Profile For John L.

Hi Sue,

I'm not in trucking (yet), but I just wanted to address a couple of concerns. First, almost no employer in any industry is going to have on their main website or recruitment page any information about carrying firearms (concealed or otherwise) while working, or even just having them in your car while parked on their property. Regardless of what permit(s) you might have, employers in most states do not have to honor them, and can prohibit you from carrying weapons while working for them or on their property (or in their trucks). Information about that is almost always found out after you have been hired and started attending orientation. If any of that is a deal breaker, you wouldn't know about it until then, unless you specifically asked them during the pre-hiring process.

Second, if you're driving across state lines, it's your responsibility to know where you are legal to carry; permits from one state are not necessarily recognized in the next (NJ for example does not honor any out-of-state weapon permits--any weapon possession will land you in prison).

Third, if you're going to possess a gun at all for protection, are you prepared (as in, trained) in using a gun defensively, are you prepared to take a human life, and are you willing to deal with the legal aftermath?

Fourth, your best defense is awareness around you. Look for courses in your area on self-defense for women--they're not just about how to fight, but how to observe your surroundings and avoid trouble in the first place (which I consider to be the most important).

I say these things not to discourage you from anything or to sound political. I consider these points to be the kind of things someone needs to know ahead of time.

Best of luck to you whatever you do.

Being someone outside the industry looking to this as a career change, I think this is something that every new driver should know about before making the first step. Obviously the company is concerned about their asset (the truck). If they allow you to take it home, they have an expectation that it would be returned to them in the same condition as when it left. If there are issues involving who's liable for anything that happens while you bring it/park it at home, you should know what they are not just for your own benefit but also from the perspective of the company who owns it.

So, is the solution to not bring a truck home and either live closer or just deal with the commute? Or is the solution to take as many reasonable precautions to make sure that nothing happens to it or the batteries don't get drained? If so, what would be your plan to deal with anything that could go wrong?

Currently I'm not a truck driver (still working on the free High Road training course), but I've been working an overnight job for years, so I know what it feels like first hand to have to manage sleep at times less than ideal. I'll share some of the things that have really helped me sleep when I need to.

Supplements--fish oil and magnesium (both are safe). Fish oil helps with brain chemistry, keeping a sense of chemical balance. It doesn't specifically help to make you sleep, but it will make your brain work more efficiently to produce hormones, including the ones that make you sleep. Magnesium can help you not only fall asleep faster, but also get a better quality sleep. Again, it's not specifically going to put you to sleep, but it helps your body with many chemical reactions, including production of sleep hormones. Avoid magnesium oxide, as it's not easily absorbable. Look for magnesium citrate or magnesium glycinate--they are much better absorbed.

Hypnosis recordings--these have been a great help to me in relaxing and falling asleep. Not only did I start sleeping a lot better, but I feel refreshed when I wake up, as opposed to exhausted. If you can get an internet connection, there are many free ones available on youtube. The one I recommend is Steve G. Jones. He has many free recordings on youtube, though I've purchased and downloaded several onto my smart phone. Once I put on one of his recordings, I'm usually "out" in five minutes.

Lastly, I'd recommend not looking at any computer screens just before going to sleep--the screen exposure can stimulate your brain, making it difficult to sleep.

I hope that helps. Best of luck to you!

Hi Michael, I am also studying the High Road Program; today I just finished page 19. Like you, I'm hoping to do a few pages each day till I finish. I'm also looking at CDL schools near me to find the best option. Good luck to you!

Would it be practical to apply for jobs out of state before getting the CDL? Or if I wait to get the CDL from NJ, how much of a hassle is it to change licenses over to the new state of residence?

First, I want to thank all the creators and regular contributors to Trucking Truth. This site has been a great resource for learning about starting a trucking career.

I've just started the High Road training series, and I will complete that program on my own before I take any further action, other than researching schools and hiring companies.

Today is particularly important, as it's the date I started my job back in 1998. Nothing fancy, it's retail. I've been trying to get out of it for years, including going back to college, but getting a degree hasn't helped. As of right now, I get my next cycle of vacation time, which, if I quit, I will basically receive a month's worth of salary. And I really need to quit--the job has just been getting worse and worse, as only those in my workplace know.

I have no family of my own, and I have no reason to stay in New Jersey. With my current work schedule, I don't have much of a social life anyway. I've been considering a trucking career for at least 5 years now, since I first started noticing so many trailers on the road with job advertisements. The decision has not been made in haste.

I have one question, that so far I have not been able to find in the forums (I looked, but if you have a link to something I missed, please post it. Thanks!) How long does truck driver training start? It's not so much that I'm in a hurry to get on the road, but more like how to plan my life. Currently I work overnights, so is it possible to attend training classes during the day while keeping my job? Or am I better off getting hired first by a company (and getting company sponsored training) and quitting my retail job?

I know that there are many factors that could determine that, but I figured the input of those in the career can give some perspective.

Thanks in advance!

I'm looking at making the change to truck driving, after being stuck working in a dead end retail job for almost 19 years. Going to college didn't help; graduated 7 years ago and can't find work in my field without experience. To get experience, the career services dept at the university told me to do volunteer work--apparently impoverishing myself with student loans isn't sufficient to get a job, now i have to work for free for an undetermined amount of time and just hope that someone will hire me.

I'm not expecting miracles if I enter truck driving as a career change, but I need something that's steady and gets me out of my rut. Since I don't have a family, and no reason to stay in NJ, it seems like great option for me.

So, am I understanding this correctly? If you plan on moving to another state, it's better to move there first and then seek a truck driving job? I'm only asking because I have no reason to stay in NJ anymore and I've been considering moving elsewhere to start over. That, and I don't want to be here after November's election.

Are there any reports of truck drivers being injured or killed in the course of their jobs?

I agree with the premise that everyone has a right to self protection, but I think that situational awareness should come first. After that, there should be training with use of weapons (merely having a weapon does not give you an edge in a life-or-death situation). Part of that training should include legal consequences. If you're going to arm yourself, you need to know fully what you're getting into. If you're not willing to accept the responsibilities that come with possession of weapons and use of force, then don't have weapons in the first place.

As someone who is researching this as my next career, I have to admit I am enthusiastic about learning/driving a manual transmission truck. Even if the company I end up working for only has automatics, I'd be okay with that. In fact, I'll admit that driving an automatic is far more convenient. I just want to be able to drive a manual if I need to.