Hi Everyone, I am so new to this I'm shinny like a penny.
First a little background:
My husband drove over the road back when things were not so complicated, or should I say regulated. Drove for twenty years gave it up in the early ninetys.
Went to work for construction (seasonal work).
My background is technicical trades, wanted to drive and got my CDL B by driving a Schoolbus, also seasonal. I wasn't making enough money and bored with the split shift and crazy kids. I too went into construction.
Met my husband driving a dump truck (construction, seasonal) lots of fun, loved watching something being built. Loved having winters off. Made desent money and lived on unenployment during winters.
My dream is to drive over the road. Have not gotten my Class A, no reason, just like driving my dump truck.
A few years ago I saw a straight truck on the road complete with a sleeper.
Asked around and the guys told me I could drive one of those with a Class B.
Yahooooooo!
Here comes the rub,..
Four years ago, while we were layed off work during the winter, we went to a funeral, sad, crying, telling old stories of a friend my husband smoked a joint/two joints.
Didn't think a thing about it and a few weeks later, the weather broke and we got called back to work.
Had forgotten about the joints, smoking is not our lifestyle.
Test came back, postive for marijuana. Crap.
O.k. Signed up for and sucessfully completed the DOT Back to Work Program. Attended classes, counciling, NA meetings for a year. O.K.
DOT requires this program for you to keep your CDL and to be able to keep driving. Just a note, while you're in the program, you cannot drive, so my husband got a non-driving job.
Now, four years later, It is I that have the itch to be out on the road and see the country. We would like to TEAM drive. Checking with several companies, they won't touch my husband with a ten foot pole until the five year mark, some companies said seven years.
Please,.. How can we get back to driving?????
This is a good man with a good driving record, he made a stupid mistake in a moment of grief and is now paying out the ### for five years???!!!!
Seems a little harsh. What else can we do?,..we did what the DOT asked him to do, complete the Program, and now he can't get a job driving. Everyone says it's the insurance companies. He is willing to pee in a cup every month and pay for it himself if that would let him get back on the road.
This dream of being on the road is mine, he says, "what ever you want honey" that's the kind of man I married.
Help me with some wisdom, how can they keep such a good man down?
I think even pilots, who flunk a drug test, can complete a program and then go back to flying.
Any advise would be welcome. Try not to be ****ty, we are good people.
Thank you - love and kisses
First a little background:
My husband drove over the road back when things were not so complicated, or should I say regulated. Drove for twenty years gave it up in the early ninetys.
Went to work for construction (seasonal work).
My background is technicical trades, wanted to drive and got my CDL B by driving a Schoolbus, also seasonal. I wasn't making enough money and bored with the split shift and crazy kids. I too went into construction.
Met my husband driving a dump truck (construction, seasonal) lots of fun, loved watching something being built. Loved having winters off. Made desent money and lived on unenployment during winters.
My dream is to drive over the road. Have not gotten my Class A, no reason, just like driving my dump truck.
A few years ago I saw a straight truck on the road complete with a sleeper.
Asked around and the guys told me I could drive one of those with a Class B.
Yahooooooo!
Here comes the rub,..
Four years ago, while we were layed off work during the winter, we went to a funeral, sad, crying, telling old stories of a friend my husband smoked a joint/two joints.
Didn't think a thing about it and a few weeks later, the weather broke and we got called back to work.
Had forgotten about the joints, smoking is not our lifestyle.
Test came back, postive for marijuana. Crap.
O.k. Signed up for and sucessfully completed the DOT Back to Work Program. Attended classes, counciling, NA meetings for a year. O.K.
DOT requires this program for you to keep your CDL and to be able to keep driving. Just a note, while you're in the program, you cannot drive, so my husband got a non-driving job.
Now, four years later, It is I that have the itch to be out on the road and see the country. We would like to TEAM drive. Checking with several companies, they won't touch my husband with a ten foot pole until the five year mark, some companies said seven years.
Please,.. How can we get back to driving?????
This is a good man with a good driving record, he made a stupid mistake in a moment of grief and is now paying out the ### for five years???!!!!
Seems a little harsh. What else can we do?,..we did what the DOT asked him to do, complete the Program, and now he can't get a job driving. Everyone says it's the insurance companies. He is willing to pee in a cup every month and pay for it himself if that would let him get back on the road.
This dream of being on the road is mine, he says, "what ever you want honey" that's the kind of man I married.
Help me with some wisdom, how can they keep such a good man down?
I think even pilots, who flunk a drug test, can complete a program and then go back to flying.
Any advise would be welcome. Try not to be ****ty, we are good people.
Thank you - love and kisses
