Which Companies Have Actually ACCEPTED You Without Any Immediate

Guess what Todd? When you first start out trucking, you are a nobody, you will effectively make below minimum wage. It takes time to establish yourself and build your reputation. Learn some humility, roll with the punches and get your arse in gear because I'll just flat out say it. As you are right now, you won't last a month and I'll put a paycheck on that.

I'm 54 years old right now. I will not live forever.

I don't want to wait too long before starting to make some decent money.

I'll be dead and it will be too late. I'm in hurry to get right out of poverty.

So, I might have to take some crappy local job as a janitor for a year or two to go from disability to trucking?

Yes. You might have to become a productive member of society and prove your commitment and ability to hold down a job without the disability returning. If you cannot work a week at a local job.with less demands than truckng, then you have no business driving a killing machine.

I wrote to a company today to ask them directly

Oh big deal. You directly asked a major trucking company if they will automatically disqaulify a disabled person. The answer will be no. Otherwise they are in violation of the Disabilities Act. What they will do is bring you to orientation, go over your history and send you home. Then it is not discrimination because they gave you a chance.

Its the same legal loop they use when involving psychotropic drugs, which I am now sure you are on. In case you didnt know, companies can demand MORE than the basic DOT physical. You can go to a doctor and pass, but go to a.company and fail. This is one of the reasons I suggest company sponsored training. If you go to a company taking Trazadone as a sleep aid, you can be sent home and told to switch to another med for 30 days or until stabilized, and come back to orientation. My sister died 4 years before I went to Prime and i admitted to taking the antidepressant Effexor then. I was told "If it was more than 3 years ago it is not an issue", and i had my med record to prove it. That gave me the impression that it WOULD have been a problem had it been less than 3 years.

And each company can set its own standards. Swift might accept your med record at orientation and Prime send you home.

You have no idea what the physical exhaustion can be in trucking. Add that to the fatigue from which you suffer...and you admit your doctors assume if you lose weight that you will improve. What if you dont? What if you get into training and your fatigue returns and you roll the truck and kill people? If you lived, would you even care, because right now you seem to care for no one but yourself.

Did you ever once think that even if you improve that trucking is such a demanding industry that it can put you back on disability? Did you conaider that?

You need to concentrate on getting well. In every way, physically and mentally.

“Do I have to take some crappy job like being a janitor for a year or flipping burgers at McDonalds for some time to go from disability to trucking?”

You’re your own worst enemy. You think certain jobs are beneath you. That kind of thinking frustrates employers. I’ve been an employer, an employee and yes, served in the military for many years.

If you think any job is beneath you, when you haven’t worked outside of home in more than a decade, you are the definition of clueless.

You say you’re tired of being poor. Well not tired enough. The most successful people are willing to do WHATEVER it takes. You think you’re poor? Watch the real life story portrayed in The Pursuit of Happyness with Will Smith. You apparently have plenty of time for it.

When you are willing to scratch and claw your way out of the depths of despair. Willing to leave your comfort zone and step into the unknown, heed the advice of experts and do everything it takes, you’ll begin to appreciate those who ARE willing to do “crappy” jobs. Those people will never be dependent on the handouts of others.

Get up, dress up and show up. Otherwise...

When I say a CRAPPY job I mean a typical MINIMUM wage job. The fast-food jobs are generally for those young punks in high school with no prior work experience. I am age 54 right now and will turn 55 come this April. I have seven years honorable military service. Yes, I do feel a cut above minimum wage.

That seven years honorable service and $2 will buy you a cup of coffee.

I, and a lot of other guys here are veterans with honorable discharges, and frankly, it doesn't entitle us to anything, other than whatever benefits the government provides. You seem to think because you served, you are somehow better than everyone else.

The moderators are correct, though. New drivers and others considering a career ARE learning from you. They are learning how NOT to behave and think.

Yes, I do feel a cut above minimum wage

Well for starters, most people overvalue themselves. So let's compare how you feel about yourself to how you've actually performed over the past 14 years or so. Does your performance back your high self worth?

You mention that you were in the military. When was that - 25 years ago? You're still trying to ride that train a quarter century later?

Come on, man. You have to perform. You can't just sit home and live off the American taxpayer and at the same time consider yourself to be prestigious. At some point you have to actually move your feet and make things happen.

Now I can guarantee you that companies will glean insights into your sort of thinking. "I was in the military 25 years ago, therefore I'm valuable even though I haven't done anything productive in many years."

Do you know what that tells them about you? It tells them that once you accomplish something you don't feel like you have to perform anymore to remain valuable. Unfortunately your past performance won't pay your current bills, nor will the loads you hauled last year keep the customers satisfied or pay the company's bills. You have to perform at a high level to be considered valuable. It's a performance-based industry. Your value is based on what you produce. Once you stop producing you cease to have any value to a company.

When I say a CRAPPY job I mean a typical MINIMUM wage job. The fast-food jobs are generally for those young punks in high school with no prior work experience. I am age 54 right now and will turn 55 come this April. I have seven years honorable military service. Yes, I do feel a cut above minimum wage.

Minimum wage is more than you've EARNED. You're sitting around but they're actually out there supporting themselves and family while your sitting on the couch drawing government money. I used to think it was only my generation, the millenials, expecting everything handed to them but you've shown me I was wrong. I thank you for your service but that doesn't make you better than anyone else. I mean no disrespect to any veterans however nearly every post of Todds is about his military service and how he feels superior. If your war stories is why you're here go find a different forum or go down to the local VFW. It's true many companies have special perks for veterans but don't expect special treatment due to your service. Once you get out on the road doing your job the amount you accomplish is all that will matter. The only reason anyone is still responding to your posts is because there is a ton of people reading these quietly now and in the future and it may help others with similar questions, and also show people the unrealistic demands some people have which helps explain why most drivers don't last a full year. That person that you feel is beneath you because they "flips burgers" is a better candidate than you are. With that said get off the couch and find something. Maybe take a step up and go flip burgers. Todd, I'll take a big mac no lettuce.

I'm not buying your "chronic fatique" or whatever it was for being the reason you haven't worked. To me your LAZY. Every disability is different but I know many people eligible for that check and they try their damndest to not need it. One of my good friends is working 2 jobs because he refuses to allow his disability he was born with define him.

Todd, you're going to have a difficult time getting hired without any recent experience in any field. It's possible you won't be accepted by your first or second choice companies without any work experience in quite some time. Regardless if you feel jobs are beneath you go do something for at least a year. I worked a couple Janitor jobs in the past. One paid $15 hr, and the other $19 an hr for a local college..........

I'm not buying your "chronic fatique" or whatever it was for being the reason you haven't worked. To me your LAZY. Every disability is different but I know many people eligible for that check and they try their damndest to not need it. One of my good friends is working 2 jobs because he refuses to allow his disability he was born with define him.

Glad to see I'm not alone. I am seriously biting my tongue, trying to remain civil, believe it or not.

I wrote up a long response but thought better of posting it.

The responses to Todd's posts have been fantastic and full of great information.

Todd's posts and responses are... arrogant, confrontational, and downright irritating. I cannot read any of them without rolling my eyes.

I wonder if recruiters ever browse these forums for material on potential candidates? I imagine at least some do, and this guy certainly isn't helping himself any with his attitude. Being argumentative is not conducive to any business relationship, and I can't see many companies being willing to take such a risk on an applicant with this much baggage.

Just my $0.02.