Glad I moved over to Poly Trucking

One more reason to move out of PA! The couple of times my husband has delivered here in PA, he's complained about making sure he gets fuel before coming into the state. Then when he had to relay for another driver from here in PA up to Mass, he had a heck of a time figuring out his fuel for that trip! Another week and a half and we will be Texans!

 

One of the downsides of a multi-stop load like this one is the amount of paperwork to turn in. I Camscan all my stuff except logs. So far, w/o logs and the Laredo delivery b/l I had to scan 42 pages. Geeeeesh my tablet is tired...thankfully it's an Android tablet.

 

Well, I went back to Care Now to finish up my DOT physical today, and all I came out with was a longer list of conditions from them. I don't think Poly is holding anything up. Instead, I'm starting to think I'm dealing with a doctor who is more concerned with covering her own back side from any liability.

They didn't technically require anything that couldn't be done, but it just means another trip back home (2,000 miles round trip), a new sleep study that will cost me $300 out of pocket, another visit to my doctor for some test they are suddenly requiring, and then another 2,000 mile trip back down to Texas in hopes of finally finishing this thing up.

I'm not a quitter, but this is getting pretty crazy.

One question for you guys, when you did the physical, did they have you do a "step test" where you had to step up and down on a 10" step for 3 minutes?

 

There was no step test that I can recall. If the cost was only 300 to satisfy whatever requirements they had and I knew that was all I would have to do I would say bite the bullet and do it. Did Poly say anything regarding flying you back in for another exam? Good luck bro and sorry you are having to deal with this extra stuff.

 

Oh yeah, I wouldn't bat an eye at the $300. My problem is that I'm a pretty big guy, and I'm afraid I might even be too big for those tiny airplane seats, so I drive down. When I do that, it costs me a couple hundred in gas, and another $2-300 for hotel rooms for each trip.

Still, that wouldn't be all that big of a deal to me if I knew I had a pretty good shot at passing. The thing that worries me now is that step test. They gave me a form today that they want my doctor to fill out and have him "evaluate whether the participant at issue can safely take the tests being given by the clinic as part of the post-offer employment process."

The form goes on to describe the "Step Test" and the "Lift Test" that they would be administering. What worries me is the wording in the Step Test, where it states: "the test requires the participant to step up and down on a 10" step for 3 minutes. If they stay below 85% of their age-predicted maximum heart rate, they complete the test and then rest for one minute. At the end of one minute, their heart rate is recorded, and their cardiovascular fitness level is estimated based on heart rate response in a normal population. If the participant's heart rate reaches 85% of their predicted maximum heart rate at any time during the test, the test is terminated."

Don't get me wrong, Poly sounds like a great company to work for, and I'm glad to do whatever it takes to get the job. One thing I do like is the wording in the form that said they were giving me part of the "post offer" employment process.

This gives me hope that Poly would be ready to hire me - if I can just get through all this red tape with Care Now. I'm really starting to think this is far less about my physical qualifications to work for Poly, and much more about the doctor protecting herself from any liability.

In today's litigious society, I can understand that to some degree, but geez, I'm driving now, and have been doing so for the last three years.

I would LOVE to get this job with Poly, so I guess I'll have to just keep on trying to give the clinic what they want and hope I get there eventually.

 

There were more things they asked for too:

1) A current "polysonnogram" test. I've had blood clots in my legs in the past, and the nurse told me that the polysonnogram was a test to determine that there are currently no blood clots in my body.

2) I am on a blood thinner prescribed by my doctor because of the past blood clots. This medication is very common for people who have had blood clots. They said they want me to get my doctor to give them a statement about why I am using the blood thinner, past treatments, stability of the condition, what follow-up I have had, and it's effectiveness. This is something I can do, but I already gave them something similar to this today.

3) Statement from physician managing my blood pressure - about "it's treatment, effectiveness, and follow-up." The problem with this is that I've never had high blood pressure, so there has never been anything to treat. I went to my doctor the last time I was at home. He took my blood pressure reading and it was 132 over 80. There hasn't ever been a blood pressure condition for any of my doctors to treat. There isn't much I can give them to satisfy this condition.

Anyway, I don't mean to ramble on, or sound like I'm complaining. I'm really not. I just figured that it might be good to put this information down in the thread, in case someone else is asked for this kind of information in the future.

 

Hoppy Easter everyone.....now put down that chocolate bunny and those peeps and no one gets hurt.

 

I didn't do the step test either. It may be due to your prior medical treatments (blood clots) and the meds you're on. One thing about Poly...they are very careful about liability issues and the potential cost of lawsuits. In fact we can't have anything hanging, strapped or bungied to the outside of our trucks (including load lock holders). So maybe this extra step (pardon the pun) is to ensure or reassure them that this isn't going to be an issue in the future.

And I mean this statement with respect...the family that owns this company are extremely wealthy and want to stay that way (and I want them to stay that way too so I can continue to be paid as generously as they are paying me now). So they do everything possible to reduce or eliminate any potential risk to their finances. Some call it being greedy...but in this "lawsuit happy" system of justice we live in..being extra careful with risk is just good business in my opinion.

 

they did the step test for mine and im not that big so dont kno why it different for others, i would stick with it, as far as otr company driver jobs go u would prob like it here, i dont see many of our drivers complaing here, hell,go read snackbars old posts then his new posts should say it all , i do miss his ranting on the crete thread tho, i think poly has mellowed him from what ive read lol happy easter to all

 

I forgot how boring this job can get. I got to Laredo yesterday, and since it is Easter, the customer isn't open today. So, even though I am under a backhaul...I get a 34. After my last billing cycle's 71gig data usage,(which ended this morning) I am well on the way to possibly another all time personal high for data usage this cycle. As of 4pm...I am already over 5gig and at least 3 or 4 more hours of Netflixing. But it still beats watching the same ole DVD's that I have had for years. I have got to get one of those adapters that will allow me to hook my home DVR to my desktop so I can burn all the free movies I get so I can bring them out here once I run out of things to watch on Netflix. Or else get the MHL 2.0-HDMI adapter so I can watch my home DVR on my truck tv thru my phone tether. Technology sure is helping pass the time a little.