Profile For Dick M.

Yes ****, that's exactly what happened. My training class, started out with 64 people. Half were young bucks (gals n guys) all talkin' big talk, "I'mma gunna be owner op etc etc" before they've even seen if trucking was for them.........Well, 24 of us graduated out of that original 64 ! 1 girl, got so far as to leave the terminal, to go meet up with her trainer. I heard, within 80 miles away from our terminal, she told whoever was driving the rental car, "Take me back, I ain't doin' this BS" and QUIT, before she started.

A LOT of the others, jumped ship after they got their CDL's, thinkin' they're gunna go with a better paying job. Until, they got hit with the Contract clause, and having to pay back $6500+ a couple did return, not many, to fulfill the contract. It was only for 10 months, it used to be 8 months, but it got abused, so it got raised 2 months pffffft no big deal

Within the 1st year, there was, me, and "maybe", 2 others, still driving for this company. By year 2, I was the last 1 of us 24 grads, to leave and take a 5 month break, until I went back driving OTR with another company......'til I retired, fully lol

What made you retire? One of those little Filipinas catch your heart in Cebu and make you fly across the world? Lol can’t say I blame you. Hope you’re living it up now.

Packrat, you’re right. But for my area, my only option is basically swift now. And I’m not too good for them. Just haven’t given them a try yet. Thanks all for your replies.

Hello, and welcome to our forum!

I think you are missing something here. You were not "blacklisted" because you took a drug test. Here's the deal. Most companies hiring new inexperienced drivers will not take someone who has once tried to start a trucking career and then changed their mind. I know it sounds crazy to you, but this is not like any ordinary job. It is a change of lifestyle and a real commitment to an industry that is very demanding.

Most trucking companies will give you a shot at this just to give you a chance to prove you have the stuff that makes for a great trucker. If you fail, they've wasted a lot of time, effort and money. They will then move on and give another person a shot at it. They are really reluctant to take a person who started orientation at another company and then didn't finish the job. That is why they asked you that particular question. It was a bit of a trick question to find out if you had ever tried this before. Once you answered it affirmatively their interest was gone. That is why they are ghosting you. It has nothing to do with drugs or drug test results.

Thanks for the reply. I think you’re probably spot on with the “trick question” angle. These training companies must get a lot of people who take up spots in their program, make them pay for drug tests, and then don’t show up when it actually matters. I regret being one of those guys for company I chatted with last year. So his question about taking drug tests at other companies is him trying to classify me as someone who is serious or another time waster.

I’ve been talking with the local cdl training facility near my town and might go with them next month, though it sucks to start this career 4000 dollars in the hole.

I don't want to give a name out because it would feel like I'm trying to trash them or something. I tried to go with the company from last year but they weren't having it after I cancelled, I don't blame them.

I totally get the company passing on me, I was more just wondering why it mattered if I drug tested at a another company. If I was willing to provide results. But yeah, maybe he just had a ton of candidates and doesn't want to mess with trying to figure out if I had a negative or positive result on that drug test.

Thanks for the reply.

Hey all. I've been considering getting into trucking for the last few years. Last year I got hired on for a companies training program but cancelled last minute because I decided to continue with my current job for the time being. This year I've been regretting that and a couple months ago I put in an application with a different company. They immediately started spamming me with promo emails and I was getting calls from the recruiter daily. I got back to him and he started asking me screening questions. One of them was, have you ever completed a drug test for another trucking company and I said yes, because I had to do one the prior year when I almost started with the other company. The recruiter's tone immediately changed and he rushed to get me off the phone, saying thanks for my honesty but he would have to check with his supervisor for permission to move forward.

After a couple days of no return call, I sent an email asking for further explanation of the issue, as I've never failed a drug test and would be happy to share any results. I didn't get a response. The promo emails also completely stopped. I sent another email this week and no response. You'd think the guy would at least have told me they weren't interested and given me a reason.

Is this normal to be blacklisted from a company for just taking, but not failing, another companies drug test? I'm going to call the companies main phone line and explain the issue to a different recruiter and see if I can get a clear answer. Maybe this particular recruiter just doesn't want to deal with me.

Hey all. I've completed my DOT exam and getting my permit soon so still early in the process of getting started with trucking.

Just looking to have realistic expectations for home time when driving OTR. From what I understand you will get maybe 2-3 days every couple of weeks? With the option to stay out longer and bank some more days off for a longer break. So if you stay out on the road for like two months are able to take a full week off after that?

Also, when you're out on the road for months at a time, what do you do during that required reset period? I think 34 hours. Get a hotel? Just hang out in the truck?

Thanks for any feedback.