Profile For Joseph J.

I am a newbie so forgive me if this is not a good idea. I will let the more experienced people comment. This could drag out for a while. Is it possible to go to another company while they do not know about the ticket and it's not on your record? Once you're in, how long would it be before they even found out, if ever?

Thank you for your replies and I agree with almost everything you have all said. I do know that there is not a lawsuit. You can determine that by reading the DOT regulations. I agree a company can make their own determination. I disagree when several comments include ignorance about me and my medication. No one reading this can possibly determine my ability. Also, you might want to take a look around you and see who is driving. The purpose of my post was one thing. To advise people on this medication to not trust the information out there. As in most things these days there is conflicting information and tons of ignorance on every subject. I hope someone will read this when they are looking to get in this field. If I had read this article when I started, I would have gone about things differently. That is my only purpose here. Sure I threw a couple rants in there and frustration with society, oh well I'm human. Be careful making judgments about somebody from a couple paragraphs. Do you know what most of society judges you as a truck driver? Ask anyone what they think of when they think of a druck driver. You know exactly what they will say. Are they 100% correct? Are they 50% correct? Are there plenty of videos and drivers in truck stops to back up those views? Let me get in your closet before you judge me. Another rant, but I will be good at this job. I will be safer than most drivers out there. I don't drink, I don't do drugs. How many drivers are on Adderall, antidepressants, pain medicine, cold medicine, etc, etc. How many have a hangover? I can go on and on and on and on. The last thing I will say is that people judge on words incorrectly all the time. You read your own tone. You decide if it's negative or positive, angry or sad. When I wrote it I was devastated and sad, and a little angry at the system. Did you decide to bury my dream or to sympathize and encourage?

Hello everyone, I want to share something that is going on with me in the hopes of helping others in my situation. 2 years ago I tried to commit suicide. Part of my recovery has included Suboxone, which I truly feel saved my life. There is a lot of ignorance out there. I do not get high off my medication.

6 months ago I embarked on a mission to become an over the road truck driver. I am 56 years old and I am perfect for it. I am experienced from when I was a kid and I'm a great driver, with no tickets or accidents for 25 years.

I researched more than humanly possible to see if my Suboxone would interfere. All the info I found said it was okay. My doctor said she had others in dangerous industries on Suboxone. She said Suboxone is covered under the American with disabilities act and companies could not discriminate. She said she would give me a letter stating that I could drive on Suboxone. At this time they don't want to give a letter because of the liability. I spent 5 months working to get my CDL. I Had to get a scholarship, get in school ,etc etc. I started working out, I lost 30 lb, I quit smoking. I wanted to be the best I could be.

All the time still checking to see if it's going to be a problem. I even consulted a lawyer and got advice in writing that they could not discriminate. I am OCD with a little touch of paranoid. I even tried to stop the prescription. Trust me when I say that you cannot stop this alone. I will not go into how low I got.

When I took my DOT urine test Suboxone showed up. I told the doctor it was only five panel and he agreed. He put NA for the Suboxone. Be aware though, that companies will see it on a urine test as well. My research missed the 12 panel hair follicle test, which a ton of companies are using. I had an offer with Melton truck lines, and I was supposed to fly there Saturday.

I had my lawyer review an email that I sent to them being honest. They withdrew their offer. I lost an opportunity with another company as well. I am devastated, and stuck with very few options. Some might say it's just a job in a horrible industry, but it represented a lot more to me.

I was also lied to about job opportunities and a hiring freeze of people in South Florida. If I was a felon with a couple of DUIs in my past ( and didn't live in South Florida) I would be driving right now. If I was a drug addict and stopped for a while I could get in a truck. Some may think these are jokes , they are not. If you tell them you stopped using drugs but you won't pass a hair follicle test they will work with you.

If you are in my situation you have two options.

1. Get off Suboxone. Do it with your doctor and get as much support as you can get so you don't kill yourself.

2. Stay away from the trucking industry. My time has run out. It could take 6 months to pass a hair follicle test. Thank you for giving me a place to post this. You can't imagine how hard this is for me. Too late for me, but I hope my story can help someone. Common sense has left every area of this world.

I'm glad my first post sparked a conversation. I am not racist and I believe that good people should have a chance to start over in America. It is undeniable that an immigrant work force coming into trucking will drive down wages. Living in South Florida for 25 years My largest pet peeve is people coming to this country and not making an effort to learn the language. I could not go to their country and survive without learning the language. I have been denied many job opportunities because I am not bilingual. That is the state of living and working in South Florida. I guarantee the trucking companies will look at ways to accommodate these people to lower wages. Enough of that rant, I have to go practice my duck walk.

Thank you for your replies. I feel a little better already. Starting this adventure at this age can be stressful. I researched everything I could think of before I started. So many things that have amazed me have come up. A major one is being frozen out because I live in South Florida. Another is the trend I see of companies only using team drivers. I can see their advantage clearly, but cannot imagine doing it with many people. All my life I have been against unions. Looking at this industry it cries out for a strong unified workforce. The way I see things unfolding in the next 20 years are twofold. They will make it easier and easier for immigrants to get into trucking driving down the wages. South Florida has countless non-English speaking drivers. You may say that's illegal, down here they say so what. And don't fool yourself, automation is coming.

Hello, I accepted an invitation to go to Melton's orientation in Tulsa. I am 56 years old and consider myself to be in better shape than most people half my age. I'm just worried that they will run me out of there with some of these tests they're doing. You got to be kidding me with a duck walk. I know I can do the job, but if their goal is break you I might not make it.

Thank you for all of your replies. Most of the companies mentioned did not hire anyone in South Florida. Crazy to deny a good candidate just because of geography in a profession where all you do is travel. Feels like discrimination when you tell them you don't care about going back to South Florida. But anyways. I have an offer from Melton. Going to orientation at the end of the month. I did post another question if anyone has any info on their training program. Thanks again, hope to see you on the road!

Hello, I accepted an offer to go to Melton's training in Tulsa. Anybody out there going through it? Any comments, suggestions, warnings would be greatly appreciated. Do they run you like a Chinese fire drill? As long as you're in reasonably good shape will you survive? Do they kick a lot of people out? Thanks in advance for any help!

Hello all! I am new to the site and a new CDL graduate. I've just been told by my fourth carrier that it cannot hire anyone south of Orlando. From what I've seen I consider myself a top candidate, as I do have experience from long ago. I'm a worrier, so I wonder if they're just brushing me off because I'm 56 years old. I have told them I don't care where I live because I plan on being on the road full time. Are they feeding me bull? Any suggestions? Any suggestions or help pointing me in the right direction would be greatly appreciated. Hopefully I'll see you on the road!