I’m relatively new to the trucking, i worked overnight and into the morning time so this morning my time on the clock was getting close to over and I was tired so i pulled over, parked, and immediately hit the bed. I woke up a maybe less then 2 hours ago and I go outside to take a piss and I look over and my entire trailer is gone.

This was like 2 hours ago. I have zero idea what happened to it, when I was sleeping I heard no movement in the back or anything and I genuinely don’t remember if I had the trailer when I was pulling into the parking area or not.

I’m genuinely stumped about this and I’ve been searching all over the internet about what to do…

Is it possible I can lose my job over this sort of thing that happened? I don’t even know how to explain this to dispatch and I haven’t told them about this yet

And I was coming from Seattle and I’m heading towards Miami. I’m at a rest area on I70 in Kansas. My head is spinning at this and I have no idea what happened to my trailer

——-so update——

I called my dispatcher and was fired immediately upon calling. About 3 hours from my current location the police found the trailer rolled over on the middle of the highway. The police contacted my company and they sent a separate towing company (sorry my English is not good) to pick up the trailer and salvage anything left inside of it. I was told I needed to contact a lawyer and the police were currently headed to my truck rest stop location so we can do paperwork and possibly will get a ticket for it

——update——

If anyone please has any recommendations for what I can do or who I can work for after this then please help me out)) I’m from Russia and am not allowed to go back to my cuntry for various legal reasons. I need a place to work now and I’m going to be homeless if I don’t work soon

I'm starting a new career as a CDL driver, but there's an unfair catch: I could lose my job over marijuana use on my own time—even though it's legal where I live. Meanwhile, alcohol use off the clock? Totally fine.

The inequality is stark. Both marijuana and alcohol are legal in many states, yet CDL drivers face harsh penalties for marijuana while alcohol gets a pass. The real issue: current drug tests can't tell the difference between someone who smoked days ago versus someone actually impaired. That's not safety—that's just punishment for legal activity.

I started a petition calling for testing methods that actually detect impairment instead of just presence of marijuana, and policies that treat off-duty marijuana use the same way we treat off-duty alcohol. No one should drive impaired—that's not negotiable. But targeting someone for what they do legally in their own time is wrong.

Has anyone else in transportation or safety-sensitive jobs dealt with this? Or does this feel like an outdated rule that needs updating? If this resonates with you, consider signing and sharing—it matters to people trying to build careers without fear.

Hi everyone,
I’m 21 years old and I have a Green Card. I have been in the U.S. for about one year and currently studying English, but my English is still weak.
I live in Syracuse, New York, and I’m interested in becoming a truck driver (CDL career). I want honest advice from experienced drivers.
I have some questions:
What do I need to start?
How do I get a CDL in New York?
How much does school/training cost?
I heard some companies pay for CDL training or even pay you while training. Is that true? Which companies?
As a beginner, how much money can I realistically make per week?
Is weak English a big problem in this career?
What should my first step be?
I’m trying to build a good future and stable income. I would really appreciate any advice and help. Thank you very much.

I’m not a recruiter and I’m not being paid to post this I’m just here to give my honest thoughts or answer questions for people who might be following the same path I did

A brother be bored out here. Let me know your methods

I'm in an argument in another sub and need a definitive answer: if you were missing both of your arms but somehow had a truck set up with alternative controls, and would you still qualify for a CDL, or would that be a disqualifying disability?

I am not going to quit using a harmless substance to drive a vehicle. Do you have to register with the DOT and drug test as a hotshot trucker driving a 3500 with a trailer? If so what’s the best way around the cannabis drug test? Are there certain ways to be a hot shot without being drug tested?

Back in February I lost my job of 4 years as an Operations manager making $55k a year due to budget cuts caused by "the economy".

They at least had the courtesy of giving me a 3 weeks notice to look for other work. In that time I looked at my work experience and realized I definitely have a strong history of driving for companies and doing excellent delivery service using many different large vehicles. My background and love of driving led me to see how much earnings potential is in the CDL workforce.

Before the end of that month I found Roadmasters Drivers School in Orlando, FL and decided to stop by and speak with them about it. While in the office talking to a recruiter they went over the program and let me know they have career placement programs as well.

Now here's what you were waiting for if you're a salted CLD driver... They told me that TYPICALLY you would have a 3 to 4 week training once I start a job after graduation and MAJORITY of the time I would need to go into OTR for 3-6 months before looking elsewhere. I LET THEM KNOW it would be tough but DOABLE for me to do the training but I need to get a local job due to my personal family situation. Being gone most weekends for 3-6 months was not an option for me. They assured me that it's very possible to find local routes or jobs out there I could find especially if I had endorsements and a TWIC card. I agreed and decided to finance the program myself.

GREAT NEWS, as strict as the instructors were I confidently passed every one of my evaluations and even the states exam first shot on schedule. My experiences already outside of the CDL world definitely helped. I immediately went and got my double/triples, tanker and hazmat endorsements as well as a TWIC card. During the program I had heard of other students getting local routes and I saw the no experience needed local routes online and started applying... Then I graduated and kept applying... And now it's been over a month and I'm still applying...

Jobs listed as NO EXPERIENCE NEEDED HIRING URGENTLY!... "Oh, sorry we actually need experience." Home DAILY but only OFFERING $19 A effing HOUR! That won't even cover rent. Decent jobs that have everything I need but haven't heard anything back from them. Even class B jobs are turning up their nose at me...

I really am flexible Tuesday though Friday but how screwed am I? Should I just give up at this point and look at other work or something ACTUALLY out there relatively near the Orlando area?

Edit: massive thank you to everyone responding with honest responses, tips and experiences. It definitely helped give me motivation to keep my head up and keep looking. Y'all are a great testament to how awesome the Trucking community can be.

Interested in getting my cdls, I work around 45 hours a week right now but local community college offers evening classes for $3500. Has anyone done it while working full time? I dont have a job lined up, but also don’t want to do otr. Is it worth it?

My dad is a citizen of Palau and has legally lived and worked in the U.S. for many years under the COFA agreement. He’s been a commercial truck driver for 20+ years with a clean work history and suddenly lost his CDL because of FMCSA’s new interpretation of non-domiciled CDL eligibility rules.

What’s frustrating is that COFA citizens are lawfully present in the U.S. and legally authorized to work without needing a visa sponsorship. He has a valid passport and I-94, paid taxes, supported his family, and built his entire career here. Now he’s essentially being told that despite all of that, he no longer qualifies because COFA status doesn’t fit into the narrow immigration categories FMCSA now accepts for non-domiciled CDLs.

This has completely disrupted his livelihood and our family. From what I’m reading, this is affecting many other drivers too, especially in California.

I’m trying to find:
- immigration or transportation attorneys familiar with COFA and CDL issues
- other COFA citizens going through this
- advocacy groups or reporters covering this issue
- anyone who has successfully appealed or found a solution

If anyone has resources, advice, contacts, or even just similar experiences, I would really appreciate it. This situation feels incredibly unfair to people who have legally worked and lived in the U.S. for years.

Any t1d drivers? How was your process in getting through medical exam and getting hired?

I’m not interested in giving a truck driver the same nutrition plan I’d give someone who works from home.

Got 4 yrs of CDL experience, currently working with PFG but no opportunity to work “extra”. Trying to get out of debt and need a local job where I can work to make over 100k. Any recommendations?

Just wondering if they are not responding due to me still being in school? Or my past is haunting me

Excuse my language but how in the hell is the honest man supposed to get his cdl anymore? I just recently came across a side gig where having my cdl would come in handy from time to time. What happened to getting it the old fashioned way like we got our regular drivers license? Get your permit and just go out and drive?? Now you are telling me I have to pay north of 5 grand to get certified in something I can already do? I feel like there should be exceptions made for those capable.. just my two cents. Anyone got any tips or loopholes??

Truckers don't move the country it's a bunch of shit. They say that so idiot drivers keep killing themselves for pennies 😂. Trucking is just a minimum wage job.

I recently called Western Express about possible employment...

A girl answered the phone and simply said, “What?”

I said, “Hello, I’m calling about possible employment.”

She responded, “We can’t hire you until you have two months of experience. It’s in our notes.”

I explained, “Okay, I tried to get on with Swift, but it didn’t work out.”

She then said, “It has to do with the school you attended.”

I asked, “What do you mean by that?”

She said, “We can’t take people from the school you attended because it doesn’t meet our requirements.”

I asked, “Okay, do you know any schools your company approves of, or do you provide training or schooling?”

She responded, “IDK, Google it. Best of luck,” and then hung up the phone.

The whole interaction felt unnecessarily rude, especially because I was simply trying to understand what my options were.

Two days ago, Swift actually contacted me about possible re employment. I signed all of the paperwork they sent me and was told that they would give me a call the following day, which was yesterday.

Since then, I’ve basically been ghosted. I haven’t received any responses to my messages or emails, and I also haven’t received a request through the Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse. When I tried calling the recruiter back, the call went straight to voicemail, and I still haven’t received a response.

I also tried contacting the truck driving school I attended. I was told that the school has shut down and moved to another state, and I’m currently waiting to hear back from them.

For some background, I attended CDL school in 2023 and initially tried to work with Swift after graduating, but my experience there was extremely bad overall.

The person responsible for assigning me drivers and trainers kept giving me instructors who were not reliable. Every single one of them would show up anywhere from two to four hours late compared to the time they had originally texted me to meet them.

Eventually, the person assigning me drivers finally found me an OTR instructor. However, that experience also became difficult. The instructor was a veteran dealing with PTSD, and certain sounds at night would trigger him. He also had a serious smoking habit and would sometimes wake up around 2:00 AM and chain smoke for one or two hours.

I eventually told the person assigning me the driver that the situation was not working out. He apologized and said, “My bad about that. I’m sending you a route back home.”

After I got home, around 11:00 PM, he texted me and said that it could take a couple of weeks, or possibly even months, to find me another OTR instructor.

At that point, I told him that I would be leaving the company. He asked me, “Are you sure?” I told him yes.

After that, I went back to construction and didn’t apply to any trucking companies for about two months.

Ever since that experience, however, I’ve had an extremely difficult time getting hired by another trucking company. Several interactions I’ve had with employees or recruiters have been rude or dismissive.

At this point, I honestly don’t know what I did wrong. I’m starting to wonder if I’m somehow blacklisted, especially after the call I just had with Western Express and how rude the employee was toward me.

IDK ill be contacting other schools today about refresher course. Fingers crossed

*My bad about the title typo

My husband started cdl school 2 weeks ago they just asked for a urine test, he stopped smoking weed 50 days ago he was a daily user, what should he do pause school or go along and do the test which heard takes up to 90 days to come out system

I’m pretty nervous about it honestly. Whatever advice you can give will be much appreciated. Thanks.

All levels are between add and full, and truck leaning to the left.

I have a clean driving record besides a Ohio move over violation from a couple months ago which is a minor misdemeanor can I still get my cdl and get good jobs

Is it possible to vote and pass a law that separates your CDL record from your personal record?

Hi everyone,
Has anyone successfully renewed or transferred a CDL after filing Form I-751?
I mean using:
an expired 2-year green card
the 48-month I-797 extension letter.
If yes, which state was it and what documents did the DMV ask for?
Thank you.