Truck Driving and the Deaf...

deafannieboo

deafannieboo

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hey guys,
did yall see about the law suit against UPS and its Deaf drivers?

well heres the thing...
i want to drive but the problem is that noone can hire the Deaf to drive for over 10,000lb loads. That doesnt leave many work oppertunities. i just want to get some work driving. not nessisarily truck driving per say but i am looking for a driving job if it is the right fit for me. ive decided that the best way for me to plant some roots is to get a travel job driving that way ill get the travel bug outta my system and maybe i cant get rid of the need to move around so much. anyone who has restless bones probably knows what im talking bout.
prob is i cant find anything anywhere that i can do because of this stupid law that prevents Deaf from hauling heavy loads. anyone got any ideas?

im just looking for some suggestions of jobs to look into .. travel jobs, driving jobs. i only have class C. i have some experience auto hot shot, and pulling like recreational(boats,r.v. ect.)

i thought maybe like drive cars for a dealership, or like for an auto auction or tire test driver or haul pipe oil field or something but being a single Deaf woman theres not alot of jobs for me in this field.

im still a student and just thinking as much as i love to travel and drive and my restless bones it would be good to make some fast money till finish degree. ya know?
thanks guys for any ideas...:ty: :wave:
 
that is an incorrect assumption. I am a profoundly deaf 27 yr old man that has a Class A CDL with hazmat, doubles, tanker, etc endorsements. I DO have a cochlear implant, and I can hear and talk pretty well, so I'm not "DEAF" as in not capable of communicating verbally. However, I will say this, whenever I was getting my DOT medical card, they tried to put restrictions on my license when they found out i was legally deaf. I passed the hearing test, which is just hearing a forced whisper from 5 feet. BUT, had i not been able to pass that, then they said that I could still get my CDL, but I would be restricted to Intrastate travel (which in my case is Texas, I wouldnt have been able to leave Texas driving commercially) Kind of ironic because I went from Over the Road and now drive a dedicated route, and I never leave texas! LOL.

Don't just assume that you cant do it! Make them put that brick wall up, dont put it up yourself! :D

Feel free to pm me if you have any other questions, i'd be glad to help. I have actually met a couple of other deaf truckers, one was completely deaf, and an Owner/Operator which means he owned his own truck and trailer and business, and the other was a woman who was late deafened, and still had a little hearing left wearing hearing aids.

One of my major worries was the CB radio.. i cant understand it.. hell I have one, and i can understand it after all, but I dont even have it hooked up in the new truck i have now, its annoying listening to all the idiots on the road!

here's a pic of my truck for giggles.

IMG_0395.jpg
 
Wirelessly posted (Samsung Epix (i907))

Well, Ive heard a few deaf people driving semi trucks in the US. I believe it varies state to state on their laws permitting deaf people on driving commerical vehicles.

I work for Enterprise Rent-a-Car company. I drive many different cars from compacts to full size vans and prepare them to the next customer. I also pick up cars from other locations and also pick/drop customers. That doesnt mak deaf people low on working with vehicle based job. Its fun job but can be boring at times, oh well. Dont give up too easy without research, you never know whats out there.
 
Thanks guys! well i cant hear even with my HA on so the CB would do me no good at all. i would be happy having a route just in Texas. i love the road. i think what i will do is if this job that i am hoping to get doesnt work out i will go to the DMV and see what needs to be done in order to truck. your right about not letting them stop me. how would i be able to communicate with dispatch with out the CB. i can text email and use iprelay with internet connection. if theres a way to have internet in the truck i could call dispatch via relay if they would have the patience to use it. what about load weight restrictions being Deaf?
 
No load weight restrictions. The DMV does not base their restrictions on weight. All major carriers use what's called a quallcom, actually kind of looks like a TTY machine that's satellite powered and that's how you get your load plans, directions, and other work related info. Just to warn you, truck driving is not all that glamorous. It's alot of boring driving and dealing with terrible drivers. Deaf drivers are actually the scariest, they focus too much on signing to their friends instead of paying attention to the road. Luckily I don't come across that many on the highways LOL. The pay is mediocre starting out, I think I made around 400 a week when I first started, and gone constantly. I'm up to around 3500 a month now and home just about every weekend so if you stick with it, the pay will get better. Most people get frustrated that they are gone all time and working and barely making more then a guy flipping burgers at Mickey d's AND gets to go home every night.
 
Tribaltalon said:
No load weight restrictions. The DMV does not base their restrictions on weight. All major carriers use what's called a quallcom, actually kind of looks like a TTY machine that's satellite powered and that's how you get your load plans, directions, and other work related info. Just to warn you, truck driving is not all that glamorous. It's alot of boring driving and dealing with terrible drivers. Deaf drivers are actually the scariest, they focus too much on signing to their friends instead of paying attention to the road. Luckily I don't come across that many on the highways LOL. The pay is mediocre starting out, I think I made around 400 a week when I first started, and gone constantly. I'm up to around 3500 a month now and home just about every weekend so if you stick with it, the pay will get better. Most people get frustrated that they are gone all time and working and barely making more then a guy flipping burgers at Mickey d's AND gets to go home every night.
Click to expand...

Ya, I couldn't imagine driving a semi truck for 1,000 miles every week on the same boring route...*yawn* I'm sure it's even more boring driving a semi at 60-65 mph for the whole day as well.
 
More like 2500 miles a week. It's not that bad to me, I like the solitude and peace and quiet. No annoying coworkers, no bosses breathing down your back, no cranky clientele to deal with. Perfect job for me!
 
well i only make 795 a month at the moment and ive been on the road my whole life.. though im only 27. my dad was a trucking man but hauled cars. i been all over and i love the road. i drive all over anyway, min a well get paid too! it can get kinda boring on the road but my fav part about it is just what u said, noone bugging you!!! im very much a loner in some ways but still a social bug in other ways. soo, what if i cant hear a wisper at 5ft?cuz i can tell ya now even with hearing aides that aint gonna happen! im stone Deaf.
 
i mean if i can still work routes without leaving state line thats fine, theres plenty of runs here depending on the company. i was told by a trucker buddy of mine that if cant pass the 5ft wisper test i cant obtain CDL.
 
well, to be honest with you, if you have no auditory senses, it will be difficult. BUT, to answer your question, that is false about not being able to get your CDL.. you just have to get a waiver and they'll limit you to only driving in Texas. Where you'd run into trouble is the fact that almost all companies require at least a year if not 2 years experience of "over the road" experience. you almost have to get hired on by one of the overtheroad companies like Werner, Swift, Schneider, JB Hunt, KLLM (my company) etc. they'll put you through a training program that takes 6 weeks where you drive with a trainer to make sure you're competent on the road. I could possibly see you maybe getting a job at a Lowes, Home Depot, etc one of those kind of places that has the straight trucks and small tractor/trailers that carry wood/supplies to worksites. those guys make around 10-15/hr. if you can get experience doing something like that and prove yourself, then that'd open some more doors for you. have you considered a cochlear implant? i can honestly say there's no way i could do this with HA's, I got implanted at 18 and it was a huge difference and jump in auditory capability.


****BTW, there ARE a few truck driving schools that are associated with community colleges here in texas so you CAN use your disability tuition waiver and go to the school for FREE!!
 
If you wanted your own semi truck, there you go! :lol:

d4lhfrtcrop800.JPG
 
Tousi said:
I think I will order one of those first thing tomorrow morning. :lol:
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Lol, those things probably is worth a half million dollars or even more. A articulated 60 ft city bus is like $600k each or so.
 
thats a good idea about the waiver!! i wouldve never thought. yeah ur right bout the experience part! that may be the biggest issue. I would even hot shot if I could convince someone to give me a shot! there was a guy who has a medical supply company who said he has two HOH making runs for him and they just text and email routes etc. but when it came to it i never heard from him again.

Sequ> yeah thats a nice ride right there! : ) When i go to cash in my multi million dollar social security disability check ill go up the road and buy one! hehe.
 
I did drive Semi-Tractor Trailer with long flatbed trailer. My brother challenged me to drive it around blocks on parking lot at RL Mathers Industrial park area. It have tight corners around the lot. He was expecting that trailer will run over curbs each time I turn. It turned out that I did excellent job negotiating around curbs and trailer rear wheels were just inches from curb. I've never driven Semi before but he was so :eek2: . He asked me where did I learn from?? I told him I've watched many Semi negotiate every intersections and parking lots by first make "S" turn before turning to curb without having trailer running over curbs. He told me that I should have gotten CDL license easily!

I have a deaf friend who have CDL licensed and he used to drive Kaw Valley Sand company in Kansas City, KS. They laid him off 6 months later because of company's budget. Then later He worked for Ohama Papers Co but only worked there for nearly 3 months then he got laid off for same reason. What he did was to take test on CDL licensing first at DL place then apply trucking company jobs that includes training. He got the job and he was passenger for nearly a month and he complained to his boss that he's not getting chance to drive. His boss let him drive with challenge him if he want to do it and if he didn't do well then they will lay him off. But he passed on that day. His boss was shocked so they kept him.

He told me of tricks of getting CDL in fast track but he said about hearing test was an issue for him.

I know few other deaf have CDL but too many time trucking companies discriminates deafie. Unless if working for friends who own trucking co then it'll be easy.

Catty
 
DOT almost tried stop me

Anyway awesome for deafannieboo and others so keep it up right now I have a issue about DOT 5 feet test I am shocked that I have failed the test that was old hearing aid I was using at the time . that was the first day being in orientation for CRST trucking company in Fontana and went back home in Sacramento to take care of and went to the previous doctor where I got my first green med card and passed and got it made and right now search for lawyers to step up the plate and go from there .
 
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