thanks tripleSix,I apreciate your opinion.

Good grief, then you've been lucky! I was at a truckstop in PA, and every time I'd fall asleep, they would knock and wake me up. By the fifth time, I was screaming at them like a raging banshee. I started crying from frustration and exhaustion. After I calmed down, I dried my tears, blew my nose, and threw my tissues up on the dashboard of the truck. I wasn't bothered again after that. It turned out that the tissues saved me...the hookers thought that I was a "john" that had just gotten "serviced", and the tissues were what he "spewed" into. lol!
Disgusting, but true. So, keep a wad of tissues up on the dashboard,
and they just may leave you alone like they did me.
But YOU were fortunate to have not been bothered. And shame on
any man who would utilize the "services" of these women.

Hey, Drivers!

I've been lurking here for several months, and have really enjoyed reading the various topics. I was seriously considering a new career as a driver early this year, but decided to wait a while to see what the economy was going to do. It still sucks....

Anyway, I am contemplating my last career change and have only 2 questions for the group:

1) I have sleep apnea, which is controlled by using a CPAP. I only need 7 hours of sleep a night, and I never get tired during the day. Is the fact that I have to use a CPAP a disqulaifier to being a driver? How can I power it while I'm in the sleeper?

2) I have to take a low-dose of medicine to control my blood pressure, but it's really good now (125/70) last time I had it checked. Is the fact I TAKE medicine a deal-killer?

I've lost 30 pounds in the last 6 months (my Dr's very happy about that), and am currently at 220 lbs (I'm 6' 1"), so the blood pressure med's may be discontinued in a while.

Before I start applying to get training, I'd like some honest opinions whether I'd be wasting a little time and a LOT of $$ going to school. I need to make a decision fairly soon, so feedback is really appreciated.

I drove a Ford 900 cab-over for about 6 months for an ex-father-in-law back in the late 70's, and never got the road out of my blood. Being 56, I'm looking for my last job that I can do until I can retire. Is this it?

Thanks in advance for any and all replies.

Drive safe!

Bruce

There are more than a few drivers out there with a CPAP and yes you can drive with blood pressure meds as long as your pressure is under control and you have a note from your doctor. A power inverter will supply the power for the machine.

Hey drivers hubby has had a cdl for almost 24 mouths and no job. we live in illlinois and his license became three years old in may of this year, the problem is now most companies that hire students say that they are only hiring experienced drivers. Does anyone know of companies that retrain or are hiring students.

One thing you could try is applying with oilfield service companies in Alberta if you are willing to move there. I moved to Alberta a little over three years ago with no class one and in three months I was licensed and driving. I've been driving in the oil field ever since, trust me you get lots of mountain driving experience and inclement weather experience also. I have taken my tractor trailer places I would think twice about taking a 4x4 pickup, it is a rush really.
Like I said, I've been driving for three years now and I just had a guy offer me a job running freight from Calgary to various places in BC. Do 2 rounders and then 2 days off. The biggest reason the guy is interested is because of my mountain driving experience and the fact I know how to chain up already (also have a good idea when too).

PS- oil field work pays well also,I made 75000 last year. This year not so much but still decent.

some years ago I read an article in overdrive magazine on an ex freight theft broker. he explained how easy it was to track and locate high dollar freight and demonstrated it on his laptop. he could hack into the shippers data on where the truck was and set it up for the hit. He warned that if you were returning to your rig after a meal and a shower and found someone messing with your truck buy no means assume there alone. there pros and work in teams. and it could be you life if you play superman.

I bet it is tough for new drivers to find jobs right now. With freight down about 40% of normal..making the availability of more experienced drivers in the job pool.
There well be a shift back to new drivers I believe, one the freight will get better with time, but more so because starting next year in 2010 the safety ratings for carriers will be based on the driving records of the drivers. Meaning it will put more pressure on drivers to maintain a good driving record to be hire able. Carriers will more likely take the easy route and seek eager newer drivers with clean records, verses experienced drivers with bad records. Especially the Carries that are on the fence with iffy safety records to start with.
This will effect all the drivers those that have experience and a clean MVR well have a pick of jobs, and those that have not so clean records well be pushed out.
I guess it was expected that sooner or later the companies would put the burden of safety ratings on the drivers, so the next time your dispatcher tells you to run your log book into the dirt....tell him where to stick it. Running legal will be in your best interest. Wow I am surprised I actually wrote that... I have been an "outlaw" for so long. running 2 log books was a normal thing for me years ago...I guess I have been brought over to the dark side..hehe. But seriously the new rules for drivers well more likely shake up the way carriers hire drivers. If we are really lucky maybe some of these sorry companies with terrible safety ratings will go by by too!

A couple of paragraphs from the CSA 2010 website:

In the past it was a pass/fail audit that very few failed. If an auditor found critical safety problems it triggered a formal Safety Compliance Review. A carrier could still pass, for example, even if it did not have a drug and alcohol testing program or had not implemented random testing.
Under the new rules a carrier automatically fails if an auditor finds a single occurrence of these violations. FMCSA looked back at audits conducted in a recent five year period and estimated that 47.9% would have been failures under the new rules. Since about 40,000 audits are done each year, that means more than 19,000 Motor Carriers could now fail annually.

Under CSA 2010, all carriers--and eventually all drivers--with sufficient safety data available will receive a safety rating that is periodically updated. Currently, FMCSA is able to provide safety ratings for relatively few carriers and for no drivers. As described earlier, CSA 2010 will employ a progressive array of interventions that can be tailored to match the severity of the safety problems they are intended to correct.
CSA 2010 intends to use new data--such as information from police accident reports about driver-related factors contributing to a crash--and improve existing data sources--by, for example, using its database of licensed commercial drivers to identify all drivers with convictions for unsafe driving practices, as well as the carriers they work for--to enable a more precise assessment of safety problems.


So basically it is going to come down to our driving records, that will make up a good portien of a Carriers safty rating.....get ready to bend over Driv-ahh!

__________________
"The only reason they give you an appointment ..........Is so when you get there they know how late you are......

Glad I read your post Mack E-6. I haven't driven in a year, no will hire local with no experience. I drove for PAM, but my kids (3 & 4) went ballistic with me gone, and the equipment they gave me was ####. I probably should have stuck it out, but heh. I just moved to Austin, TX and they have a lot of construction going on so I will start looking there, thanks

I am a female driver (new) How do I keep them from waking me up?