I've Just Received An Unsolicited Email Message From A CDL Recruiter.

what I do need to know is how to properly communicate with people in this business without hurting anybody's feelings or giving a bad impression of myself to others.

Ok, I have made diplomacy mistakes here but I don't want these to carry over to a job interview.

Its not about hurting feelings. Trucking companies do t habe feelings, they have bank accounts they want filled and need awesome, committed, ambitious drivers to do that. The only thing you seemed committed to is being right and being service disabled. Get off that BS anyway dude. I worked with Vietnam Vets who cried daily and told us stories about bombong bables and losing their fingers. But they still went to work every day. They still tried and they didnt use the VA as a badge of honor, they hid it in fact because they did not want being disabled to.define who they are. You are the opposite. And since you admitted your doctor will name you fit for duty any time you ask, then you admit YOU are choosing to stay disabled.

As far as the interview, the whole process is an interview. From the very first email and application to orientation and into training. Even how you get along with your dispatcher is an interview for.how he will treat you.

Honestly, if you were a dispatcher, would you want a driver who constantly said he knew how to do things better, Whined and cried about how others are treating him, and took no steps to improve himself for decades? Would you believe a guy who had no recent demanding work experience could possibly undertake one of the most daunting and responsible for human life jobs ever?

You know how you get an answer? You apply for the job and on the application YOU BE TRUTHFUL. Nobody is going to spend the money on sending you to orientation just to send you home. The people who get sent home most likely lied on application, failed physical or failed a drug test. These companies extend an offer to come in to orientation based on the information you put in the application and they will verify that when you're there. If JP, Wil-trans , or Prime is your first choice just know they're more selective than other carriers.

Again, fill out the dang application and you'll know where you stand and what you need to do to be hireable for them in the future.

Well, I just did get an email reply from one Ms. Jones from Wilson Logistics as follows:

"Good Morning, (my legal first name). Need to provide a correction; it is Ms., not Mr. I received your email yesterday via our general mailbox. Yes, Jim Palmer and Wilson Logistics are the same company, just a different division. As for our hiring policy, we take all applications on a case by case basis. If at any point we need documentation to verify any history, we will request it at that time. I’ve attempted to reach out to you a few times; if you can give me a call at 406-829-6286 to discuss any further questions you may have, I’d greatly appreciate it!"

This pretty much answers my most nagging question about hiring policy and work history gaps. It's kind of a roll-of-the-dice thing. An "ify" situation. It's not a definite "Go hold down a toilet-scrubbing job for a year or two and then get back to us!" kind of thing.

So, I politely replied to this lady as follows as honestly as I could:

"Jan. 3, 2019

Good afternoon, Ms. Jones:

Thank you for your reply.

I do apologize for the masculine assumption in using "sir" as I am not familiar with the given name "Japera". I was taught in the 4th grade (by a lady teacher, I might add) to address a formal business letter as "Dear Sirs" whether a woman or a man actually reads it. So, please take no offense. Nothing personal. Just a habit.

I'm now in a serious and committed weight-loss and exercise regimen to achieve a healthy body weight and body fat percentage with a diet and exercise program as provided through my healthcare provider, the VA.

I hope to recover from my obesity and its symptoms very soon and I'm so very eager to become a productive member of the American workforce once again. On a positive note regarding my health, thankfully, I have not smoked for 14 years, touched alcohol for several years (except red wine for cooking) and have a long-standing clean DMV record.

Thank you once again for your reply on hiring policy regarding work history. I was deeply concerned that might be a serious issue regarding coming into a new career as an OTR driver.

I will save your email messages in my Employment folder for now and bear Wilson Logistics and Jim Palmer in mind when hopefully in the near future my doctor will clear me to return to work full time once again. My doctor assures me that averting my obesity is the key to ending my disabling condition.

Sincerely, (my legal name) Future OTR Driver Hopeful"

OTR:

Over The Road

OTR driving normally means you'll be hauling freight to various customers throughout your company's hauling region. It often entails being gone from home for two to three weeks at a time.

Dm:

Dispatcher, Fleet Manager, Driver Manager

The primary person a driver communicates with at his/her company. A dispatcher can play many roles, depending on the company's structure. Dispatchers may assign freight, file requests for home time, relay messages between the driver and management, inform customer service of any delays, change appointment times, and report information to the load planners.

DMV:

Department of Motor Vehicles, Bureau of Motor Vehicles

The state agency that handles everything related to your driver's licences, including testing, issuance, transfers, and revocation.

Wil-Trans:

Darrel Wilson bought his first tractor in 1980 at age 20, but, being too young to meet OTR age requirements, he leased the truck out and hired a driver.

Through growth and acquisition, Wil-Trans now employs over 200 drivers, and has a long-standing partnership with Prime, Inc. to haul their refrigerated freight. The family of businesses also includes Jim Palmer Trucking and O & S Trucking.

Todd, this says it all...

I know some people here think I'm a lazy bum but I can't help that. You've never been inside my body to feel how badly it is suffering and even my "doctor" (a VA government pill-pushing idiot who likely failed to make it in private practice where there's much better money in medicine) thinks CFS is a joke.

OMG...we can now add VA Dictirs to your growing list of undignified vocations. You are such a jackass.

Todd if the above description of your condition is entirely accurate, how then can you even consider driving an 80,000lb CMV? I’ll give you the answer, YOU CAN’T.

Like they say on Shark Tank, I’m out.

Good luck Todd. Get your sh** together.

Peace.

I'm a man of HOPE. I want to actually be HEALTHY enough to WORK FOR LIVING, period.

I want to actually be healthy enough to scrub toilets and pack industrial vacuum cleaners on my back full time. If that is my hard, long narrow winding uphill rocky road (my ticket) to becoming an OTR driver with a handsome paycheck, I am NOW willing to do that. So be it.

I actually envy the HEALTH and stamina of those people who are shoveling horse manure at minimum wage (or below) full time in 100-plus degree heat. I wish I had the physical strength to do even that.

Believe me, I want to be as strong as Superman. I want to again be like that tough soldier I was when I was younger.

People might wish me well on my physical rehabilitation attempts. All I can do is try.

Todd, I wish you well and truly hope you some day find the psychological help you so obviously need.

i say that with the deepest sincerity. Mental illness is tragic, and those who suffer often do not know why. They often self medicate and although i'm glad you are not doing that, it seems you are attempting it in other ways.

Please seek help.

OMG Todd, would you like a shovel?

Todd, I wish you well and truly hope you some day find the psychological help you so obviously need.

i say that with the deepest sincerity. Mental illness is tragic, and those who suffer often do not know why. They often self medicate and although i'm glad you are not doing that, it seems you are attempting it in other ways.

Please seek help.

Now, Rainy D., do you have any work experience in any of the healthcare fields? If not, please try not to diagnose me on these boards.

But maybe you are correct after all. It sounds like a good idea. Really. I could really ask my primary VA doctor to consult me with a VA behavioral specialist to see if my obesity and chronic fatigue might be connected to some yet-to-be-diagnosed mental health issue. It is as important to have a healthy mind as it is to have a healthy body. It would not hurt me to ask and check it out. One of the things I often suffer is a morbid fear of death and dying from some undiagnosed illness and this seems to come on during episodes when my fatigue and/or body pain is severe. Many of my family members have died of heart disease or cancer. The fatigue often makes me feel depressed. Or is it the depression causing the fatigue? One of my roomates (he moved out early last June) thought I had OCD and/or hypochondria.

Please everybody don't insinuate that I am a crazy person by what I type on these boards.

A final reply from Ms. Jones at Wilson Logistics to me:

(I'm glad she is speaking positive things to me and shows no ill-will toward me. It helps me feel better!)

"Good Afternoon, "Todd".

No offense taken. Please do keep Wilson Logistics in mind once you have achieved your desired health status.

Take care and best of luck to you!"

Brett, what I do need to know is how to properly communicate with people in this business without hurting anybody's feelings or giving a bad impression of myself to others.

Seriously Todd, you've done nothing but self impose a bad impression of yourself on here, I really think you should just have the decency to quietly fade away from this site and leave it to those who are seriously trying to get their trucking career going, and those who are here to help! PLEASE, ENOUGH ALREADY!

I'm not getting on any Greyhound.

I’m willing to bet you never get on a greyhound

I'm not getting on any Greyhound.

I’m willing to bet you never get on a greyhound

And after reading the rest of the replies here, double that you never work for Palmer/WilTrans, if they know you are the person who sent those emails.