Looking to get back into trucking. Had some Q’s.

Most OTR mega companies probably won’t have you start from the bottom. They’ll look at your case, and go from there. It sounds like you currently don’t have a CDL and that could mean having to start from the bottom. You’ll have to talk to a manager in their safety department to really know. The recruiter won’t know, but I’m sure they’ll make it seem as if they do know.

If you’re looking for a local company in the Chicago area, I’d make a ton of calls until I find a company willing to train new drivers. They should be out there.

 

That 240 hour course is good, but some companies will hire you without that.
Abilene Motor Express hires drivers that have been off the road for years. You must have kept your cdl though. If you let your cdl expire, Abilene can't help.

 

Just warning you it’s not the same industry as 10 years ago.......

 

If you work, will it affect your disability benefits?

 

You have to show all time no gaps. Example ran for poohbah express inc for 4 years, last 10 as a medical patient and then stop there.

IF pressed state that you were on SSdI for medical reasons and with advances in medical technology, techniques etc they have repaired you well enough to consider reentering the workforce. That will reduce or eliminate the SSdI 2 for 1 earned as you report income earned monthly to SS.

It is not often people who end up disabled for whatever reason with SSdI will be able to be well enough to pass a long form DOT exam and get back up and running into the industry.

There has been many changes. One you need to apply your name to the clearing house established last month at the federal level. No driver may be hired with a history of hot, failed or refused drug test by any trucking company at the Federal Level, excluding them from the industry.

If you hold a CDL A through tier two (In my state thats how we grandfathered ours after a certain time.) you can return to Tier one when you pass a DOT Medical long form exam and is issued a valid DOT Medical card. The problem is that card is now tied to your CDL. You let the card expire then the CDL gets downgraded unless you go to Tier two (Swearing out a document at the DMV) retains your CDL until you get another medical card.

I turned in my CDL for medical reasons and to make my situation more simple some years ago. My State would want a permit for a period of two weeks minimum as a formality and within the year test on the road at the DMV with a manual transmission tractor trailer and written tests etc.

Hazmat is more involved, you will find additional information on this TTR site using search. Basically fingerprinting and threat evaluating interview etc.

I have alot of experience trucking, but companies today don't care. They will treat me as a flat newbie 21 years old all over again. (Thats fine...) however in my case I have several employers who have retained me as potential rehires in the future should I be able to regain that particular level of good health. (Which I am working on... basically installing spare parts by surgery...)

No gaps in your 10 year history even if it's just being on disability, medical patient or whatever.

Again its not often people want to get back to being employed again and away from Disability in life in general and it's really good to consider that if you are in a position to do so.

The next thing.

That tractor trailer is now full of computer stuff and electronics, it is for enforcement against you. You are no longer the "Captain of the ship" told to be in California at such a such a date 5 days from now and call in empty. Those days are gone forever. Things have changed.

Im pretty sure if you were in a big rig you will break the rust off fast enough. It's all the new stuff via company things you will face some kind of training to bring you up to speed.

One last thing. Over the years since my time I have been informed that many of my older truckstops which I depended on for my trucking habits are no longer in existance or reduced to just fuel and fast food (Which I don't do well on...) the old times are history. SO things change given enough years in life.

It may or may not be the right trucking for you in the Chicago area. It has a reputation for the so called immigrant based companies that refuse to intergrate into American society as we understood it years ago. So they go off driving ratty equiptment, could not be bothered to fix stuff nor follow the regulations etc. Such as stuffing three drivers to the tractor.

Some companies will tell you that their tractors will bunk three people. Don't do it. Its a form of greed on the company part. Pay you .17 a mile or something. Its greed is all that is.

 

Yes, SSdI has two ways to do this.

One, You work, report to SSA every month the first what your income is. Pay stubs etc turned in to them. They deduct benefits on 2 to 1. If you worked a little made a little they pay you. If you made 6000 dollars net last month you are not going to be paid by SSA.

Ive worked years until 2010 under SSA reported wages rule. They paid whatever they paid each month against my income for the month according to certain amount limits. Anything over that amount the 2 for 1 deductions begin to munch on the disability. Which is not a problem because you are making a living at work.

Two.

SSA offers a special one time program that is strictly 9 months in any person on SSdI exploring a return to employment. They can earn anything like... 50 million dollars cash working 40 hours weekly flipping papers and so on but within the 9 months experimental period they will be paid benefits. At the first day of the tenth month if you continue working (And reporting income etc) you will be dropped from SSdI having reentered the workforce. If you find that your issues get in the way and cannot get past say 6 months, then you return home and continue the SSdI under medical reviews until 65 and get converted to SSA retirement.

Thats it really.

SSA income taxable begins at 34000 annual income and above. All wages paid to a worker above about 600 dollars annually is reportable to IRS for federal taxes and to the state etc. And they face the tax man each year.

For those on strictly below SSA 34000 a year which pretty much is everyone on disability (About 15 million now, up from 6 million 15 years ago) is tax free.

Medicare kicks in after two years, premiums is about 150 a month out of the disability check unless DHS is able to key the person into extrahelp at the state level and the state pays Uncle sam that premium minus a small amount each month. Etc.

Again bottom line. People are encourage to work. Parttime or full time. Its good. If they can leave SSA and stand alone at actual really profitable work? Awesome. But not too many get to have such a second chance in life.

 

This might be what you want:
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https://westsidetransport.com
This company has a guaranteed minimum weekly pay.

• Elite Regional
• Regional Driver
• Regional 10-4
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• Home Daily Driver
• Truck School Graduates

 

Dog Rider Policy
We are a dog-friendly trucking company. West Side believes having a dog riding with you in your truck will result in a healthier and happier you! We don't want you to miss out on quality time with your best friend. Have your dog ride with you or heck, why don't you have two?

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I love to see a ELD account for letting shepard out to wee.

Have line 6 doggie wee log. LOLZ. //satire.