Wow! I know we have to jump through hoops just to get started, but that was too quick, Jackacid. My B/P rises higher than normal when in a doctors office, as I am sure many patient's B/Ps do. It's called "white coat hypertension," and the doctor should have given you a few moments to relax and then recheck it. If you were able to obtain a card, why get po'ed? Speaking of whining, I recently took my Ohio CDL permit tests, and I don't know about other states, but the airbrake and combination test questions phrasing were very poorly written. I was scratching my head while thinking to myself, "where in the hell did these questions come from? I certainly didn't see this information in the study book!" While taking the airbrakes test, I was getting very close to the end, had missed 4 and thought I was going to .......AHhhhhhtttttt!! (buzzer).....fail that baby. I skipped another question that appeared to have been written by a drunken DOT officer, answered the remaining questions and passed. I told the examiner, where did some of these questions come from? Certainly not the cdl permit book! She just chuckled. Probably thinking "yeah, okay buddy."
Well my advice would be, before you lay out $6K, think about whether you really want to drive a truck. Read a zillion threads on this forum. If there's a school or college nearby, go talk with the instructor, and even some students if possible. Watch local ads to see what kind of jobs might be available. Check out trucking company websites. Go talk to some local companies, ask when and who they hire. Read through your state's CDL manual; it'll give you a good idea about what the requirements and responsibilities are. If you're going to go to school in your home state, maybe go ahead and test for your permit. And then think about it a bit more. Worked for me. I decided not to go ahead with it for now, but it's not off the table, and I still have that $6K in my pocket.
Heh, yeah, I read the thread...figured some of the others who haven't made the mistake yet might learn something. Something other than slapping the guy around, ya know?
I knew you were the right people to ask... I was not given a chance to check bp again...i may or may not have a bp deal...and I certainly did'nt tell a major carrier like werner to stick it...had a very nice conversation with the manager,really nice guy,recommended me to stay and finish.we agreed that i go on a person health type thing.... And the next day...yea...i could of handled that differently...I can't be the only one in the history of trucking thats had second thoughts. You guys are right... i thought school and background checks etc. was a struggle...and i know i won't really know what that word means till i get out there.i had other apps pending...but i don't want to go to another orientation until my bp thing is figured out...thanks again for the replies
Well first off the one year med card is no biggee seriously and who knows you might have a different reading everytime.....so hopefully Werner won't ding you on this....I wish you luck driver
Here is a thought, try exercise! It won't take you long to lower it without meds. I got my DOT physical to start CDL school last week and I checked my BP 3 times throughout the day on the day before the physical. I was about 117/73, under the normal range. At the physical I was 133/82 which is borderline high bp, the doc said I can only approve you for 1 yr DOT instead of 2yr. no big deal. btw high bp is not just a health concern, but a safety concern. No one wants you stroking out or having a heart attack behind an 18 wheeler.
quiting & stick it may not be the same thing, but you left because of your bp, you should of stayed onboard & finished the orientation. they would of talked to you about your bp & found a way to correct it.
Ok, my last physical I didn't have the BP meds. I'm about 20lbs overweight, I smoke, and drink enough coffee to float a navy destroyer. 1 week prior to the physical, I started taking asprin and getting in light workouts (brisk walking, pushups etc.) I found that 30 min-1hr after the workout, my bp would be lower than before the workout.... A little bit of timing..and I had a 2 year card. Then I got some time to see a doc about some BP meds. No matter what, see a doc about some meds! I've taken my meds, made some small changes (no, I still smoke) and the BP is managable.
Jack, who knows... could turn out to be a blessing in disguise... once you get it figured out & have at round two you may land at a better place than Werner.... best of luck to ya. On another note... shows how much I worry about blood pressure... I saw the topic & thought it would be someone asking about going to work for British Petroleum. When I went for my DOT physical she takes my BP (100/60) looks at me & says, "You can relax anytime now." To which I replied, "You know, if it weren't for caffeine & cigarettes I'd be in a coma."
