At the Swift terminal, it was No Dice. I had to get a physical at the terminal Health Center. At any rate, I passed that exam. (#1, no appointment needed, and #2, free!)

I think the bottom line for Swift is any valid exam to get hired. But as a Swift driver, use the company doctor.