Back problems and 63 yo.

This 40 year trucking vet copes with back problems via a low seat. You' have to be in truck where you can substantially lower seat

 

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Well, as they say, everyone is different....

I have had 3 disk surgeries at L4/L5, last one in March 1995. The best advice given to me is when sitting keep hips above knees. That basically opens up the angle of your back. For me anything less than 90 degrees starts hurting after a while.

On/off topic, I am 66 and got my CDL 6 days ago. You are young as you feel. Well, at least I am.

good luck to you Edjoe

 

I have a bad knee from a bike wreck.
Had a acl done and everything sometimes it acts up with a weather change but a few alieve and I'm good to go or sometimes KT tape.
Heck if her as old as ya feel I'm in great shape for a guy at 104....53 actually.. Lol

 

You are a little late to the party. As of Jan 1 you cannot have pain medication.

Now that you stopped the norco and do not refill any scripts you need to wait about 9 months to a year after to clear it out of your hair etc. You do NOT want a HOT drug screen ever. The SAP alone will drain your bank, cause you to endure a year of really close supervision and so on.

I am a pain patient myself and I am permanently out of the OTR trucking myself unless somehow a 6 million dollar man can build me a new spine. Which is a pipe dream.

I would use some of the money to buy a RV and go travel. Maybe then you will enjoy traveling.

A word on that landing gear. It is NOT that easy as it seems when it's sunken into the mud and you now have to lift 50000 pounds on a half inch bolt cranking against your spine about half a foot or more to get it above your 5th wheel.

Or going into a grocery and lumping 48000 pounds of meat off the floor onto pallets. All of it bending over and picking it off the floor, 550 some odd cases 90 pounds at time more or less. Seafood is even heavier.

When I was young and strong, I did that all the time, twice a day etc Bullet proof. If I was to try that now? Forget it. I would be hospitalized.

Also.

Trucking has totally changed since 2002. Things that were once normal then are not possible today under ELD etc. You will find that a problem. The biggest I think impact would be that you are not a captian of your ship anymore. People and technology will get to tell you what to do, when to do it and how and where etc etc etc. You do not get to make any kind of decisions for yourself anymore like we used to then.

I hate to be a rain on your parade. But I would just stay home and save your back. One bad bridge approach deck bucking you and your rig slamming your spine to the cab floor will ruin the rest of your day.

 

X always has good advice and I can't honestly say what he says is wrong.