I am writing to seek professional advice and guidance regarding my prospects for a career....

I believe @lual has said before that fuel tanker is a good stepping stone to chemical tanker. But at your experience level, I would just apply to open positions you want.

 

... That is one solid well prepared post !!!

 

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Career Opportunities - Roberts Oxygen

 

Just apply, they will train you given the proper endorsements and desired experience, regardless of whether it’s fuel, chem or cryo. Fuel is likely the easiest of the three, as far as being hired from a non liquid hauling background. Local gigs will be nights and tiny gas stations until you get some time in, most likely.

 

I may be wrong, but i don’t believe they can write you up for no show to pre employment drug test, as your not an employee technically.

@Chinatown may know some places though.

 

your general location would be helpful for more specific job ideas.

 

@Moneyhungrytrucker --

Advice? More competitive candidate?

Some of the following will be sugar, and some of it will be vinegar. By that I mean....some of it you will like, and some of it....you probably won't:

• Do some real soul searching. Why? Most beginning jobs in cryo or fuel delivery will start you out doing shifts that totally suck--namely...nights, weekends, and holidays. Also: if you take most ANY hazmat tanker job now, you will very likely have to face/deal with driver-facing cameras. Ask yourself: CAN I REALLY HANDLE ALL THIS? The real answer here is: how well can you adapt to new situations/challenges? Local cryo and fuel-hauling jobs are available pretty much all the time. Why do you think that's the case? I just told you most of it....
• If you have a BMI of approx 50--you definitely need to lose some weight. As truck drivers, we are all just one DOT physical away from losing our jobs. With a BMI that high--you are much more likely to soon acquire one or more health conditions that may take you out of the cab, entirely . Suggestion: before you apply for ANY tanker job, try to lose at least 30 lbs. Eat more fruits and veggies. Eat far fewer starchy foods (simple carbs). Eat "fast" foods less often. Eat more broth-based soups. Eat more lower-calorie foods that make you feel full longer. Start exercising. Walk at least 3 miles a day, if at all possible. For tanker duty--get ready/be prepared to routinely lift 60-70 lbs, depending on the tanker job you later take. You also want to later be able to put on PPE, without undue effort. The MAIN THING HERE: You want to ace that next DOT exam--NOT be told you have type-2 diabetes, and/or bad hypertension.
• The road to success (pun intended ) is paved with speed bumps. As suggested earlier/elsewhere--at the very least--add a note in your DAC report, explaining that you merely decided to stay at your present job, and otherwise clarify that you didn't really "refuse" a drug test. But word that note carefully--a lot of eyes may well see it later, and make a partial hiring decision based on it. Also--if the note/explanation is too long, HireRight may well kick it back. Find out how long is too long.
• Don't get discouraged!!! Being a successful trucker requires (at times, anyway) a certain amount of mental toughness. Don't let a "glitch" in some paperwork beat you at your own game (you still have a clean MVR and PSP--so tanker carriers will want to talk to you). To a certain degree--we as truckers are pavement "commandos"...and you have to think like that sometimes, to stay in the game. Also: if you've payed attention to other threads in the Forum of late, you can see that the world is more desperate now....than ever before....for class A drivers who are truly professional-grade--and who are truly safety-focused.
  
• Given all of the above--try to keep the job you have now, until someone else (in the tanker world) makes you a solid offer (like....as in writing).

Give all the above some real thought, and attention.

Later on--you'll be GLAD YOU DID.

--Lual

 

The issue of not showing up for a pre-hire drug screen is covered in another post. Technically, the company can post factually true statements and the company and the driver do not dispute he did not show up for a pre-hire drug screen. There are steps to take for the driver to maybe remove that entry, but it's not certain to work.

I learned from reading that thread that if you apply for a job and they give you an appointment for a pre-hire drug screen, go pass the drug screen before turnign down the job. I did not know to do tha before reading the valuable info from ZVar and Moose1958. It is a shady thing for the company to enter the "failed to take pre-hire drug screen" to the DAC report, but they did it and it will be a minor obstacle for the driver until it is cleared up. It's nowhere near as bad as refusing a drug screen as directed by an employer, but it doesn't help him. Companies have a lot more practice with hiring drivers than most drivers have in getting hired. Hiring drivers is their job, in some cases, and they probably have more devious techniques than an individual driver who gets a job every few years.

I backed out of getting hired at one company twice just before leaving for orientation. I got away with it, but I never suspected it could have gone bad. It can go bad.