I NEED A JOB :(

What is esa ?

sorry I don’t get out much…..

 

I would assume “emotional support animal”?

 

Yup gotta ditch that label

 

Never thought of it like that. You're right!

Good idea, I didn't see a place to apply on their website so I sent Clay junkin an email. I'll drive by there tomorrow

Yeah I was trying to look for something festive with fireworks but then saw Diablo and lol. I still miss my lvl98 hardcore-mode Javazon... death by lag, cow level

Agreed!

Emotional Support Animal. I don't have any psychological problems or nothing like that. A couple coworkers suggested I get the card to enter certain refineries but I never actually had to use it. It was handy getting into a hotel in Houston when my truck broke down, but not all hotels allow it.

I basically paid like $100 on an ESA website, then a consultant called me and asked if the cat made me happier. Then sent me a card.

I think its only benefit would be for people renting apartments that normally don't allow pets. I don't know.

I was originally thinking about a dog because I would sit at truck stops bored and would see drivers having fun with dogs. But I wanted to be different so I looked up "biggest cat in the world" and a wicked maine coon popped up. They're weird cats in that they behave like dogs, play fetch, and swim in lakes. I like to joke around with other drivers and say my Pete has got a Cat in it.

 

I agree as well in leaving out the ESA term, but don’t feel bad, my family rescued a cat from a local dump and I swear life wouldn’t be the same for us without that fat cat, I could swear he’s bred from a raccoon, he’s over 20 pounds and hasn’t turned 2 yet, our animals are a part of the family, keep it simple, “I travel with a cat”.

 

I hope the ESA information isn't on your Tenstreet Driver Pulse. Some companies check that to find out if your applications match what's on Driver Pulse.

 

Company for a while till rates come back up. Then go back OO. Just a thought. Non tanking companies are more pet friendly.

 

@MockOverdrive --

Follow-up (in case you are still looking for a job):

My latest gig has been hazmat tanker, hauling fuel. 18+ months worth.

I think your problems with employment are a combination of the following:

• For tanker duty--if you have any sort of ESA "papertrail", and/or you require a pet policy--that is very likely a MAJOR PROBLEM for most tanker fleets (i.e., post #27 above pretty much nailed it).
• Your location is a lot like mine...you are in sort of what I call a "doughnut hole" for tanker duty. All the (supposedly) cool gigs are really too far away for a worthwhile daily commute.
• As you've already witnessed--business volumes in certain sectors of the tanker world have slowed....and of course it follows that hiring has, too.

Thus--you basically have something of an ultimatum on your hands--you can leave the pet with a friend or relative while you go on duty--or you can change over to a fleet/type of freight that is significantly more "pet friendly".

And to that end...I offer the following--a co-worker ran with these people for several years, and had nothing bad to say about them; they are more driver-friendly than many other fleets of their kind--they also pay you when you shut down for bad weather/roads (and yes, you can bring your cat along with you):

Marten Transport -- Walmart dedicated -- Amory, MS

-- L

 

Great news! After 53 job applications I finally found a good fit for me. P&S Logistics out of Birmingham, AL. REAL "Pet-Friendly" (as in Cats are allowed) and no bs sleep apnea BMI discrimination bs. I Start orientation Monday July 17. Company has good reviews. I will train flatbed as Company Driver and then transition to Owner/Op and eventually learn Oversized flatbedding.

So glad to finally get back in the saddle. I've learned that I have to save more money because the economy can really destroy your livelihood. I've also learned that companies like Action can drop you like a fly, no matter how hard you worked for them and no matter had much repertoire you've built up with employees. At the end of the day, nobody truly cares about you but yourself. I take this as a hint, that I need to eventually get my own authority for job security. Trust no one.

A sleeper truck is a driver's home. The way I look at it, if the driver's home does not interfere with the job, and they can safely perform the tasks of the job on time, then what a driver does in their "home" is of no concern to anyone but themselves. I wish companies would understand that instead of losing out on potentially power employees that could make them millions $$$ over silly policies that they act like is Federal Law, when it isn't.

The overwhelming majority of recruiters i have talked to simply didn't allow cats (even though they incorrectly list Pet-Friendly), didn't have good loads and lanes due to the economy, had silly BMI discrimination policies, or just expected too much upfront costs to onboard as O/O. The overwhelming majority of companies I applied for, lacked communication and never followed up, which i would not be interested in working for them due to the fact. Communication is paramount in the trucking industry.

Several companies that ran background checks on me send copies via email. Some deeper than others. I have no criminal records nor medical disqualification diagnoses. I've never physically seen nor been diagnosed with any mental health issues. My MVR and ClearingHouse of course are also clean. I've also recently had a background check and fingerprints taken by the TSA to renew my hazmat CDL.

My cat ran away yesterday and the whole time I was thinking in my mind "dang, I sacrificed a lot for the fluff... and this is how he repays me??" I accepted the fact the he was gone and may not come back and felt strangely relieved knowing that my job options just quadrupled! ...HE came back! was meowing non-stop at my door this morning, all wet and muddy and hungry. Look what the cat dragged in... HIMSELF! haha, safe to say he needs me more than I need him.

In closing, THANK YOU ALL! for all your input, it really helped me out tremendously and I've applied your ideas and finally succeeded. Now all I need to do is figure out how to backup a spread-axle, I've seen flatbedders struggle so hard at truck stops with them... so off to the flatbedder forum I go. Thank you, God bless, and Stay Safe!

I talked with Marten recruiter and everything seemed great until he said "we're pet friendly but No Cats" it's a shame they don't list "Dog-friendly" because a cat, is indeed a "Pet"

 

Marten is a sleep apena company so you dodge a bullet there as well.