Possible Restriction On My Medical Card, will I pass the physical?

Current hours of service for drivers is 11 hours driving a day within a 14 hour window. Then we get 10 hours off. So as long as you can sleep and drive then you should be good. Unless the stuff your taking is D.O.T restricted or it affects you safely driving a truck.

I don't think you can put any limit like I need 8 hours of sleep to drive. It's you job to make sure you sleep during your 10 hour break. Their is a 8-2 split on time off that says you get 8 hour sleeping time then you can drive more and then need to take 2 hours off. Not may driver use that but you would have skip a shower if you ever did to get 8 hour sleep.

 

Yeah we do get 10 hr break, but by the time u eat, shower (if u actually take one) , paperwork, call family if u do that, and trip plan for tmrw , if u do that... Theres alot of little things we got to do to prepare for the next day.... By the time u do all that, u find urself looking at 7hrs before ur clock is up, which isnt alot of time imo... If u do flatbed u will have more regular work schedule that resemble regular business hours which can help if u need a good sleep everynight... But if ur doing van or reefer work the, u could be burning down the midnight highway on monday and be hanging with the flatbedders at 4am on wednesday, then hanging with the solar powered drivers on thursday and then back to nights friday..reefer and van is 247 pickups and drop offs... Just depends where ur going... That would burn me out real fast

 

OK, I got Aerosmith playing and I am ready to type. This is the process. You take that letter from your physician to the Medical Examiner that does your physical. You show that examiner your valid prescriptions for those meds. The examiner will either approve you or they will not. If you get that card anything you are taking comes back on a drug screen as a positive you are covered. However, that sleeping thing is not something you will be able to control as an OTR driver. I highly recommend you try to get your CDL through a tech school and go get a local job where you are home every night.

 

The state may pay for cdl school through the WIOA Program. Google "WIOA Program California."
Here's some company sponsored schools:
Click on the blue lettering:
Heavy Load Transfer, LLC
Stevens Transport | Temperature-Controlled Logistics Services
Drive for CRST - CRST International
Swift Transportation | Committed to Driver's Success
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Cemak Trucking - has cdl training program.
Robertson's Ready Mix - has cdl training program.

 

Forget it.

OTR means you sleep next week.

By the way do whatever you can to get off those medicines. It must be a one hell of a problem in your body to require that must rest.

Your sleep is disrupted at any time 24/7 when people see your truck sitting as if you are asleep in it, they must go to wake you up to make you move or whatever else they can come up with.

The last time I had 8 hours of anything was before I attended trucking school. /sarcasm.

 

Waste Connections hires with only a cdl permit. Don't know if anything available where you are, but you can check.
Waste Connections - Waste Collection, Disposal & Recycling ...
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Thank you, everyone for the great replies. I really appreciate the company tips. I especially appreciate your views and opinions on OTR.

Unfortunately, I need these medications for my fibromyalgia and my mood disorder. These are pills that I have to take for the rest of my life. No ifs, ands or buts.

I need the continuous 8 hours sleep for the fibromyalgia, and if I get less than 8 hours I could have serious problems with the mood disorder.

I’m working with a 3rd party recruiter. I told her about the 8 hours a night, she asked the company's recruiter who said that was fine. Now I’m wondering if they know that it has to be continuous. I think that I’ll get further clarification.

My plan was to do a year with the training company and then go regional or local. I’ll have to see if that’s feasible or not.

I’ll have to look and see if there’s a weekend or night CDL school in my area if the training company doesn’t pan out.

Thanks again!

 

Then ya got...
Afternoon sleeping...
Evening sleeping...
Morning sleeping...
Sleep when you can...
Let’s not forget about the... sleeping at the shipper or receiver... which could last 8 hours...or more...

 

When you get towards mental health medicines, they are sometimes found on Schedule one under DEA lists. That is a automatic disqualification.

You did not as of now state exactly what name of the medicine you are taking for both the pain and mood problems.

If anything Trucking will aggravate you beyond reason many times over the smallest problems. If you need medicine to stay stable now, you are not going to succeed on the road when people mess with your 18 wheeler 40 ton killing machine.

That brings up another problem. You are never going to be where you need to be at for doctors appt to maintain the supply of these medicines. You might be late by days or weeks until you are finally routed home only to find that the appt time is rescheduled to another date etc. What are you going to do when the meds are all gone and you are in withdrawal?

You will have to find something else to do with your life besides trucking.

 

I dated a gal like that...

Seriously... Concentrate on team driving. You should be able to get good consistent sleep for 8 hours everyday.
Otherwise forget solo OTR. Too odd of pickup and delivery times. They’re all over the clock. Literally 24 hours.

Also... you got good medication that knocks you out to sleep well for 8 hours straight? Make sure drivers don’t know where that is. They’ll steal it. They’d love to have something that will do that.