Wondering who'll hire me....

Yeah Lonesome, I've been thinking that dry van is probably the best for me. But I've also heard that reefers are somewhat more along the lines of "no touch freight" than some of the other van jobs out there. I would be willing to put up with that almost constant racket, if it meant I was almost always just transporting, rather than loading/unloading. Guess I'll have to do some more research.

 

I can understand you wanting to go to work, and earn more than SSDI. but what are you going to do if you get a job, and 6 months later find you can't do it? Getting back on SSDI may not be so easy.

Refrigerated trucking means many long hours getting and unloaded, dealing with lumpers, constant worry about the unit breaking down and keeping the temp right. Reefers are also most likely to have odd unloading times, such as 1:00, 2:00, 3:00 AM, and so forth. Many times you have very long waits no matter what your appointment time is.

The truth is, with your problems, and if you are truthful to prospective employers about your health, you will have a very hard time getting hired on with someone. You will find plenty of CDL schools ready to take your money, but getting employed may be a different matter.

 

As it turns out, Social Security has a program called "Ticket to Work", wherein you are able to make an attempt at going back to work. You are able to get a job, and still be paid your benefit, and remain on medicare for a period of 9 months(I believe it's 9 months). If, during that 9 months, you find that you just can't cut it, everything simply reverts back to the way it was. No harm no foul, I suppose.

 

That makes a big difference. I wish you luck in whatever you decide to do. At least you will have SSDI to fall back on if things don't work out.