Why Did You Become A Truck Driver?

Thank you for feedbacks, appreciate it. Actualy I did some research and found out FMCSA granted exemption(hearing) to 40 deaf drivers this month. Thats pretty good news though. So I have requested some info online and they will be mailing me documects to fill out for exemption next week..BINGO I cant wait and see if I can get aprooved. I have been in touch with SWIFT and was told they are able to hire hearing impaired drivers. So thats my plan attend Phoenix,Az cdl school and get on with "paid traveler" life :)) Also one of the main reasons I would like to drive is that I was turned down on most of other jobs I applied for due to my hearing and trucking would be lifechanging for me. For now I am hanging around this fantastic website, and love CDL online traning. Excellent job BRett!!

Roman L, I wish you the best! I met a deaf man several years ago who had a CDL license and was also driving a Class A truck for a Crane Company. I know there are some out there - be persistent and don't give up on your dream! We would love to hear from you as you progress along your journey in pursuit of the goal.

OK, here's my story. I've been in the sign business for thirty years, but with the last few years decimation of our vibrant economy the sign business just wasn't paying it's way for me any more. We depended an awful lot on folks opening new businesses in our area, and it just wasn't happening nearly enough anymore. So at the age of 52 I closed down my business and decided to pursue a second career in being a professional driver. Now I've been around big trucks all my life. I've put lettering and logos on the doors, hoods, backs of sleepers, down the sides of tankers, dry van boxes, fuel tanks - well just about anywhere they wanted lettering on their trucks, I've done it. Often times they would leave their truck in our yard and after the job was done I would have to move the truck just to get it out of the way. I loved the feel of moving such a big truck carefully and getting it parked right where you needed it to be. I also had my own big trucks, but even though they were tractor units at one time we had the frames stretched and converted to straight trucks so we could mount our cranes and ladder units onto them. I liked the feel of driving them, but having a big long trailer behind you that articulates on the pin and responds to your commands as you manipulate that big beast in and out of very tight situations gives a sense of satisfaction that only another truck driver can comprehend. I excelled at truck driving school simply because of the training I had received here on Trucking Truth and the fact that I already knew how to shift a big truck, and had driven for some time with a class B license. After graduation I decided to pursue a career with a flatbed company simply because the flatbed drivers I had worked with over the years in my business were so much more friendly and helpful to me than the dry van guys who sometimes worked for us. After about 45 days of talking to an owner operator that kept offering me all kinds of interesting opportunities that never did materialize, I finally decided to go back to a real job search of the movers and shakers in the industry and landed a job with TMC, but we hit a stumbling block when it was discovered that I had a hernia. That sent me home with the first batch of rejects from my class, but I jumped right on top of the problem and got the surgery done within two days of my arrival back home. So, right now I'm taking good care of myself, eating right, Taking long walks through the woods, exercising with some very gentle yoga exercise until I'm stronger, and patiently waiting the day when I get to return to the TMC training center in Des Moines Iowa, and begin pursuing my dream of being the best flatbed operator that ever rolled on 18 wheels.