For those with legal/driving record questions

I think what's going to hurt you more than that speeding ticket is your job hopping. Most companies won't want to hire someone with a history of switching jobs in such a short period. Good luck to you

 

you have to take some Drug counseling class for first offense to get reinstated. If it was a failed DOT drug screen.

 

The DOT regs mention no diagnoses of mental illness which may affect your ability to safely perform your duties. I'd like to know if anyone has any idea of how that applies specifically. I have recently been told by a therapist that I should request anti-depressants from my primary care physician (this is not a medical diagnosis of mental depression as she is not an MD). I am looking at going into a trucking school and am curious as to whether or not this would disqualify me. My thought is that maybe it would be better if I waited until after the schooling to start the medication, but I feel like, as many people in this nation as there are who are on some form or other of anti-depressant, surely just the fact that you are on them wouldn't completely disqualify you. I mean, there have got to be thousands of truckers out there who are on anti-depressants right?
Maybe not.
That's what I'm trying to figure out. Any ideas anyone?

 

If you were smart don't say anything about taking anti depresents. But you'll find out that trucking is a huge lifestyle change

 

Not technically, but it depends on the company. With you being a new hire with no experience, and admitting to fighting depression, you will raise a flag in your interview.

I fought depression for years. I was on Lexapro briefly, and it did not disqualify me on my drug test.

SSRI's are kind of an experiment. Everybody reacts to them differently.

I would recommend trying to find alternate methods of dealing with your depression before you go experimenting with different drugs. It takes a few weeks for them to load in your system, and then see where they take you. Ever listen to the disclaimers at the end of the TV ads? You don't want thoughts of suicide, etc. while you are trying to pilot a rig.

And that could go either way - trucking will have it's ways of testing you. Fatigue, loneliness, all kinds of things. On the other hand, you may love it so much, it perks you up.

Millions of people fight depression, myself included. I've done all kinds of medicating battling it, illicit and not. I found the best cure for it is by utilizing natural things to do so. Sunlight, exercise, creativity, counseling, etc.

It sound to me like you aren't "clinically depressed", so I wouldn't apply the label of "mentally ill" to it. But if you are in a position to deal with it, by all means do so, before you head out on the highway, where there isn't a lot of help and resources to assist you. If you need to take a medication, explain to your doctor that you are subject to drug testing and don't want to risk taking anything that would disqualify you.

After all, that would be depressing.

 

I've had recent experience with this. Got my DOT physical at school. Doc did not ask me about meds. The long form medical does ask if you have mental or phyciatric disorders. Being an eager beaver, when I went to the company DOT physical, I volunteered to the doc the list of meds that I was on. HOLY CRAP! Said company now wants a stack of papers from my doctors explaining why I am on such meds. I'm doing fine and the meds are for maintenance. They do not cause drosiness. Unless you are currently being treated by a DOCTOR for clinically diagnosed conditions, the answer is no. If you are being treated, check with your doc before starting ANYTHING life changing, especially trucking. The doctors are professionals and have DOT regs to guide them. They will ask you for the information they need. Less is more.

 

Thank you all for your advice on this. And SmoothShifter, you're right I'm not exactly "clinically depressed". My counselor suggested that it may be a good idea for me to take anti-depressants, but she also suggested that I just take vitamin-D daily and st john's wort or 5-htp (which are all just herbal supplements available OTC). And that's exactly why I was asking this question. I don't want to begin an anti-depression regiment if it's going to cause problems for me. Side-effects are to be expected, but causing me to be unable to start a new career is NOT an acceptable side-effect for me when I'm not really even "depressed".

 

I was arrested in CA for DUI back in Nov 2007 and later it was dropped to reckless. (No other arrests or tickets). I tried to apply for Squire Trans. and i was told to wait 6 more months and re-apply. My question is can i use my TX Drivers license instead? and say i don't have a reckless?

 

No , it'll catch up with you .

 

I have found that time is on your side, if its been more than 10 yrs. since a conviction there are quite a few companies that will consider you. The only time I had a problem was when I applied to a company that had to have their drivers bonded. If you can afford it however I would get the record expunged, then you dont have to tell anyone about it. The only way it will come up is if your convicted of another felony. Good luck