New Trucking Career Not Looking Good For Me

You may want to ask Schneider 1) Do they have any current drivers with a similar situation; 2) If they do, can they put them in contact with you; 3) Do they have a doctor or specialist they can recommend for you to contact? Your persistence is an inspiration!

Thank you PackRat. I am determined to drive a big truck again. I know I can do it. I will ask them that question on Monday.

Just remember, Carl Brasher became a Navy Master Diver despite being an amputee, and also being African American in a time when all that an African Americans could do was cook.

Keep trying. Most fleets are going automatic transmission anyway, so that removes the clutch "excuse".

Good luck.

Climbing into the back of a trailer isn’t easy or pretty but I can do it. I’m not sure exactly how truck companies or DOT want me to do it or is their a certain way that doesn’t look so dangerous 😂😂 I need to ask that. I walk or hop around on crutches more than my prosthesis.

*clearing throat* have you seen the typical trucker? It's NEVER a pretty sight.

*clearing throat* have you seen the typical trucker? It's NEVER a pretty sight.

yes I have!!

If schneider is willing to hire you then you may want to go that route and get some over the road experience and then move on from there and that may help. Keep doing it until you have exhausted all options before you give up. Good luck

If schneider is willing to hire you then you may want to go that route and get some over the road experience and then move on from there and that may help. Keep doing it until you have exhausted all options before you give up. Good luck

Definitely not giving up. Schneider is at the top of my list right now to start my career again.

If schneider is willing to hire you then you may want to go that route and get some over the road experience and then move on from there

Chuck, why would you advise him to "move on" from not only one of the only places to give him a shot, but also from one of a handful of very successfully managed trucking companies?

Well there's a ton of great news in this conversation already:

• there are ... about 4,000 drivers nationwide who have the certificate
• I know it's possible in your case because I've met drivers with leg prosthesis who were able to meet the criteria
• Schneider and a few more companies said they would hire me

This is a great idea:

You may want to ask Schneider

1) Do they have any current drivers with a similar situation;

2) If they do, can they put them in contact with you;

3) Do they have a doctor or specialist they can recommend for you to contact?

Taking "the road less traveled" sounds great in a song, but in your case there are a lot of people who have already paved the way so do all you can to get in touch with these people and find out how they did it. One of the smartest things a person can do is to learn from those who have already found success at something they're trying to do.

• Getting in and out of the truck is fairly easy for me. I ride with my brother often in his truck.
• I do have a prosthetic and can walk but only for about 30 minutes at a time. Climbing into the back of a trailer isn’t easy or pretty but I can do it.
• Schneider’s head of safety says if I can climb in and out of the cab and trailer safely then they will for sure hire me. I met with him in Atlanta a few months ago.

Again, that's all excellent news.

I'm learning about this process myself as we go along here with this conversation but from what I've heard to this point it doesn't sound like a matter of "if" you'll get back into trucking, it's simply a matter of when and how. All indicators look good that you'll be able to get this figured out.

If there are 4,000 people out there driving a truck while dealing with these difficult circumstances I'll bet there are 40,000 more that could make it happen with the right advice and guidance. I'll bet most of them have never even considered trucking as a viable option or have run into so much red tape they gave up on the idea. I hope you'll continue moving forward and keep us updated as things progress. I would love to be able to document the process for others in our trucker's wiki where we publish in depth information on various topics in the trucking industry.

Chick wrote:

If schneider is willing to hire you then you may want to go that route and get some over the road experience and then move on from there and that may help. Keep doing it until you have exhausted all options before you give up. Good luck

Chuck, considering you have yet to earn your first mile of income, why would you advise him to move on after successful completion of the first year? I think it's a mistake to enter into Trucking with a plan like that.

I just do not understand the "grass must be greener" mentality. With few exceptions after the first year is up, when you are performing at a high efficiency, have established productive professional relationships and earning a good wage, there is no reason to "move on".

The first year is an investment, with potential of returning greater benefits by committing to your first employer for a longer term, especially considering all the hoops Forrest had to jump through to get there.

Chuck there are numerous examples on this forum of tenured drivers working for their initial employer. Me, Old School, Errol, Rainy, Turtle, Susan, and Patrick to name just a few.

Chuck there are numerous examples on this forum of tenured drivers working for their initial employer. Me, Old School, Errol, Rainy, Turtle, Susan, and Patrick to name just a few.

This is one of the most common misconceptions in trucking. I did a podcast on this topic. For anyone considering a career in this industry or working their first year with a major carrier you should listen to this:

Episode 9: Are Major Carriers Nothing More Than Starter Companies?