Company Sponsorship Or Paid CDL Training W/Pet-FRIENDLY Policy?

Have you tried normal dog boarding places? They are still open in most states. A few weeks ago I had to fly from Nashville Tn to Cleveland Oh to pick up a car I bought. The airlines wouldnt let my dog on the plane...even in baggage because of covid19. I called the nearest boarding company and she stayed the night with them, even had a bath before I got back. It will be difficult to find a company willing to let you take a dog to training, even harder to find a trainer willing to let a dog on their truck for several weeks as that is their home away from home or as in my case my fulltime home. Even if the trainer is not allergic to dogs, they have a new trainee every few weeks that might be. Your best bet is to put doggy in a kennel until you get your own truck and you may have more luck with a non chain brand kennel. If your state doesn't allow kennels to be open, check with the state you will be going to for training. I dont crate my dog, she rides in the passenger seat. She's 48.8lbs.

As for the customer property issue. It is extremely unreasonable and unrealistic for you to expect your employer to find you runs based on if they let you walk your dog on their property. I've had some that allow it and others that dont. What you should do is drop that requirement and learn to stop and walk your dog within an hour of arrival. Most of the time you are on their property less than 2 hours and it's just that...THEIR property. No different than not allowing guns on their property. If you are walking your dog and for some unknown reason it bites another driver or employee they are now on the hook. Most have no problem with a quick pee but if they allow it carry poop bags and pick up your dogs poop...even at truckstops and rest areas, don't be "that guy" and dispose of it properly. General Mills in Buffalo NY made me unhook and bobtail off property through the hood at midnight to walk my dog once. I was kind of peeved since it took them 11.5 hours to load me but it's their property, their rules. Personally I think the breed restrictions are stupid as hell. Me and my dog live fulltime in the truck and it is great! You will find your bills being paid off quickly or your bank/investment accounts filling quickly. Good luck with the hunt.

Hi, thanks for that idea. Stopping for a short time before arrival isn't something that crossed my mind before you mentioned it. I'm very work-focused, and my number one priority when working is to complete the task as properly and efficiently as possible, so I'm always focused on early arrivals and completing work tasks without interruption or intervals, which is probably why I didn't think about your idea there. I will definitely do that, thank you for that! That's a good idea!

I just made a reply to you to correct your false accusations. However, to correct you on some of the material you presented: 1. There is no state or federal registry for service dogs, nor a federal registry for esa dogs. However, the state of Illinois does have a state registry for esa dogs, which require a doctor's order which I have and my God is registered with the state of Illinois. 2. ADA specified that service animals are allowed anywhere people are including restaurants, and esa animals are allowed anywhere people are (exuding restaurants). 3. The ADA specified that any animal trained to perform a task relating to a disability can be a service dog. ADA makes it very clear that some esa animals that perform tasks related to the alleviation of certain mental or emotional conditions are classified as a service animal, and distinctly disqualifies esa animals as service animals that provide emotional comfort that do not perform a task.

So again, you need to understand the interpretations better, and not make false accusations against me. I was a suicide patient for years before getting my dog and registering him with the state of Illinois. He does perform a task specified by ADA qualifying him as a service dog rather than an esa. And Jack is literally a doctor's order in place of failed varieties of anti-depresant medications. I've never had a problem bringing him anywhere, including into restaurants. Sometimes people ask to see his paperwork, and I reply by asking which ones? And I show my doctor's prescription, and his state registry.

The issue here is that most States do not have a registry for esa, so what applies here in Illinois, may not apply in another state, but will still apply under Federal law under the ADA. Thank you, and please don't jump to conclusions and make false accusations against me (or anyone else for that matter).

No one made any accusations. We genuinely are trying to help you see the reality of trucking life which it is evident that you have no real idea of it. Someone in your condition could seriously deteriorate from the mental stress. Dog or no dog. If you board the dog that you need so desperately, how is he going to help you when learning to back? Or dealing with a nasty trainer? Or customer?

Now you state you were suicidal and on anti depressants. That alone could prevent you from getting hired. No company is going to want to put an 80,000 pound killing machine in the hands of someone with a questionable mental history. They often will require years and documentation proving the length of time you have been off the meds.

And you are NOT asking them about a normal pet policy. Not one company would train with a pet on board under normal circumstances. Prime wanted me to train after a proven track record and even though THEY wanted me to train, I had to jump through hoops cause I had a cat. They had a shortage of female trainers. Upper management needed to approve it. And that was a 10 year old lazy cat, not a 46 pound dog.

Also realize that all of these promises of taking you are due to fear of lawsuits. However, the chance of you killing people with the truck would be a larger lawsuit than rejecting you for safety reasons.

And you are right....i am not most trainers. I am much better and more lenient and compassionate. That is because I struggled greatly and had to overcome a lot in training. I still remember how hard it was. You have no clue what you are getting into.

All "acceptances" you are receiving are contingent you pass other test such as the DOT physical. Each company can have different requirements in addition to DOT regs. Prime wont even allow some non addictive anxiety meds such as trazadone.

Again.... Good luck.

some who outright discriminate against me for having my service dog instead of taking anti-depressant prescriptions

If you are suffering anxiety attacks that warrants taking anti-depressants or having an Emotional Support Animal (ESA), you may be denied training until the attacks are under control as an ESA is not a Service Dog.

If these companies know the rules of the ADA and find that you are passing an ESA off as a Service Dog, they may consider that lying and could release you before training you.

Laura

To reiterate a previous reply: The ADA specified that any animal trained to perform a task for a disability is considered a service animal. Not all esa dogs can be service dogs, but those that perform a function are classified as a service dog under the ADA. Also to reiterate, a service dog and an esa dog are both federally protected under the ADA. The only difference in accommodations under Federal law, is that you can't bring an esa into a restaurant, but can bring them anywhere else people are allowed. Compared to a service dog, which can go into restaurants unlike esa dogs. A trucking company or training facility or hotel is not a restaurant, so it wouldn't matter if my dog wasn't a service dog, because I have a doctor's order and he's registered with the state of Illinois as an esa, and is allowed anywhere people are except a restaurant. So it doesn't matter here if he's an esa or a service dog, because they are both federally protected, and we're not talking about restaurant use here.

No one made any accusations. We genuinely are trying to help you see the reality of trucking life which it is evident that you have no real idea of it. Someone in your condition could seriously deteriorate from the mental stress. Dog or no dog. If you board the dog that you need so desperately, how is he going to help you when learning to back? Or dealing with a nasty trainer? Or customer?

Now you state you were suicidal and on anti depressants. That alone could prevent you from getting hired. No company is going to want to put an 80,000 pound killing machine in the hands of someone with a questionable mental history. They often will require years and documentation proving the length of time you have been off the meds.

And you are NOT asking them about a normal pet policy. Not one company would train with a pet on board under normal circumstances. Prime wanted me to train after a proven track record and even though THEY wanted me to train, I had to jump through hoops cause I had a cat. They had a shortage of female trainers. Upper management needed to approve it. And that was a 10 year old lazy cat, not a 46 pound dog.

Also realize that all of these promises of taking you are due to fear of lawsuits. However, the chance of you killing people with the truck would be a larger lawsuit than rejecting you for safety reasons.

And you are right....i am not most trainers. I am much better and more lenient and compassionate. That is because I struggled greatly and had to overcome a lot in training. I still remember how hard it was. You have no clue what you are getting into.

All "acceptances" you are receiving are contingent you pass other test such as the DOT physical. Each company can have different requirements in addition to DOT regs. Prime wont even allow some non addictive anxiety meds such as trazadone.

Again.... Good luck.

I see where you're coming from. It's true I probably don't know what I'm getting into. I have no experience. I agree that some companies would fear a lawsuit and feel obligated, but I also know of the driver shortages and that some companies are desperate. One company was so desperate without me even mentioning my dog being an esa. I certainly don't want to force any company or threaten a lawsuit or have to file one. I don't think it has to go that far.

I completely understand also how a company may feel about my past, but I'm also protected under both HIPPA and ADA from disclosing my past, and protected from being rejected due to that past if I did voluntarily release those documents to an employer. So the documentation side isn't a concern. However I see your point on the diagnostic side for safety purposes. While it's true suicide patients can relapse and have mental breakdowns, statistical evidence shows that these incidents are generally caused by a co-occuring disorder (that is the individual having a diagnosis and somekind of addiction) or having a duel-diagnisis. Sometimes it's a bad combination of psychiatric medicine, and sometimes it's a newly traumatic life occurrance that causes a relapse in suicide patients. In my particular case, all of my family members have already passed away. That was the hardest for me, but there is nothing more that can possible arise in my life to cause a relapse from a traumatic incident. I don't have anxiety or anything, so getting nervouse or unstable during training or on the job isn't a potentiality. Also most suicide patients do not harm or intend to harm others. It's a psychological state of mind of not conflicting harm on others that forces the side patient to do it to themselves. No suicide patient would intentionally attempt to harm anyone with a vehicle unless they have other mental problems/diagnoses.

Being depressed and down all the time certainly isn't fun, and years of medication and combinations have failed. That's why I have an esa with a doctor's order. It may sound like gibberish, but for someone with a real mental condition, an esa really does work as treatment. I love him more than anything in this world, and I owe everything to him for helping me recover and for his continued treatment. Suicidal ideations are no longer part of my diagnosis.

He's got at least a decade of life in him, so being depressed and suicidal isn't something I need to worry about for several years from now. I'm not sure what I'm going to do at that time but I am well treated at this time, it's also why it's so important for me to have him where I go. that's another reason why I was so interested in a public boarding facility like PetSmart because they allow me to video chat with my dog which helps my condition. So it wouldn't be a problem if PetSmart was taking dogs right now but since they're not I have no choice but to bring him with me.

No one made any accusations. We genuinely are trying to help you see the reality of trucking life which it is evident that you have no real idea of it. Someone in your condition could seriously deteriorate from the mental stress. Dog or no dog. If you board the dog that you need so desperately, how is he going to help you when learning to back? Or dealing with a nasty trainer? Or customer?

Now you state you were suicidal and on anti depressants. That alone could prevent you from getting hired. No company is going to want to put an 80,000 pound killing machine in the hands of someone with a questionable mental history. They often will require years and documentation proving the length of time you have been off the meds.

And you are NOT asking them about a normal pet policy. Not one company would train with a pet on board under normal circumstances. Prime wanted me to train after a proven track record and even though THEY wanted me to train, I had to jump through hoops cause I had a cat. They had a shortage of female trainers. Upper management needed to approve it. And that was a 10 year old lazy cat, not a 46 pound dog.

Also realize that all of these promises of taking you are due to fear of lawsuits. However, the chance of you killing people with the truck would be a larger lawsuit than rejecting you for safety reasons.

And you are right....i am not most trainers. I am much better and more lenient and compassionate. That is because I struggled greatly and had to overcome a lot in training. I still remember how hard it was. You have no clue what you are getting into.

All "acceptances" you are receiving are contingent you pass other test such as the DOT physical. Each company can have different requirements in addition to DOT regs. Prime wont even allow some non addictive anxiety meds such as trazadone.

Again.... Good luck.

When someone claims I got a fake ID online to bring my dog to trucking school is a false accusation. Please read posts before commenting.

Thank you for being less defensive in that last post. However.... The DOT physical has a federal form that asks questions such as "Have you EVER suffered from".... "Have you EVER taken a medication"

Lie and you could be penalized if caught. You would basically be committing fraud on the government. The trucking companies have their doctors examine you. They have a right to know if you are safe. I had an ovary removed and needed to disclose all info. Then I had eye surgery again... New DOT physical. They even cared about a miscarriage I had in 1994. So you see.... Thinking you can hide behind ADA or HIPAA (not HIPPA) will not help you. It could hurt you.

Thank you for being less defensive in that last post. However.... The DOT physical has a federal form that asks questions such as "Have you EVER suffered from".... "Have you EVER taken a medication"

Lie and you could be penalized if caught. You would basically be committing fraud on the government. The trucking companies have their doctors examine you. They have a right to know if you are safe. I had an ovary removed and needed to disclose all info. Then I had eye surgery again... New DOT physical. They even cared about a miscarriage I had in 1994. So you see.... Thinking you can hide behind ADA or HIPAA (not HIPPA) will not help you. It could hurt you.

I already did my DoT Physical. That's required before getting a CLP.

Doesnt matter. Each company will send you to THEIR doctor. And use THEIR parameters not DOT minimum qualifications

People come to this forum all the time with issues and disorders that DOT states can be accepted if managed. However, the company paying for the insurance gets to decide based on safety. When we try to prepare people for a possible outcome...we get lectured over and over again... Just as you did.

However, those same people come back later "That company sucks because they were supposed to accept me as bipolar.... DOT and ADA says so."

When it comes to public safety...the public trumps your rights. A license is a privilege not a right. A CDL is a privilege not a right. People with seizure disorders and diabetes can be denied.

The trucker shortage is for safe, competent, healthy drivers.... That doesnt mean they will overlook anything and everything just to get a driver. You need to understand this cause when you get doors closed on you... You will need to keep looking. Often The companies willing to take the greatest risks are also the lowest paying because of higher insurance rates.