Going To Be Filing Out Applications, Going For Broke.

Good luck Half Pint. Good call to Roehl. They've done hair follicle testing for a few years, so the answer is most probably accurate. Just remember, once licensed and hired there will be zero tolerance.

Half Pint...please pay attention to Daniel's point about random tests.

Many times a test will be required after a period of home time. Be very careful who you hang out with. Inhalation of secondary pot smoke can possibly cause a positive result. At that point: game over.

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.

You don't know my life or my lifestyle

Actually you told us a whole lot about you and your lifestyle.

The concern people have is about commitment. People way underestimate how difficult and complex trucking is and how committed you have to be to make it happen.

The failure rate in this industry is astronomically high. Only a very small percentage of the people who embark on this career ever make it to the one year mark. In fact, from speaking with people who run a lot of the Paid CDL Training Programs it turns out that a full half of the people who show up never even wind up getting their CDL, and almost 3/4 of them never even make it to solo status. And yet not one of them thought they would become a statistic. It turned out that the job, the lifestyle, and the demands were just too much for them.

Almost everyone underestimates this career.

No one is saying you can't do this. But to say you were hanging around with friends smokin and pondering the idea means that right now driving a big rig for a living is (quite literally) a pipe dream, and all of us know from experience that it takes tremendous commitment to make this happen.

Our society has always considered truck driving to be a bottom of the barrel job. The attitude has always been that if you're too dumb to do anything worthwhile or you have no good options left, you can always become a truck driver and maybe someday your life will get better and you can move forward from there.

It turns out that not only is trucking quite a noble profession, but it's one that demands more of a person than most jobs or careers ever do. It really does take an extraordinary person making an extraordinary commitment to thrive in this industry.

So if you want to do it then by all means take a shot at it. Just don't underestimate how difficult the journey will be or how committed you'll have to be to make it out there.

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.

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?

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, it sounds like you get it and that you'll do great. Like I said, a huge percentage of people underestimate this career and wind up out of the industry altogether within weeks or months. So based upon your introduction it was only natural for everyone to warn you about how difficult this will be and how committed you'll have to be to make this happen.

It sounds like you've been around this site long enough to know that we put it to people straight and don't pull any punches. We did the same with you and I'm sure you can appreciate the value in that. You've done a good job in explaining yourself and your approach and it sounds like you'll do great. We'll be happy to help out any way we can.

Half Pint, like Brett said, you got this. The fact that you have to wait longer will give you more time to study for your permit and the more you will learn about this industy. This will lead to a more informed choice for you and very few surprises. We all make mistakes that we regret. It's how we learn from them and come back from them is what matters. This thread will help someone else some day. So you were not stupid for brining it up. You proved something good that you read all the responses and did not get offended. We don't pull punches here. We tell it like it is. This all goes to help those who find this site.

Good luck. Keep us posted. We are all here to help.

Half Pint, I applaud you for not getting super defensive. This industry does require thick skin. As far as the scrutiny, why would we scrutinize any less? You are right, those in this industry are under. Instant scrutiny. Everybody from the general public to law enforcement, to trucking companies to even fellow truckers will scrutinize everything you do.

The members of this forum are awesome, even the time I got too big for my own britches, Brett, G-town, Old School, Rainey and others all told it to me straight and reminded me that I needed an extra helping of humble pie.

I wish you the best of luck. Just remember to always stay positive, focused, and humble.

Drive Safe and God Speed.