Hair Follicle Testing

So my only Concern about when i first get into the industry. i have been an avid weed smoker for most of my life i do not believe in taking pills because they just create a more problems . i do not Drink , weed was my only thing , now 2 weeks about i decided to get into the trucking industry and Quite smoking . i have 0 problem doing that because Money and jobs are more important than smoking . i start trucking school in a month from today , by time i get out of school and get a job for a company i will be about 2.5 months with Nothing in my system so a urine test will be no problem. but i do not want to apply to a company and get a hair follicle test and be denied a job for something i did before i was in the industry. Do companies denied you the job because they seen Marijuana in your system 2 months before you started working for them or in the industry? i get why they do the testing because they're hard to bypass unlike Urine and Mouth Swabs . how does it work . are they looking to see how recent it was before you last used or they looking to say hey you used in general so we dont want you? i cant really find any clarification on it . would suck for me to spend 7k on school get a job than be denied and have it go on my DOT that i failed a drug screening. for something i did before i was in the industry! i know ill probably get those people on here who will give the " should make better life choices" but i know for a fact there are plenty of Truckers who drink in there down time , wake up and get on the road when im sure the booze are still lingering in there system. that is there business not mine.

Thanks for any information in advance!

Toby

Do not go to a company if you could come back positive. We have a list of whether a company does Hair or urine testing. Typically its recommended to wait 90 days for urine, 6 months for hair depending on how heavy of a user you are. It's possible these companies have changed to hair or will change just before you go so proceed with caution if you choose not to wait. I'd highly recommend you hold off on school for now. A possible test will make it all but impossible to get started. Have you considered a Paid CDL Training Programs? Most of these companies will buy you a bus ticket (or reimburse rental car due to the 'rona), put you up in a hotel, possibly feed you and a couple even pay you to attend school. If you're accepted into their program you're guaranteed a job with them upon successful completion of your state exams and as long as you were honest on your application.

I have done my home work on companies and 30 days of nothing in your system you can pass a Urine test ... i have taken plenty in my 39 years on earth. i am currently enrolled in Nation trucking here in North Fl. i like going to a school over paid trucking because than i have a choice of who i can work for after.. my whole point in the question was it seems the companies i like all HF test.. but the one company i like Only does Urine . My only problem with them is you can not take the Truck home during home time and the FL office is 2h20m from my house so that is about 5 hours it takes away from family and i would pass by my house on the way to the yard to park the truck. Windy Hill is the company and i like everything about them .. well i wish they gave a little more in Tuition reimbursement. but .40cpm and $25 every time i open my doors after my first stop.. if you know of any decent companies in North Florida that do not HF .please let me know .. Waiting Longer isnt really an option. Definitely dont want to work for a company that is going to put me on a Grey Hound . because to me paying for a Bus tickets does not show you care and only means i am not a number and just a name .. i 100% appreciate the speedy response! i have about 60 hours of company research and Trucking Truth is 100% my goto. i have been scrolling this site for a good year and half doing my research. Thanks again for taking the time to respond! all info good or bad is better than no info at all in my mind

Do not go to a company if you could come back positive. We have a list of whether a company does Hair or urine testing. Typically its recommended to wait 90 days for urine, 6 months for hair depending on how heavy of a user you are. It's possible these companies have changed to hair or will change just before you go so proceed with caution if you choose not to wait. I'd highly recommend you hold off on school for now. A possible test will make it all but impossible to get started. Have you considered a Paid CDL Training Programs? Most of these companies will buy you a bus ticket (or reimburse rental car due to the 'rona), put you up in a hotel, possibly feed you and a couple even pay you to attend school. If you're accepted into their program you're guaranteed a job with them upon successful completion of your state exams and as long as you were honest on your application.

Definitely dont want to work for a company that is going to put me on a Grey Hound . because to me paying for a Bus tickets does not show you care and only means i am not a number and just a name

they send a bus ticket because so many people don't make it through orientation. Others can chime in with their experience but some people have said they started with 25 +/- people on the first day. By the end of orientation only half were left. They slowly dwindle down to the point of only a couple people out of the 25 make it 1 year. The rest quit or get fired. G-town drives for Swift, the largest carrier in the country. Kearsey among many others on this forum drive for Prime Inc. They have constantly preached about how they're more than a number. With the many types of personalities trucking attracts those who excel have no problem sticking out in a favorable way. Read how Kearsey is More than a number at a mega carrier. Read her articles under her former handle of Rainy for a ton of other great info

Companies that hf are looking to see if you've used. They don't care if it was two weeks or two months. If you pop positive then you go home.

Beyond the use, if you pop positive it means you have already lied on one federal form. Your physical asks if you've used any illegal or illicit drugs in the last two years. While it may be legal in your state it is still illegal federally.

To your point about being a number. Starting out, especially right out of school, you are just a number. The majority of new drivers don't make it 90 days. So until you prove yourself you are just a number.

It's not difficult to prove yourself even at a mega carrier. Everyone at my terminal knows my name and the driver qualification leaders at any terminal I've taken a student from know me as well.

Not really a caring issue. As Rob pointed out it is expensive to bring in new drivers. Pre Covid it wasn't uncommon for Swift to have 60 drivers in orientation between students and experienced drivers. That is just one terminal.

No i get what you're saying and i 110% appreciate you taking the time to answer my questions .. i have done extensive research over the last year on the BIG carriers .. i worked at lowes for some time as a out door receiver. so i unloaded every truck that needed to be unloaded with a fork truck. I asked questions .. 99% of them said stay away from swift. i have seen maybe 2-3 good views about working from swift and they usually from people who are on the payroll making videos. i kinda look at Company reviews like restaurant reviews ( worked in them for 25 years) its one thing if there is 300 reviews and some are good and some are bad because i know they're just disgruntle employees who couldnt handle it .. but there is more than that.. im not worried about proving myself i give 110% no matter where i work or what i do it was just how i was raised.. just dont want to goto a company and be unhappy in the first couple months and then be unhappy until my contract is up.. But i get what you're saying . also i couldnt sit on a Bus for that long .. i once took a bus from Vegas to NY and it was the worst 3 days of my life . and said i would never do that again. i know with the Rona things have changed . as well as i know its a different experience for everyone . Swift was the first company i did my research on ( been researching companies every week for a year. i really wanted to go with PRIME because i heard great things and they pay good while in training , only down side i heard about them is the Trucks are SLOW AF and i kow starting out you dont wanna be doing 80 and i agree. But when i called they said they were not hiring out of FL .Thats why i chose to pay for school out of pocket and have the freedom to chose who i wanted to work for.

Definitely dont want to work for a company that is going to put me on a Grey Hound . because to me paying for a Bus tickets does not show you care and only means i am not a number and just a name

they send a bus ticket because so many people don't make it through orientation. Others can chime in with their experience but some people have said they started with 25 +/- people on the first day. By the end of orientation only half were left. They slowly dwindle down to the point of only a couple people out of the 25 make it 1 year. The rest quit or get fired. G-town drives for Swift, the largest carrier in the country. Kearsey among many others on this forum drive for Prime Inc. They have constantly preached about how they're more than a number. With the many types of personalities trucking attracts those who excel have no problem sticking out in a favorable way. Read how Kearsey is More than a number at a mega carrier. Read her articles under her former handle of Rainy for a ton of other great info

i want to start out by saying i think its pretty amazing you have 666 post :) and i agree with everything you're saying . you do start as a number and have to prove yourself . I was raised to make myself know by working hard and giving it your all as i plan on doing . i have zero problems with that. to me its also about being happy , seeing my family and being able to afford to help with bills at home and be able to afford to eat while im on the road . i know that is a big concern for many people . i have kids like most of the people coming into the industry. But i look at swift as being the walmart of Trucking . i worked at a walmart DC i know how they treat there people . im only saying swift because that is the company that was said in the post above. i know there are plenty more companies out there other than them . but like the 60 people in orientation isnt for me . to me 60 people would be a distraction , less 1 on 1 time , harder to focus with that many people in one class , im sure with the scamdemic going on its probably a lot different now . but i appreciate you taking the time to respond . i take everything in that is told to me i take notes on everything i read and every bit of advice that is given to me . Thanks again!

Companies that hf are looking to see if you've used. They don't care if it was two weeks or two months. If you pop positive then you go home.

Beyond the use, if you pop positive it means you have already lied on one federal form. Your physical asks if you've used any illegal or illicit drugs in the last two years. While it may be legal in your state it is still illegal federally.

To your point about being a number. Starting out, especially right out of school, you are just a number. The majority of new drivers don't make it 90 days. So until you prove yourself you are just a number.

It's not difficult to prove yourself even at a mega carrier. Everyone at my terminal knows my name and the driver qualification leaders at any terminal I've taken a student from know me as well.

Not really a caring issue. As Rob pointed out it is expensive to bring in new drivers. Pre Covid it wasn't uncommon for Swift to have 60 drivers in orientation between students and experienced drivers. That is just one terminal.

But i look at swift as being the walmart of Trucking .

That's why Swift is at the top of my list. My performance at Walmart carried me well. The store manager started with them as a cart pusher with no retail experience, he was ten years older than me making nearly two hundred grand. Treatment in highly successful and efficient places like these is pretty much exactly the result of what you bring into it. They tend to be more than happy to accommodate you if you bring value.

I never worked at the store i worked at the DC as a freezer lift operator. My production was the top on my shift . Always there always on time stayed late when asked . But if you were not part of the click ( people who lived with in 15 minutes ) you were just another body to them. They treated people like crap. No matter what you did . But as i stated above. Every place and person has a different experience. I would never tell anyone not to work for swift .. we’re all adults and can make our own choices . From what i have read , watched and conversations i have had with people who worked there . Its not the place for me .. but i do wish you the best of luck. Drive safe and be safe man! I wish you the best no matter where ya go

But i look at swift as being the walmart of Trucking .

That's why Swift is at the top of my list. My performance at Walmart carried me well. The store manager started with them as a cart pusher with no retail experience, he was ten years older than me making nearly two hundred grand. Treatment in highly successful and efficient places like these is pretty much exactly the result of what you bring into it. They tend to be more than happy to accommodate you if you bring value.

But if you were not part of the click ( people who lived with in 15 minutes ) you were just another body to them.

That's a unique requirement to be part of a clique. I'd be questioning myself if I seriously thought that was why I wasn't getting along with others.