Profile For Bubb Rubb

Did you have 2 separate incidents or just this one? We're you trained by Pam or did you go in with a CDL?

I don't have any information on this process at Pam and I don't think we have any Pam drivers here.

Just go in there and be honest. This is why and how I ended up here, this is what I did wrong and this is what I learned from it. This is why it won't happen again and then let the chips fall where they may. Accept responsibility for what happened and don't pass the buck. A lot of times people go in there and say why something wasn't their fault and that rarely ends well.

The important thing is to understand what I said above and actually apply it to your driving future and not just use it as lip service.

Good luck and let us know how it goes.

The mud incident was one thing that PUT me on the 90 day probation and the parking lot incident was what got me called into see safety.

Thank you both for the great responses. Ill go in and hope for the best while being honest and using no excuses. I kind of always knew I was going to do that, But it always makes it seem easier when I have other people saying the same thing: Almost like I'm making sure I'm making the logical decision.

I'm not much on updates, So if you hear from me again, its probably going to be another rant. lets hope its about truck stop parking and not how I got fired from PAM.

Hey all. It's been a weird few months since I last made a post and I wish it was with better news. I was hoping to get some input on the predicament Im in. Iv been driving for PAM for 3 months now and thanks to me getting stuck in some mud, They put me on a 90 Day safety probation. I got caught down a tight road a few weeks ago and ended up turning into a parking lot that was just a hair too tight for me. I managed to get out, but I wish I could say I did it without messing up a small patch of grass ( Now a muddy rut Id presume.) Now I get a call from safety saying they need to route me into a terminal to review this latest case.

I'm a bit nervous to say the least. I'm trying my best out here and I really need this job. I'm going to be honest with them ( No real reason not to be ), but I really don't know what to expect. Does anyone have any experience with this process at PAM? Should I be looking into getting a new job asap? Is there anything I should do before hand? Am I just killing myself with anxiety for nothing?

Any input would be greatly appreciated and I want to thank everyone that has helped me in the past during my CDL acquisition and mentorship.

He only said he would ask for a another test after I brought up my use of Vapo-rub. he didn't seem like he wanted to give me another test before that. I Just want to get learning. I can barely get anyone on the phone.

I got off the phone with swifts doctor and he said that they arent going to report it to the FMCSA Clearing house. I Hope that means thats good. Im assuming im boned at swift. Im applying for PAM Transportation. I had a question. Do I need to answer yes to " In the past 2 years, have you tested positive, or refused to test on a pre-employment drug or alcohol test by an employer to whom you applied, but did not obtain safety-sensitive transportation work covered by DOT agency drug and alcohol testing rules in past three years, or have you tested positive or refused to test on any DOT-mandated drug or alcohol test? " ? Would it be lying if I said no even though they arent reporting it to the clearing house? Am I just screwed before I even got started?

This week just went from good to bad. I have never once in my life done any type of amphetamine; So I was dumbfounded when Swift called me to say my hair follicle test came back positive for them. I didnt know what to say. I cant think what I took that would make me test positive for it ( But It sure as heck wasn't Meth.) I got in touch with my doctor and he said I have nothing prescribed that would make me test positive. I'm losing my mind here. The Doctor at swift said that my urine came back negative. He said the results were not reported to the clearinghouse, so I hope this doesn't ruin my chances as ta career before they even started. Can anyone offer me some advice? I don't know what to do. The doctor said he would ask swift if they could do some additional testing.

Things have been going pretty fast for me. 3 days after receiving my CDL and I'm already set up to head to Lancaster Texas after 1 email with a swift recruiter. It's really the first time iv ever been away from home and it shows in the way my parents acted. Mom was tearing up every time she saw me packing more stuff into my duffel bag or every time she heard me on the phone with my recruiter. My dad was more proud than worried. He tried his best to instill as many life values as he could onto me before seeing me off.

The drive wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I left at 2 AM to get to the hotel by at least 5:30 AM. The contrast between the pitch blackness of I-49 and the blinding glare of I-20 West from Shreveport was kind of intriguing to me. The number of trucks filling up on ramps was also pretty neat. I neglected to make any pit stops to keep with my habit of being as punctual as possible; Even though my knee was locking up from being bent in the same position for 4 hours straight.

I barely had time to enjoy the hotel room after arriving before finding myself pulling into Swifts Lancaster Terminal. I anxiously stepped through the front doors and found myself blocked by an employees only sign. After a brief conversation with an employee coming in from outside, I made my way upstairs to the orientation room. Rudy.G from Driver qualifications greeted me and offered me a drink after taking my CDL. I hadn't had anything to eat or drink since the day before, so I eagerly took him up on his offer. My fellow trainees arrived about 25 minutes after I did from the Hotel via shuttle. I had a wonderful time conversating with them and getting to know them better. Everyone at swift is so kind and polite. The safety team was a little overbearing, but they need to be. I can safely say that everyone iv met at swift so far has been a joy to work with and have done everything I can think of to clear up any questions and set my mind at ease. If my mentor is half as understanding as they have been, things are going to be a breeze.

After a long day of signing forms and watching videos, I was back in the hotel room with an extra pizza they let me take home and a 10 dollar gift card to the Cracker Barrel. I slept for the rest of the day and woke up early in the morning with nothing much to do. I spent the rest of that day shopping around. I picked up a cheap laptop to keep my mind occupied ( and so I could write this.) and looked around for some places to pick up dinner. If you haven't tried In-N-Out, I highly recommend them!

As of now, it is 8 AM January 22, 2021, and I'm just waiting to check out of my hotel room. all I need to do now is wait for my drug screens to come back and receive my mentor. If they can't find me one until Monday, I might just head back home for the weekend. I know I packed a bit too much for the trip and would like to cut down on my load. I will try to keep this Diary updated as much as I can. Thank you all so much for being there to help me through the stress of becoming a trainee truck driver. I hope someone will find something helpful from this and any future posts of mine.

Thanks Guys. I will definitely keep in touch. I'v looked over a lot of the forums at threads for what to expect at orientation, but if anyone has anything they think would be of some help, Id really appreciate it! Ill remind myself to let everyone know how it went in a diary as soon as I get back to my PC ( I hate typing on phones.)

First, gl in your new adventure! I just joined here too and I was where you are not that long ago. And since I doubt anyone would give this advice other than me allow me to say: DO NOT flush the toilet when they urine test you lol. Like a dummy I did out of habit even after they tell you not to. I had iirc an 1h 30m to produce another sample or I’d be hit with a refusal to produce one. I made it with 6 minutes to spare on the clock. My trucking career was nearly torpedoed before it began over a reflex sheesh. Anyway gl and stay safe.

I actually almost did that the first time I took a Pee test for my CDL school. Ill make doubly sure to remember now! thanks for the advice!

At your physical keep your clothes on until you're asked to take them off for a hernia check (if they even do it, my last 3 did not).

Noob driver would know about that (halfway down)

The longer my clothes stay on, the better!

I do have one question. Im going to assume that all the tests are like the ones I did in CDL school. On the backing and pretty much everything on the road test, is anything timed at all? I wasnt timed for my CDL, test, But I WAS limited in how many pull ups and GOALs I could do. I would really love to hear that I get as many pulls and GOALs as I need. Especially if they are going to look for an Alley back.

Also, will the test be in an automatic or a standard? I was taught to drive on a standard.

Thanks Guys. I will definitely keep in touch. I'v looked over a lot of the forums at threads for what to expect at orientation, but if anyone has anything they think would be of some help, Id really appreciate it! Ill remind myself to let everyone know how it went in a diary as soon as I get back to my PC ( I hate typing on phones.)

Welcome to the forum Colt J!

You have joined the best forum on the net for trucking advice!

The people here are very knowledgeable and very willing to help new drivers start their careers.

I am not a driver yet but plan to be in a few years.

Hopefully you will start a training diary of your adventures.

Thank you, Tortuga! I will definitely think about it once I get out and about. I was thinking of Starting as a Training Diary, but I thought it wouldn't fit in seeing as I'm not in training anymore. I do hope I'm not cluttering up the Forum with this topic.