Starting Roehl CDL School On 2/11
Topic 24521 | Page 1
Welcome to the forum Lee!
the next 4 months my ego, brain and soul are going to be melted, crushed, stretched, twisted and reassembled multiple times
No doubt, just keep your head in the game and your eye on the prize. With a healthy dose of determination you'll be fine.
I'm planning on using youse guys as a sanity check, sounding board, etc. to help me thru this.
Please do, that's what we're here for. Too many people lose their heads and make bad decisions, when all they had to do was communicate with us. We'll do our best to help when we can. Good luck and keep us updated!
Tx Turtle. failure is not an option here. and I know I have the aptitude...but everything I've witnessed in my every FUBAR and clusterf**k, and what I read here confirms- it's the attitude. and I'm a bit more desperate that I'm comfortable with. I really need this to work. so just gotta keep steady, not panic. 
Hahha i knew you were northeast as soon as you said "youse" guys....i normally write youz guyz lol.
welcome from a jersey girl
Welcome Lee, You made a good choice. They have a good school. I’m a grad of their’s and still here kicking it. It is fast paced, but they really want you to succeed. Feel free to ask away here as well.
Putting that out there both for feedback and as way of introduction. I'm so extremely looking forward to the solitude aspect of the job...but I'm also being realistic that in the next 4 months my ego, brain and soul are going to be melted, crushed, stretched, twisted and reassembled multiple times, so I'm planning on using youse guys as a sanity check, sounding board, etc. to help me thru this.
so- introducing myself- Hi- I'm Lee. I just turned 50, I have my permit and physical (getting the permit in NY requires the medical cert first). I have had a trial go with another Big CDL trainer which resulted in me still having an offer, but with a start date delayed for a few months. Since I've been unemployed for a month so I can't really work with that...so I'm off to Wisconsin. Wish me luck...
How was the DOT physical? I'm pushing 50 too and the physical is really all I'm worried about. What was it like? The last time I took one was back in the early 1990's and I don't even remember what they did then.
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
- Any combination of vehicles with a gross combined weight rating (GCWR) of 26,001 or more pounds, providing the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of the vehicle being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 or more pounds, or any such vehicle towing another not in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any vehicle, regardless of size, designed to transport 16 or more persons, including the driver.
- Any vehicle required by federal regulations to be placarded while transporting hazardous materials.
DOT:
Department Of Transportation
A department of the federal executive branch responsible for the national highways and for railroad and airline safety. It also manages Amtrak, the national railroad system, and the Coast Guard.
State and Federal DOT Officers are responsible for commercial vehicle enforcement. "The truck police" you could call them.
I’m 59, soon to be 60...into my 6th year on a Dedicated Walmart Account with Swift...no sweat...
As follows:
- Getting Started With The DOT Physical
- DOT Blood Pressure Requirements
- DOT Drug and Alcohol Policies & Testing
- DOT Eye & Vision Exam Requirements
- DOT Hearing Requirements
- DOT Physical - Driver Exemptions
- Hair Follicle vs. Urinalysis Drug Testing: Breakdown By Company
- Hypertension (High Blood Pressure) Guidelines & Advice
- Sleep Apnea , Truck Drivers, & BMI Calculator
DOT:
Department Of Transportation
A department of the federal executive branch responsible for the national highways and for railroad and airline safety. It also manages Amtrak, the national railroad system, and the Coast Guard.
State and Federal DOT Officers are responsible for commercial vehicle enforcement. "The truck police" you could call them.
Hypertension:
Abnormally high blood pressure.
Sleep Apnea:
A physical disorder in which you have pauses in your breathing, or take shallow breaths, during sleep. These pauses can last anywhere from a few seconds to a few minutes. Normal breathing will usually resume, sometimes with a loud choking sound or snort.
In obstructive sleep apnea, your airways become blocked or collapse during sleep, causing the pauses and shallow breathing.
It is a chronic condition that will require ongoing management. It affects about 18 million people in the U.S.
BMI:
Body mass index (BMI)
BMI is a formula that uses weight and height to estimate body fat. For most people, BMI provides a reasonable estimate of body fat. The BMI's biggest weakness is that it doesn't consider individual factors such as bone or muscle mass. BMI may:
- Underestimate body fat for older adults or other people with low muscle mass
- Overestimate body fat for people who are very muscular and physically fit
It's quite common, especially for men, to fall into the "overweight" category if you happen to be stronger than average. If you're pretty strong but in good shape then pay no attention.
Rainy- kinda northeast, but I tend to call 'here' the southern Canadian annex ROTFLMAO....( Watertown NY). And thanks for the welcome- reading your comments is part of why I know I can do this.
Hobo- funny thing that- the DOT physical that I've done twice now, was no big deal really, at least for me. I'm at a decent weight, probably a BMI of 24 or 25, always had low range blood pressure. I smoked my last cig on 10/1/17, stay busy with renovating an old house and keeping up with a border collie pup. But the Roehl physical capacity test has me terrified. I don't know why. I tried lifting 30 lbs overhead, I used a propane tank, it weighed out a little over 25lb on the scale, and that seemed easy enough. I push, pull, squat, lift, I've been framing and roofing and lugging demolished cast iron and etc for what feels like forever!!!! But people say they got flunked out of the Roehl on the test and I'm legit scared!!!~ All I can say is that the DOT requirements are written out in black and white and seem very straight forward. The COMPANY physical however, is a different beast, and they may ask you other questions not DOT specific. I might suggest that you carefully consider ANY voluntary information that couldn't be found out without a HIPAA release. I thought I was being open and straightforward about something from last year, and if I'd kept my mouth shut I'd be driving with Rainy right now instead of missing another mortgage payment... :-( Saying I can start work in a few months doesn't do much for my banks opinion of me...
DOT:
Department Of Transportation
A department of the federal executive branch responsible for the national highways and for railroad and airline safety. It also manages Amtrak, the national railroad system, and the Coast Guard.
State and Federal DOT Officers are responsible for commercial vehicle enforcement. "The truck police" you could call them.
BMI:
Body mass index (BMI)
BMI is a formula that uses weight and height to estimate body fat. For most people, BMI provides a reasonable estimate of body fat. The BMI's biggest weakness is that it doesn't consider individual factors such as bone or muscle mass. BMI may:
- Underestimate body fat for older adults or other people with low muscle mass
- Overestimate body fat for people who are very muscular and physically fit
It's quite common, especially for men, to fall into the "overweight" category if you happen to be stronger than average. If you're pretty strong but in good shape then pay no attention.
TWIC:
Transportation Worker Identification Credential
Truck drivers who regularly pick up from or deliver to the shipping ports will often be required to carry a TWIC card.
Your TWIC is a tamper-resistant biometric card which acts as both your identification in secure areas, as well as an indicator of you having passed the necessary security clearance. TWIC cards are valid for five years. The issuance of TWIC cards is overseen by the Transportation Security Administration and the Department of Homeland Security.
Lee wrote:
All I can say is that the DOT requirements are written out in black and white and seem very straight forward. The COMPANY physical however, is a different beast, and they may ask you other questions not DOT specific.
Please be specific.
I haven’t encountered anything “beastly” about the company physical. I’ve had 3 of them now...
Tell them what they ask for, nothing more, and nothing less. And your “HIPAA point”... Pa-lease...don’t hind behind that; you are basically authorizing them to make further inquiries when you sign the long form. If you choose not to sign it (your right), no job.
Operating an 80,000 pound missile is no joke... if you are not physically able to-do it safely, then you should pursue another line of work. Sorry Lee...it’s a matter of personal and public safety. Mine, yours and the vehicles around you. We take that very seriously. It’s that simple.
DOT:
Department Of Transportation
A department of the federal executive branch responsible for the national highways and for railroad and airline safety. It also manages Amtrak, the national railroad system, and the Coast Guard.
State and Federal DOT Officers are responsible for commercial vehicle enforcement. "The truck police" you could call them.
OOS:
When a violation by either a driver or company is confirmed, an out-of-service order removes either the driver or the vehicle from the roadway until the violation is corrected.
Welcome to the place Lee. How exciting and a bit scary for you. I know because I'm heading to school myself soon with CRST. I can hardly wait to get started. Don't fear the physical just go in there determined and do it. You will do fine. There are many good articles here and I recommend them all. I have heard a lot of good things about Roehl. Let us know how things go for you when you have time. We will all be pulling for you. Happy Trails.
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Roehl Transport CDL Qualifications CDL Test Preparation Choosing A Trucking Company DOT Physical Exercise and Fitness Pre-Employment Screening Program Truck Driving Orientation
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Putting that out there both for feedback and as way of introduction. I'm so extremely looking forward to the solitude aspect of the job...but I'm also being realistic that in the next 4 months my ego, brain and soul are going to be melted, crushed, stretched, twisted and reassembled multiple times, so I'm planning on using youse guys as a sanity check, sounding board, etc. to help me thru this.
so- introducing myself- Hi- I'm Lee. I just turned 50, I have my permit and physical (getting the permit in NY requires the medical cert first). I have had a trial go with another Big CDL trainer which resulted in me still having an offer, but with a start date delayed for a few months. Since I've been unemployed for a month so I can't really work with that...so I'm off to Wisconsin. Wish me luck...
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles: