Looking back from CSA 2010

Its is equally amazing what you will learn from the old timers as well. Drivers didnt make 50k inb the 70's. Of course there wasnt really a need to. $25 would last you all week and that was eating at the truck stops all week. Thank god there were no flying J, pilot or loves-lol. I can remember 2 TA in the entire United States

 

I don't recall saying anything about him being a rookie. In the upper tight corner of his post next to where it says "Trucker", he has a no in there. So if he isn't a trucker I would like to know what his credentials are. Is he even in the trucking industry, or is he some intellectual type that gets all his information off the internet, or from wherever. If all he knows about trucking is what he reads and has no first hand knowledge then he has no credibility in my book. There is a difference between "not being out here long enough" and not being out here at all is the point I was trying to make but what do I know, I'm just an old codger.

 

for I have 16 years of driving and the most recent with pulling doubles, I worked the night shift and the hours were about 14 a shift and on one day while being off duty for about 16 hours , with no keys to the truck that I'm assigned to and in my own personal vechicle, I was stopped for a dui, this has destroyed my carreer and life as I know it,I will soon lose my home and have to file bankruptcy and now I'm forced to look for a job in a unfriendly market that I'm not really experience in, for I know that drinking and driving is wrong, but the price that we pay as a driver is far to steep! Other's that get this charge are not force to lose everything that they worked for, no matter how they put it OFF DUTY means just that ! I did this in my personal vechicle on my time off and yet my CDL license are revolked for a year and regular license for just three months, this is backwards in my opinion, to hold a license is a privilege when it's used to go to the store or to work and for recreation, but once it it used to provide an income or livelyhood, it becomes a trade, the dui laws for a cdl holder robs a person of making a living

 

posts like yours is what keeps me from drinking and driving. I got a dui in 1984 but wasn't driving truck at that time. I hardly drink at all these days. Good luck to you.

 

While I sympathise........ It's a reality. Like a cop...we're never really "off duty" with respect to the license. The law sees no separation between car and truck or even boat in my state.

And others have lost much more to the drink...... their wives, family, licenses, homes and even their lives.

You will get it back...eventually.

Good Luck.

 

There are good and bad points here--I had quite a few family members retire when the CDL came into effect--mostly because they were already in their 60's and wanted to get out anyway. To most of them the CDL was just more gov't BS and money(the cdl was quite a bit more expensive-and costs varied by state)on the other hand many of us who had been driving 10-15 years at the time and had no intention of leaving found some real benefits to it(other than cost) also many states just "grandfathered" existing drivers. There are all kind of wild stories from 88-91(the phase in period) about what working drivers had to go through to get a CDL. As for me(and I still laugh about it) D/L were still handled in many Fl counties by state patrol (although many metro areas had by then a D/L office--and of course you could go anywhere in the state to renew)My D/L happened to expire in early 89--so when I went into the H/P outside one of the markets in N. FL--the desk trooper asked me if I wanted to go ahead and get this newfangled CDL thing? I had heard of it but knew little more--So I asked what it is all about? He replied some G*****N washington BS! We both laughed--then he asked me what was driving now and for who? (I pointed out the window at my 359 being loaded)and said "that and for me. He laughed and said ok--what endorsements do you want? I said what the hell are endorsements? He laughed asked me a couple more questions--took my picture and said "thats $75--I almost fell over! Up until then my Fl D/L renewal had been about $10-12! He said something about GD washington--I wrote a check and was handed my new CDL A w/all endorsements! There are many other interesting stories from back in the day but overall the change was a good idea. The most important thing that actually happened though was the reciprocity between states--from that point on you could just sign for any violation anywhere! No more posting cash bonds etc. if something did happen--and I am not advocating bad driving at all. But remember for many of us the first 10-15 years of our driving career was with a NATIONAL 55mph speed limit. Think about that for a minute--(even y'all with governed company trucks)it is a long way from Salinas to the Point@55mph! So many of us broke an occasional law or two. I for one had the good fortune of spending Memorial Day weekend 1977 as the guest of a small county in Va for 66 in 55. The fine was $85--and I had about 50 and they only took cash. It was only by the kind nature of the local sheriff (after 40 hours) and a handcuffed ride to a nearby T/S to cash a check--that I got out of there! By the way this is still a fond memory that a laugh about to this day--for all of you that think I'M whining(LMAO)--these type of situations were normal back then--the CDL kept that from continuing. As for all the problems with them since--well that is another thing! Sorry for being old and long winded!
Just my$.02