Should I Go Off My Mental Health Meds To Become A Truck Driver?
Topic 31399 | Page 2
Yes you NEED documentation from a doctor stating what meds you have been on and for how long and that you are stable. This is true for ANY condition... Including sleep apnea , blood pressure, diabetes, and others. This is not any kind of discrimination against the mentally ill.
My own sister was schizophrenic from excessive drug use, and my father was depressed. They both committed suicide. Mental health is something I take seriously.
Trucking is also something i take seriously. Recently there was an uproar over 110 year sentence for a driver who killed 4 people and injured dozens. Your mental and physical health can kill others and yourself. You can be imprisoned for your mishandling of the vehicle. Carriers will be sued for millions of dollars if you have a serious accident like that.
Your doctor is staying you need to stay 9n the meds. You have said you have been on meds your whole life.... It is a federal crime to lie on DOT paperwork.
Do not play around with your mental health especially when you can put lives at risk.
DOT:
Department Of Transportation
A department of the federal executive branch responsible for the national highways and for railroad and airline safety. It also manages Amtrak, the national railroad system, and the Coast Guard.
State and Federal DOT Officers are responsible for commercial vehicle enforcement. "The truck police" you could call them.
Sleep Apnea:
A physical disorder in which you have pauses in your breathing, or take shallow breaths, during sleep. These pauses can last anywhere from a few seconds to a few minutes. Normal breathing will usually resume, sometimes with a loud choking sound or snort.
In obstructive sleep apnea, your airways become blocked or collapse during sleep, causing the pauses and shallow breathing.
It is a chronic condition that will require ongoing management. It affects about 18 million people in the U.S.
My own sister was schizophrenic from excessive drug use, and my father was depressed. They both committed suicide. Mental health is something I take seriously.
Sorry to hear it. My father committed suicide from depression as well.
Trucking is also something i take seriously. Recently there was an uproar over 110 year sentence for a driver who killed 4 people and injured dozens. Your mental and physical health can kill others and yourself. You can be imprisoned for your mishandling of the vehicle. Carriers will be sued for millions of dollars if you have a serious accident like that.
That was more to do with poor judgment than mental illness. Plus the sentence got reduced to 10 years by the governor. I'm aware that driving a truck is a big deal.
Your doctor is staying you need to stay 9n the meds. You have said you have been on meds your whole life.... It is a federal crime to lie on DOT paperwork.
I actually said I have been off such meds for most of my life. You read it wrong. My doctor did not say I needed to stay on the meds. She did not address me telling her I might have to go off them either way. I need a new psychiatrist, but I'm lucky to have any at all.
DOT:
Department Of Transportation
A department of the federal executive branch responsible for the national highways and for railroad and airline safety. It also manages Amtrak, the national railroad system, and the Coast Guard.
State and Federal DOT Officers are responsible for commercial vehicle enforcement. "The truck police" you could call them.
So I asked a bunch of people that did DOT physicals, and one got back to me. It sounds like I will pass a DOT physical even without a doctor's note. They said, "I don’t believe so. Only BP meds, diabetes or sleep apnea need doctor’s notes"
So I guess I have no reason to go off the meds.
DOT:
Department Of Transportation
A department of the federal executive branch responsible for the national highways and for railroad and airline safety. It also manages Amtrak, the national railroad system, and the Coast Guard.
State and Federal DOT Officers are responsible for commercial vehicle enforcement. "The truck police" you could call them.
Sleep Apnea:
A physical disorder in which you have pauses in your breathing, or take shallow breaths, during sleep. These pauses can last anywhere from a few seconds to a few minutes. Normal breathing will usually resume, sometimes with a loud choking sound or snort.
In obstructive sleep apnea, your airways become blocked or collapse during sleep, causing the pauses and shallow breathing.
It is a chronic condition that will require ongoing management. It affects about 18 million people in the U.S.
It sounds as though your psychiatrist is just unfamiliar with filling out forms.
Given your history, it is probably not a good idea to go off all these meds except under a doctor's supervision. Also, a doc who does a lot of DOT physicals can probably tell you about options. Even if you have to pay for 2 visits, go anyway. Also, since one visit is for medical advice, not a DOT physical, insurance might pay for it.
You can go to another MD such as a primary care MD or a neurologist. Bring copies of your medical records if they are not on the same medical record system. Explain that you just need someone to verify whatever- probably that you are stable on these meds. There are a lot of meds, so there might be some issues with sedation. You could also ask your psychiatrist to write a note about your stability. Most doctors cannot do DOT physicals, but they can write a medical opinion for the DOT physician to review.
IMHO, it would be better to go to a doctor/MD or DO, rather than an NP. A doctor will be better trained to discuss the situation with you for your safety as well as for the ability to get a CDL A. You wouldn't want to stop and have a relapse, nor would you want to hurt someone, right?
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
- Any combination of vehicles with a gross combined weight rating (GCWR) of 26,001 or more pounds, providing the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of the vehicle being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 or more pounds, or any such vehicle towing another not in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any vehicle, regardless of size, designed to transport 16 or more persons, including the driver.
- Any vehicle required by federal regulations to be placarded while transporting hazardous materials.
DOT:
Department Of Transportation
A department of the federal executive branch responsible for the national highways and for railroad and airline safety. It also manages Amtrak, the national railroad system, and the Coast Guard.
State and Federal DOT Officers are responsible for commercial vehicle enforcement. "The truck police" you could call them.
So I asked a bunch of people that did DOT physicals, and one got back to me. It sounds like I will pass a DOT physical even without a doctor's note. They said, "I don’t believe so. Only BP meds, diabetes or sleep apnea need doctor’s notes"
So I guess I have no reason to go off the meds.
Which companies are you applying with?
DOT:
Department Of Transportation
A department of the federal executive branch responsible for the national highways and for railroad and airline safety. It also manages Amtrak, the national railroad system, and the Coast Guard.
State and Federal DOT Officers are responsible for commercial vehicle enforcement. "The truck police" you could call them.
Sleep Apnea:
A physical disorder in which you have pauses in your breathing, or take shallow breaths, during sleep. These pauses can last anywhere from a few seconds to a few minutes. Normal breathing will usually resume, sometimes with a loud choking sound or snort.
In obstructive sleep apnea, your airways become blocked or collapse during sleep, causing the pauses and shallow breathing.
It is a chronic condition that will require ongoing management. It affects about 18 million people in the U.S.
I would highly suggest pursuing another career. There's a reason you're on those meds and it's nothing to be ashamed of. Trucking is a very stressful job, atleast as you're learning, and id hate for you to take a huge step back in your mental health. It's a very lonesome job that many people suffer with the isolation. You're In a new place all the time talking to people you've never met before while life continues at home without you. What is it you're trying to get out of trucking?
Just because you have a DOT medical card doesn't mean you'll get hired. Some people feel it violates HIPPA, and you're discriminated against for Health issues but it's all perfectly legal. If you feel that quitting your meds is in your best interest then you can do so. I'd highly recommend you still give it some time to be sure you're able to function before jumping in a truck.
Good luck.
DOT:
Department Of Transportation
A department of the federal executive branch responsible for the national highways and for railroad and airline safety. It also manages Amtrak, the national railroad system, and the Coast Guard.
State and Federal DOT Officers are responsible for commercial vehicle enforcement. "The truck police" you could call them.
HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.
Which companies are you applying with?
I'm not to that stage yet. I'm going to avoid flatbed work starting out because it looks like a lot more to learn, and I'll probably avoid LTL since everyone recommends it. Swift, knight, May trucking, etc. I'm going against the recommendations here, and I'm going to a paid trucking school first - I can get it for free anyway.
I would highly suggest pursuing another career. There's a reason you're on those meds and it's nothing to be ashamed of. Trucking is a very stressful job, atleast as you're learning, and id hate for you to take a huge step back in your mental health. It's a very lonesome job that many people suffer with the isolation. You're In a new place all the time talking to people you've never met before while life continues at home without you. What is it you're trying to get out of trucking?
I'm kind of a loner by nature so being alone doesn't bother me. I'm aware it'll be very stressful at first. I guess truck driving appeals to me for a variety of reasons: You don't have a boss watching over your shoulder the whole time. It can be good pay (I'm not going to ever find a job that can pay 80k/year working in a warehouse). I like that you get paid for productivity, and I like that it's an adventure. What intimidates me most right now is trip planning. I'd absolutely love to find a dedicated route starting out so I don't get lost navigating new roads everyday.
Dedicated Route:
A driver or carrier who transports cargo between regular, prescribed routes. Normally it means a driver will be dedicated to working for one particular customer like Walmart or Home Depot and they will only haul freight for that customer. You'll often hear drivers say something like, "I'm on the Walmart dedicated account."
LTL:
Less Than Truckload
Refers to carriers that make a lot of smaller pickups and deliveries for multiple customers as opposed to hauling one big load of freight for one customer. This type of hauling is normally done by companies with terminals scattered throughout the country where freight is sorted before being moved on to its destination.
LTL carriers include:
- FedEx Freight
- Con-way
- YRC Freight
- UPS
- Old Dominion
- Estes
- Yellow-Roadway
- ABF Freight
- R+L Carrier
HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.
"Going against the recommendations here" to a paid school, then on to attempt getting hired by companies that may tell you no due to your prescribed medications and the reasons for these being prescribed to you. Just because you can pass a DOT physical does not equal a driving job.
You're starting in the hole, so good luck with your plan.
DOT:
Department Of Transportation
A department of the federal executive branch responsible for the national highways and for railroad and airline safety. It also manages Amtrak, the national railroad system, and the Coast Guard.
State and Federal DOT Officers are responsible for commercial vehicle enforcement. "The truck police" you could call them.
Sorry l, I did misread that about taking vs non taking your whole life. I misunderstood.
My point with the accident was about the potential to kill others. 4 people burned to death in a vehicle, several are paralized. Your thoughts went to the driver. The fact you stated "Plus the sentence got reduced to 10 years by the governor.". Kinda reflects a disrespect for the lethal possibility of the job. As a driver you need to be more concerned with the public. It doesn't matter what caused the accident... Physical/mental health, distractions, negligence etc. Illness or any kind and emotional stress (including arguing with a spouse, worrying about home etc) can be a huge distraction. Right now I do not want to drive OTR cause I know I am still grieving the death of my mother. "Getting in my head" through 10 hours of daily driving would not be good right now
As far as going to a local school.... Truth is you could very well be wasting your time and the government's money. We recommend company training because we have seen too many people who go to local schools then cannot find a job. After 3 months of trying, your CDL gets stale and some companies may require you to go through schooling again.
At my company we are not even. Allowed to take benadryl or zyrtec for allergies. When sick we are recommended Comtrex and Mucinex. Anything stronger and we are breaking company policy.
Just be aware you could very well get a CDL bit not find a job. Good luck
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
- Any combination of vehicles with a gross combined weight rating (GCWR) of 26,001 or more pounds, providing the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of the vehicle being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 or more pounds, or any such vehicle towing another not in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any vehicle, regardless of size, designed to transport 16 or more persons, including the driver.
- Any vehicle required by federal regulations to be placarded while transporting hazardous materials.
OTR:
Over The Road
OTR driving normally means you'll be hauling freight to various customers throughout your company's hauling region. It often entails being gone from home for two to three weeks at a time.
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I really don't need the meds. They're not that effective, but they do make my life easier, like I said. (Using how I was before them as a baseline) Also, I think it would be good for me to get out and do something instead of focusing on my misery. It could backfire, I suppose.
It sounds like IDMtnGal's brother took mental health meds and was still hirable (Not by prime I'm guessing, but prime already won't hire me anyway.) Will these meds really make me unhireable? Swift gave me a pre-hire while I was on mental health medications.
Me being off my mental health meds doesn't jeopardize other people's safety.
Dm:
Dispatcher, Fleet Manager, Driver Manager
The primary person a driver communicates with at his/her company. A dispatcher can play many roles, depending on the company's structure. Dispatchers may assign freight, file requests for home time, relay messages between the driver and management, inform customer service of any delays, change appointment times, and report information to the load planners.Pre-hire:
What Exactly Is A Pre-Hire Letter?
Pre-hire letters are acceptance letters from trucking companies to students, or even potential students, to verify placement. The trucking companies are saying in writing that the student, or potential student, appears to meet the company's minimum hiring requirements and is welcome to attend their orientation at the company’s expense once he or she graduates from truck driving school and has their CDL in hand.
We have an excellent article that will help you Understand The Pre-Hire Process.
A Pre-Hire Letter Is Not A Guarantee Of Employment
The people that receive a pre-hire letter are people who meet the company's minimum hiring requirements, but it is not an employment contract. It is an invitation to orientation, and the orientation itself is a prerequisite to employment.
During the orientation you will get a physical, drug screen, and background check done. These and other qualifications must be met before someone in orientation is officially hired.