Hello. I'm Jeff. Was here before, and made it through, but due to changes in DOT regulations, I wasn't able to get into brokerage as I'd planned.

So, I did what I knew I needed to. I got back behind the wheel and tried to rebuild from there. I was with JB Hunt for nearly 7 years. And that's when I got slammed again.

Due to my Type 2 Diabetes, I wound up on Insulin. It used to be that was the end of your driving career, however, if an endocrinologist signs off on it, you can keep working. I went in for my physical in November, only to find out that unless I got it all documented by the end of February, my license was gone, and I'd be out of a job. (This is in spite of the recruiter telling me I'd have a shot at moving into a desk gig at the start of all of this.)

The earliest I can get in to see an endocrinologist is March 19th.

I signed up for disability as soon as I could, but it's taking some time to get that going. Our money has run out, and I've cashed in all of my vacation pay, which means there's nothing coming in until my disability checks start coming. Additionally, I've been moved to COBRA, which means I need at least $200 per month to keep my healthcare up, and there's no guarantee, since my license will be completely defunct at the end of February. I'm officially off work until April.

I haven't been sitting around. I've been putting in around 20 actual job applications per day from the start, and I've been looking for training programs which might give me a boost in other fields, including CalBright, which offers training courses in a number of fields. (I knew this was coming, but when you're working 60-70 hour work weeks, your opportunities to attend class and study are pretty limited) I have one interview scheduled for midweek, and I'm chasing down other jobs, including work at home and temp assignments, just to get some money for food. (We've got a whopping $14 left in our account. And, we're behind on our mortgage, and other bills.)

I've tried like hell to live within my means. If I don't have it, I don't spend it. Doing anything else is foolish and stupid. At the same time, we're trying for a reverse mortgage, but that takes time which we really don't have. There's also the possibility of just selling out to a real estate company, but the question becomes where do we go from here? We're living in California, and even in Yuba City, it's expensive. My oldest son lives in Idaho, and we've found dirt cheap homes up there, and there's actually work near where he and his family live, which I'm applying to right now.

My wife and my oldest son do NOT get along, and she's against moving there. I don't see too many options, so we'll need to figure it out from here. (I think she'll go kicking and screaming, but she'll go.) At the same time, I have an adult son who is not working, and we've been carrying him for several years. (He was only supposed to be here for a few months, then back out on his own. Yeah, you can see how that worked out.)

I want this to be as short as we can manage it. I'm waiting on the VA to see me, but I was told it would be another two months. Maybe they can help, but I'm not holding my breath, given the nightmare they put my oldest son through. I'm pushing as hard as I can to get back up and running, but I'm reaching my breaking point.

So, if you can help, trust me, I'm grateful. But every bit as important as hard capital, I need every bit of soft capital I can get: information on how to access benefits, job leads, attorney referrals, anything like that. If there's enough, I'd like to put it to the best use. Anything. This needs to change, and it needs to change as permanently as I can manage.

Thanks. Stay Safe.