Hard of Hearing and Truck Driving Question

• 

  AustriaBargain on 10/05/2023 - 23:04

  +4

  So how is your hearing with hearing aids?

  • 

    bghunter on 11/05/2023 - 14:57

    +1

    He cant hear you:)

  • 

    Some Human on 12/05/2023 - 23:48

    Hearing aids are not as good as they sound.

• 

  El cheepo on 10/05/2023 - 23:22

  +9

  I’ve been a Truck driver for roughly 15 years
  (Road trains etc)

  watching them work solo with little interaction made me want to become one.

  Its one of the reasons i love my job, the autonomy of the role is one of the best perks.
  If you are a good worker, you will generally be left to your own devices during the day.

  I feel a lot better when i'm driving the van for 10 hours alone than working with people for 6 hours and I spend more time in the warehouse so I want to leave.

  Because people are the worst 😂
  Plus, Not as many politics when your in a truck compared to been stuck in a wharehouse.

  people are doubtful of me for understandable reasons so I can imagine employers would feel hesitant to let someone with a hearing loss drive an MR truck.

  Who?
  Do they drive trucks?
  Do they work for the department of transport?

  I cant hear a damn thing over the engine running and stereo blaring at the best of times.

  Would you recommend someone with a hearing loss to work as a truck driver or should I not bother looking?

  I would call the department of transportation and ask if it’s allowed in your state.
  Id imagine so, but can’t say for sure.

  Transport companies are desperate as Australia wide, so if you can legally do it im sure you’d get a foot in the door easy enough with the right attitude.

• 

  Muzeeb on 10/05/2023 - 23:27

  MR truck

  At least reversing is easy.

  Just go for it. All the best.

• 

  WreckTangle on 11/05/2023 - 07:19

  +3

  Good luck OP, how good would it be if it works out!

• 

  John Kimble on 11/05/2023 - 07:41

  There's a heavy truck movement around here so watching them work solo with little interaction made me want to become one.

  You could ask them? But I suppose that ruins their little interaction…

  drive an MR truck

  What about a female truck?

  Ba dum tish

• 

  pegaxs on 11/05/2023 - 07:57

  +3

  Part time truck driver here… don’t worry. If you didn’t start out deaf, you would be soon anyway. Christ, some trucks are loud to drive. MR might not be too bad, but still pretty loud.

  I don’t think they test for hearing, but your eyesight has to be good. You need to have good visual awareness. Car drivers are the biggest shitheads on the road around trucks (not that some truck drivers are free from blame either…) and you won’t hear them, but you need to be aware and see them.

  And it really depends on the communication requirements of the job. Do you need to be on the 2 way radio constantly? Are there sites you need to be able to easily communicate with site personnel?

  Generally, my opinion would be, hearing is not as important as other senses when it comes to driving. If you have partial hearing and can hear ok with the help of hearing aids, you should be good to go.

  • 

    [Deactivated] on 11/05/2023 - 09:42

    Part time truck driver here

    When do you sleep between working at all your occupations?

  • 

    CurlCurl on 11/05/2023 - 10:47

    Part time truck driver here… don’t worry. If you didn’t start out deaf, you would be soon anyway. Christ, some trucks are loud to drive.

    Ever driven a Commer Knocker?

• 

  deme on 11/05/2023 - 09:58

  +1

  understandable reasons so I can imagine employers would feel hesitant to let someone with a hearing loss drive an MR truck.

  Let me just Google that:

  “`
  To apply for an MR licence, you must:

  have held a class C licence (except a learner licence) or equivalent for 1 year or more
  pass the Heavy Vehicle Knowledge Test
  pass an eyesight test
  successfully complete the HVCBA or pass a heavy vehicle driving test.
  “`

  Unless you see by sonar then it's illegal for employers to discriminate.

  The main test seems to be can you install a dashcam and do you use the horn before breaking?

• 

  freefall101 on 11/05/2023 - 17:11

  If you can hear with hearing aids then there is literally no problem, there's no safety issue and it'd be discriminatory otherwise, like denying someone a job because they wear glasses.

  Pretty sure with current demand for truck drivers they'd hire you even if you couldn't hear at all, hearing aids or otherwise.

  As an aside, as someone else with hearing aids, the new airpod pros would be awesome for your job. Great noise cancelling for most noises and adjustable transparency mode. When I'm not in the office or talking to someone I much prefer those to my hearing aids (I prefer them in the office as well, but occasionally I have to talk to people).

  Transparency mode sounds too unnatural still but it is good at blocking out most loud noises.

• 

  noideaa on 13/05/2023 - 00:31

  Thank you everyone for your help, i appreciate it.

  Getting the license is not the issue. What I meant by hesitancy is companies not wanting to let a person with hearing aids drive their trucks out of fear but I will grow some backbone and try get rid of that unwanted thoughts because it’s holding me back. :(

  About my hearing, I rely on lip reading in face to face interactions and use the loadspeaker or headphone to call customers to show up if no one is present. My supervisor tend to send message for any changes etc if i’m out doing deliveries.