Profile For sd1978

Rainy,

I’ve been doing some Lyft and Amazon Flex, but nothing full-time since January 8th (coming up on 2 months).

Previous job was 7 years duration.

What sort of work history do I need in order to get past this hurdle?

I am concerned about getting on with a company then realizing that I had made a bad company choice. Either way, I probably just need to do the research now. I guess I’m no worse off having to pay back company tuition than I would be paying full-boat up front for a school.

Didn’t you read anything Brett replied with?

Your approach is flawed for the simple reason Sage will take you money, not give a hoot about your medical issues, only for you then to find you cannot get a job...

If you take the approach of Paid CDL Training Programs you will not be wasting any money or time because they will medically prequalify you before accepting you into school.

Just to be clear, SD1978 is possibly “Boise Todd”. Let’s temper any further responses until after Brett validates his credentials.

I was being truthful when I said that the replies had given me some things to think about. Just being honest with my concerns and thoughts, that’s all.

I am not the same person as Boise Todd (whoever that is).

Tell us more about yourself... are you currently working?

The more background information you provide, the better we can assist.

Not currently working. Last major job was as a 9-1-1 dispatcher prior to relocating to the Boise area in October. I had a job for a month at Alaska Airlines in December, but quit for personal reasons.

I’m a little burned out on the 9-1-1 career and have considered truck driving for the last 5 years or so.

No accidents or tickets in the last 3+ years. No criminal history. Married, no kids.

This gives me more to think about. I’ll take a look at the links you sent me.

Rainy, that’s my biggest concern as well. I don’t want to shell out $5K just to find out that nobody will touch me with my meds.

Other thoughts welcome. I appreciate all the replies so far.

I plan to stay with my first job at least a year, so I’m under no illusions that I’ll be a free agent.

I am concerned about getting on with a company then realizing that I had made a bad company choice. Either way, I probably just need to do the research now. I guess I’m no worse off having to pay back company tuition than I would be paying full-boat up front for a school.

Another question... I’m in the Boise area. How concerned should I be about finding a company with a terminal close by (say within a couple hours). Is hometime harder to schedule when the terminal is farther away (say 5-6 hours)?

Hey everyone,

I’ve been lurking for a while and have finally made the decision to make the jump into trucking. I’m currently researching schools and companies.

I’m hoping to get some help with a few initial questions:

1). I’m strongly favoring the private school route (SAGE) over company sponsored training. Reasons: it’s closer to home, I have the money to do it, hoping for a better quality training program, don’t want to be locked into a single company.

I get the feeling that many here prefer the company-sponsored route. Are there other things I should be considering?

2). What’s a reasonable estimate about the time between finishing CDL school and getting hired into an OTR job with one of the big companies?

3). What are some of the things that prevent new drivers from finding/landing work once out of CDL school?

4). I am working on getting documentation together for my DOT medical (sleep apnea, bipolar meds). Both conditions are stable with existing treatment.

So far, my doctors have been supportive with writing medical opinion release letters.

I gather that some (many?) companies have their own medical standards that go beyond the DOT medical. How much should I worry about this being a barrier to entry into this career?

Thanks in advance for any help.