Where To Go From Here?...

I couldn't find a section that was more fitting to this thread, so apologies in advance if it's not where it belongs...

At three years into my career, I have had an interesting ride, as some have seen through a post or two about one company or another I have worked for. Some say a lot of having a successful career in this industry is finding the right company that is the best fit for you. Alas, when I think I have found that, the game changes and I find myself looking elsewhere. For instance, when a good company I found was bought out, the managing company brought their people in and proceeded to screw things up six ways from Sunday, and I was actually fired for seeking medical attention while my truck was supposed to be in the shop.

I can honestly say it does take some time for any new driver to figure out what they want, and what they don't want. What do I want? What anyone else wants... Good job, good pay, good miles, and good home time, which is all difficult to balance, as you cannot make money going home for four days every other week. Benefits are always a plus. I am willing to compromise a bit for the right job.

My favorite parts of the country are the Southwest (with the noted exception of California) and I have a good amount of experience running the MidWest (IA, WI, MN, MO, IL, IN). There are parts of the Northwest I don't mind running, MT, UT, WA, for instance. However, at 41, I'm no spring chicken and I'm getting a little tired of playing in the snow, so I would prefer southern routes. Nor am I inclined to hoof freight. Twenty years ago, I wouldn't have minded.

After three years, I also now can say with conviction what I don't want... After six months running reefer, never again. Too many excuses about too much unpaid detention. I can also say there is less than a 1% chance I would run team again (woke up to catch a co-driver drinking in the driver's seat with the key in the switch)

I'm not interested in auto-shift transmissions, driver-facing cameras, OnGuard, or any of this other nanny BS so many companies seem to be going to, all of which limits my options if I intend to continue my career. I don't mind e-logs, however, as that is how I was trained and have learned to work within their limitations.

Now here's the kicker. My situation is especially ticklish because I have an extreme allergy to secondhand cigarette smoke, which as anyone knows, is nearly impossible to avoid at truck stops, shippers and receivers. And it's not just the smoke, it's the fumes that linger long after the smoke has disappeared. I had to leave my last job so that I could come home to recover from severe bronchitis, which took several weeks (I require antibiotics that are difficult to get if I'm away from my home state).

So what to do? I hate to piss away all the hard work I did to get my CDL and have kept my commercial record clean, although the South Dakota Highway Patrol decided to give me a nice parting gift in a well-known (well, not to me) speed trap around Sioux City, SD (not in a commercial vehicle). I currently have no endorsements, though I am TSA-cleared to get HazMat and I currently hold a P-endorsement instruction permit, though I have not yet sought training for it.

So, basically, I'm looking for...

1) Dry-van, no-touch freight (preferably drop-and-hook)
2) No "big-brother" technology
3) Manual transmission
4) Prefer southern routes, not interested in Northeast, especially NYC.
5) Prefer trucks other than ProStar/Volvo

Does anyone know of a solo-run dry-van company with 100% drop-and-hook, that actually trusts you to do your job, doesn't have cameras and radar boxes second-guessing your every move, doesn't force an auto-shift Volvo with an electronic backseat driver down your throat, and doesn't mind one blemish on an otherwise clean record? I know this is a lot to ask for, but I try to do my job safely and legally.

Perhaps I would be better off in a lease-purchase program where I can book my own loads? I hate to think that I made a bad choice in getting my CDL. Any helpful advice would be welcome here. I'm just not sure where to go from here.

 

I have already looked into disability for my "condition", as you refer to it, and I'm looking at between $350-700 a month -- IF I even get it. I have been trying to work with this problem for going on fifteen years, and for roughly twelve of it, I was living hand-to-mouth, unable to pay into social security. I have had someone's smoke fumes make me sick from 150 feet away. I already said that I knew this was a lot to ask. What I DIDN'T ask for was sarcasm or smart-assery.

Maybe if you knew what it was like to have to avoid an invisible cloud of toxic fumes everywhere you went, that could give you a bronchial infection at any given time, you wouldn't be so flippant. If only it were legal for non-smokers to unload on smokers with fire extinguishers.

So, in closing, don't judge me. Seriously, not cool. If you have nothing useful to add, then don't bother... NEXT!