Profile For David C.

Thanks for the input everyone, this site is great!

I am a tanker-yanker and have been at it for about three years, hauling fuel. My yard is about 50 miles from my home and is about the closest trucking company around. I get up to go to work about 3:00 am, drive about an hour in my pov and put in about a 12 to 14 hour day in the truck on average, then drive 50 miles back home, 5 to 6 days a week. There are plenty of OTR companies around within about a 70 mile radius. I don't know if I would qualify to work for an OTR company but I have seen some of them advertise for transition positions. I don't mind working but, I am older and would like to ease up a little, still need to work full time, mainly for the health insurance, not 65 yet. I am thinking of trying to get on with a company that makes regional runs, home very weekend. Would work like this be a little easier on an older driver

Let me start by saying I have posted questions on this sight and am grateful for the positive and informative responses. I have been driving commercially for about 20 years, but all local ,(within a 200 mile radius). I am Interested in going over the road but am completely clueless about it ! Many times I have read about people trying to decide what companies to apply to. I am older and have a home and have no interested in relocating or moving. I Guess my question would be in deciding what companies to apply to, is terminal location for the company you are interested in applying to a consideration. I think the closet terminal to where I live is about 125 miles from my home and is a Swift terminal. The reason for the question is, If you are on home time do you have to leave the truck at the terminal and then go home and then return to the terminal and pick up the truck when you go back on duty, or do you just drive the truck home, which I would think makes since because trucking companies recruit nationally and I have seen recruitment adds on Craigstlist for CRST in my home town and surrounding towns that I know do not have terminals. I am California and there are many trucking companies based here with terminals , but it would be difficult to have to drive 3 or 4 hours to a terminal. (commute to work) .Thank you for any insight on this subject!

Just found out that I am going to have to have knee replacement surgery. Beside the 3 to 6 month recovery period, does anyone know of any DMV, or medical certification reasons why I could be disqualified from returning back to work. Have any of you drivers been through this, did you have any work related complications. I am kind of in the beginning phases of this situation so I am looking for all the information I can get , mainly regarding my employment future after the procedure.

I have been looking at some driver jobs and a couple of them stated, no forced dispatch. what does that mean? Also, I talked to a recruiter that stated that you go out for two weeks and then you get two days off. They pay buy the mile, so why would it matter if after being out for two weeks you wanted to be home for a longer period of time then two days.

I am a driver that has been driving local for about 16 years. Presently I drive for a fuel transport company and go about 200 miles a day. I am interested in seeking employment with a bigger company and going OTR . Kids are grown and out of the house but the wife has no interest in this venture. I have been exploring craigslist and see many driver opportunities all of them say they provide great home time. Some say out 1-2 weeks, others do not say how long your out for before you get home time. My question about this is what can a driver expect for home time if they are out a week, two weeks or longer, or is there a rule of thumb , say your out 10 days do you get so many days at home before you go out again? Also I live about 40 miles from the I-5 in California and these ads say they hire along the I-5 corridor. When you get home time do you take the truck home or do you have to leave it at a terminal and drive your POV home. The answer to this question would be important to choosing a company to apply to. The closest big company terminal to where I reside is about a hour and a half drive from my house. Thank you for any information on these questions.

I recently had my DMV physical and my blood pressure was 130/90. Dr. issued me a 1 year medical cert, I was alright with that , figured I had a year to get my blood pressure under control. Then I was told that once you get an annual cert you cannot get another 2 year cert for the rest of your driving career, even if you get your blood pressure down.Is this true?

I am 55 and have been in public safety for 38 years. In 2000 I injured my knee on an incident and had to have knee surgery.While I was layed up I decided that when I recovered I was going to learn another profession. I recovered and went back to work without any complications. I also enrolled in a CDL drivers course at the local college and received my class A license. Since then I have been driving truck on my off days very consistently. All local jobs, some AG, but mostly pulling bottom dumps and hauling fuel. Currently I am a tanker yanker hauling fuel. Any way, I had planned to retire from public service and try to get hired with an OTR company at some point. Recently I have been having issues with that bum knee and went to my doctor. He stated that I could possibly be in need of a knee replacement. I would get a second opinion of course . But if this were to happen would it disqualify me or hamper me from becoming an OTR driver. That is if my recovery from the procedure is complete and without complication.

I saw an add for team drivers that stated you could make 150,000 to 156,000 a year. Is that per driver or is that amount split between the drivers?

This may get you to thinking ! but I need an answer or at least and educated guess. I am a full time Firefighter,I also drive truck on my days off from the FD, I work a 48 hour shift at the FD, 0800-0800.The question is , can I legally drive CDL my first day off from the FD. I may or may not have had any sleep time in that 48 hour shift at the FD. I drive locally and do not have to keep a log book, but i really don't need any trouble from the law, so any advise you can give would be great.