Smoked Weed 5 Months Ago Can I Get Cdl

$120 for the test

I pulled the trigger on paying for a hair follicle test in advance of the start of my orientation. Too much riding on going into orientation

Kenneth, if you don't mind my asking,what was the freight on the self pay follicle test?

And kudos to you for being willing to commit your own resources to ensuring your success in your new career, and being willing to go into it 100%. Too many people these days (in my very opinionated opinion) expect everything to be handed to them, to have no skin in any game that involves an employer. Your dedication before hand bodes well for your continued success in this profession.

Just got the results back from hair follicle test.

Negative.

Spending $120 for some reassurance is worth every penny. We spend a lot of time and money pursuing a CDL so it made less sense to me to risk an uncertain outcome that could potentially sideline or stall a career in trucking.

If you have doubts you’ll test clean step up and get your own test.

$120 for the test

I pulled the trigger on paying for a hair follicle test in advance of the start of my orientation. Too much riding on going into orientation

Kenneth, if you don't mind my asking,what was the freight on the self pay follicle test?

And kudos to you for being willing to commit your own resources to ensuring your success in your new career, and being willing to go into it 100%. Too many people these days (in my very opinionated opinion) expect everything to be handed to them, to have no skin in any game that involves an employer. Your dedication before hand bodes well for your continued success in this profession.

Bumping this reply. 100% agree.

I can't believe the number of people who ask the questions here about when it will be safe to have a clean hair or urine test because they have used some form of illegal drugs.

If you have used some form of illegal drug then wait a year before you try and test clean. Are you sure that you are drug freefor good or just fooling yourself?

Drug use of any kind just doesn't work in this industry.

Hello and welcome,

Due to the never ending influx of “Hey man, I smoke weed and I need a trucking job, how do I pass a drug test?” posts that happen in here on a very regular basis, here is a blanket reply that cuts right to the chase…

THE GOLDEN RULE OF MARIJUANA, TRUCKING, and DRUG TESTS is to wait 12 months from last use before applying for a trucking job for (2) reasons. First, it will guaranty that any THC compounds and/or cannabanoids will be thoroughly purged from your system regardless of your health, body mass, and how much you previously used. Second, you will have proven to yourself, and the trucking industry that you are in full control of yourself and are a “past user” versus an addict. Users can walk away and stay away. Addicts are dependent on the THC and cannot quit without professional intervention or alternate therapies. The problem is so many chronic “dependent” users think they can cope without it moving forward and relapse. If you relapse, reset the 12 month clock.

FIVE REASONS YOU SHOULD NOT EVEN BOTHER BECOMING A TRUCK DRIVER:

- 70% of first year drivers (the majority of which don’t use drugs) wash out and quit due to the stress, job demands, and social isolation.

-Tractor/trailer combos are nearly 70 feet long and can weigh 40 tons and can potentially injure or kill scores of people if the driver is impaired by controlled substances. Loss of limb or life and multi-million dollar losses to carriers and/or their insurance companies are not uncommon in severe trucking accidents. Think about that.

-You can and will be tested at random intervals and can face strict penalties if you test positive.

-Do you honestly believe that you will avoid using literally 100% of the time (including your time off)? That is what is will take to even stand a chance at making a go of this.

-Trucking is the 7th most dangerous job in America, has the 4th highest suicide rate of any occupation, and is always near the top for divorce rate. Do you have the mental constitution to ignore stress and make quick and correct decisions in an emergency WITHOUT having your mind numbed by drugs? An average sober person does not. Ponder that for a minute as it’s a huge question “Can I manage extreme stress while sober for the long haul?”

FREQUENT MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT TRUCKING AND MARIJUANA:

“Anyone can get a trucking job, it’s easy and there is high demand”

-Ridiculously incorrect. On the contrary there are very few that actually CAN do this job. It is stressful, demanding, requires a 12-14 hour workdays with a constantly changing schedule and altered sleep patterns.

“I can still use on my time off as long as I am sober for duty”

-Wrong. THC has lasting effects which impairs your short term memory, ability to focus, cognitive function, and motivation. These are all CRITICAL characteristics of a good driver. And NO, how strong and cool you think you are does not matter...it applies to everyone equally .

“If I fail a drug test, I deserve a second chance!”

- If you failed a DOT drug test your career is most likely over already. YOU made a choice to use and YOU are responsible for this outcome. The purpose of the test is to keep unsafe drivers off the road. You will now likely need to find another career field (preferably non-OSHA).

“Drug addicts can’t be discriminated!”

-Back to reality, yes they can and they will be with no legal recourse (even though there are attorneys who know this but will gladly take your money to make you feel better). Your ability to earn an income does NOT supersede Federal Regulations for Motor Carriers which are designed to protect the general public. Every day people are turned away due to failing a DOT physical for a variety of reasons: high blood pressure, uncontrollable diabetes, etc. You are in the same league as them...physically unfit to operate a Commercial Motor Vehicle.

IN CLOSING:

This may not be what you wanted to hear but perhaps what you needed to hear. Trucking is brutally stressful and demanding lifestyle change. Frankly, if you can’t face and handle stress and react quickly under pressure and have any severe emotional problems, then you likely have a 99% chance of failure. Not trying to be harsh, but most people with mental health and/or chemical dependency issues will have a nearly impossible uphill battle in this field.

I myself am a prior marijuana user myself who has permanently quit prior to trucking. You can do it too! Please come back if/when you are clean for 12 months and there will be an abundance of support to get your career off to a great start! If you cannot stay clean, then there is no shame, in fact there is great respect if you will do the right thing and scratch trucking off of your list of options and find a career better suited to your situation. I pray that you will find not only employment soon, but also greater peace and fulfillment in your life.

What I have wondered about is the recidivism rate for former drug uses who stop for a year, get a CDL and start using again? Anybody ever see any “estimates” for that?

Also, how are owner/operators tested other than DOT physical pee test?

Stress is subjective and feeling stressed is not an automatic trigger to re-engage in prior drug use.

One, you assume the prior drug use was for stress management purposes. Mine was not. I had chronic pain associated with a severely arthritic hip. I was also a 40 year user of chewing tobacco but I kicked that habit too.

It’s good to feel good about yourself with regards to your beating your prior addiction. You should be proud of that. The rest of your post came across as being a bit sanctimonious. You don’t know my story nor have you walked in my shoes. Stress? Again it’s subjective and how people deal with their stress is directly related to the internal self discipline one has.

There will be no revisiting past vices because I lack the mental and spiritual discipline to deal with what life in the trucking world throws at me. When stressed, and I expect to be stressed and tested in many ways as I navigate a career in trucking, I will fall to my knees and pray.

I know without question that in 12 months, 24 months or 60 months I’ll be telling you the same thing if you’re still around to read it, and that is “I’m still marijuana free.” I got into trucking not because I viewed it as a cakewalk. It’s taken a lot to get the opportunity to drive a big rig. I’m excited and driven by the challenge of it, and I’ll handle the stress of it just fine in never forgetting what it has taken to get to where I have this opportunity.

Thank you for your sage advice. I’ll keep it in mind.

Hello and welcome,

Due to the never ending influx of “Hey man, I smoke weed and I need a trucking job, how do I pass a drug test?” posts that happen in here on a very regular basis, here is a blanket reply that cuts right to the chase…

THE GOLDEN RULE OF MARIJUANA, TRUCKING, and DRUG TESTS is to wait 12 months from last use before applying for a trucking job for (2) reasons. First, it will guaranty that any THC compounds and/or cannabanoids will be thoroughly purged from your system regardless of your health, body mass, and how much you previously used. Second, you will have proven to yourself, and the trucking industry that you are in full control of yourself and are a “past user” versus an addict. Users can walk away and stay away. Addicts are dependent on the THC and cannot quit without professional intervention or alternate therapies. The problem is so many chronic “dependent” users think they can cope without it moving forward and relapse. If you relapse, reset the 12 month clock.

FIVE REASONS YOU SHOULD NOT EVEN BOTHER BECOMING A TRUCK DRIVER:

- 70% of first year drivers (the majority of which don’t use drugs) wash out and quit due to the stress, job demands, and social isolation.

-Tractor/trailer combos are nearly 70 feet long and can weigh 40 tons and can potentially injure or kill scores of people if the driver is impaired by controlled substances. Loss of limb or life and multi-million dollar losses to carriers and/or their insurance companies are not uncommon in severe trucking accidents. Think about that.

-You can and will be tested at random intervals and can face strict penalties if you test positive.

-Do you honestly believe that you will avoid using literally 100% of the time (including your time off)? That is what is will take to even stand a chance at making a go of this.

-Trucking is the 7th most dangerous job in America, has the 4th highest suicide rate of any occupation, and is always near the top for divorce rate. Do you have the mental constitution to ignore stress and make quick and correct decisions in an emergency WITHOUT having your mind numbed by drugs? An average sober person does not. Ponder that for a minute as it’s a huge question “Can I manage extreme stress while sober for the long haul?”

FREQUENT MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT TRUCKING AND MARIJUANA:

This may not be what you wanted to hear but perhaps what you needed to hear. Trucking is brutally stressful and demanding lifestyle change. Frankly, if you can’t face and handle stress and react quickly under pressure and have any severe emotional problems, then you likely have a 99% chance of failure. Not trying to be harsh, but most people with mental health and/or chemical dependency issues will have a nearly impossible uphill battle in this field.

I myself am a prior marijuana user myself who has permanently quit prior to trucking. You can do it too! Please come back if/when you are clean for 12 months and there will be an abundance of support to get your career off to a great start! If you cannot stay clean, then there is no shame, in fact there is great respect if you will do the right thing and scratch trucking off of your list of options and find a career better suited to your situation. I pray that you will find not only employment soon, but also greater peace and fulfillment in your life.

Kenneth, you have discovered the greatest weapon against any adversity in life which is prayer. Follow that path and success will be yours. I took MJ for chronic pain for a couple of years and I now rely solely on prayer. God Bless!

I am sure we’re both the better for it Zen.

Just wrapped up my first week of orientation with Schneider. It’s been comprehensive training and they definitely teach you how to become a Schneider driver. Safety comes first. Teaching you the right way to get in and out of the truck, buckling up before shutting the door, never getting out of the truck with the engine running, or the keys in the ignition, etc….. they start with the basics, and expect improvement each day.

We started with 9 in our class, we are down to 3. They actually let me drive on the Friday of my first week, and I did my first 90 degree back in. Getting good praise so far for how I am performing but I am still relying on the grace of God to carry me through the remaining weeks should I be lucky enough to get that far.

Our lead instructor is a hard ass, but seems to be fair. Enjoying the weekend off but I’ll hit the books tomorrow to continue learning how to be a Schneider driver.

God is good!

Kenneth, you have discovered the greatest weapon against any adversity in life which is prayer. Follow that path and success will be yours. I took MJ for chronic pain for a couple of years and I now rely solely on prayer. God Bless!

Keep us posted on your progress brother!

I am sure we’re both the better for it Zen.

Just wrapped up my first week of orientation with Schneider. It’s been comprehensive training and they definitely teach you how to become a Schneider driver. Safety comes first. Teaching you the right way to get in and out of the truck, buckling up before shutting the door, never getting out of the truck with the engine running, or the keys in the ignition, etc….. they start with the basics, and expect improvement each day.

We started with 9 in our class, we are down to 3. They actually let me drive on the Friday of my first week, and I did my first 90 degree back in. Getting good praise so far for how I am performing but I am still relying on the grace of God to carry me through the remaining weeks should I be lucky enough to get that far.

Our lead instructor is a hard ass, but seems to be fair. Enjoying the weekend off but I’ll hit the books tomorrow to continue learning how to be a Schneider driver.

God is good!

Kenneth, you have discovered the greatest weapon against any adversity in life which is prayer. Follow that path and success will be yours. I took MJ for chronic pain for a couple of years and I now rely solely on prayer. God Bless!