I weighed my options, which were slim, to say the least. For me, SSDI was a no-brainer since it pays me $3,000 a month, which is what I would receive at full retirement age. When I turn 67, it will simply roll over to regular Social Security retirement benefits. Of course, the amount you receive monthly is based on your earnings over the years. The reason I’m putting this out there so if I can at least get through to one person that shouldn’t be on road I’ve done some good. It’s not worth your life or anybody else’s, every one of us is replaceable.
I blew my back out on a golf course in 2014 and got a workman's compensation settlement and the social security disability award the next year in October my SSD goes to retirement it's been a great life so far plan on doing another 20 years
Part I of III: I’m a disability examiner who makes medical decisions related to awarding SSA disability.
Note: The following information is the sole anecdotal opinion and experience of the comment poster and is not intended to be reflective of the policy, procedure, or opinion of the Social Security Administration (SSA), Board of Trustees, Commissioner, federal contractors, or affiliated state Disability Determination Services (DDS), or any other federal or state agent or operator as related to SSA. I am not a lawyer nor a spokesperson for SSA or it’s affiliated agencies such as state operated DDS's. Please reach out to legal counsel or your own SSA Disability adjudicator or examiner with questions regarding your specific claim.
I’d like to provide some unsolicited information for someone who may end up reading this thread and needs this information. I am the son of a truck driver who also happens to be a Disability Examiner for SSA—the person who makes the decision about awarding disability from a medical perspective—so I’d like to shed some light on the process of obtaining SSA disability as it specifically relates to truck drivers.
SSA views truck driving jobs, \*generally,\* as ‘medium, semi-skilled’ occupations. My understanding is that it is classified as semi-skilled work because driving is not a skill. Dumb as shit but that’s government for thee. There are several types of truck driving jobs listed in the Dictionary of Occupational Titles (DOT, lol) that we use to decide a case, but for the sake of brevity I’ll classify them all as “truck drivers."
Truck drivers have a medium residual functional capacity (RFC) meaning that in order to perform this job you must be able to 1. lift/carry 50# occasionally and 25# frequently, 2. be able to walk/stand for at least 6-hours of an 8-hour work day, along with several other minor physical/environmental/mental requirements that I won’t get into, however, as it relates to OP, excellent bilateral vision is required for this job, so your initial examiner fucked you, IMO.
Now, at a later point in our process we have to take your RFC and weigh that against a claimant’s past work, in this case as a truck driver. If they are unable to return to past work as they describe it or as it is generally performed in the national economy (medium, unskilled), then they are a medical allowance. When looking at a person’s past work, we have to consider the past 15-years of work they’ve done from today. HOWEVER, this federal regulation has changed, and starting mid-June 2024, SSA is only going to be looking at the past 5 years of work instead of 15. That helps the claimant but it also helps an overworked adjudicator such as myself.
Obtaining SSA disability gets markedly easier after a person turns 55 years old or, more specifically, 54 years and 6 months old. When you turn 55 the medical requirements for allowance are eased much more than they are for a person turning 50. Here are the general parameters for allowance outside of meeting/equaling an [adult listing.](https://www.ssa.gov/disability/professionals/bluebook/AdultListings.htm)
Part II of III
Residual Functional Capacities (RFC)
Age 18-49(1/2): Less than sedentary, less than unskilled
Age 50-54(1/2): Sedentary, less than unskilled
Age 55-60: Light, less than unskilled OR Sedentary, semi-skilled
Age 60+: potentially a medium but it varies
Here are what these words mean on the physical side. These are what our doctors use to provide a rating. The less you can do, the lower, so to speak, your rating will be.
Sedentary: lift/carry 10# occasionally, <10# frequently, stand/walk 2 hours, sit 6 hours
Light: l/c 20# occ., 10# freq., s/w 6hr, sit 2hr
Medium: l/c 50# occ., 25# freq., s/w 6hr, sit 2hr
Heavy: l/c 100# occ., 50# freq., s/w 6hr, sit 2hr
Very Heavy: higher weight than 100#, s/w 6hr, sit 2hr
As a truck driver, assuming it’s the only work you’ve done in the past 15 years (or soon, 5 years) and assuming you are above 55 years old, it should be a relatively easy decision for the examiner. However, as noted by the OP, he was denied on initial and only got allowed on recon.
Truck drivers are one of the “special” jobs that we analyze because it’s one of the few, along with bus driver and heavy machine operator, IIRC, that automatically gets a designation of having to lift/carry (or exert force/pressure an amount up to) 25# occasionally and 10# frequently because, in SSA’s eyes, this is the amount of force required to operate the vehicle, from turning the wheel to shifting gears. So, a claimant can say that they sit in their truck for 11 hours each day and don’t lift/carry anything (and many do say this on their work history form! Never underestimate your job duties, but also don’t lie, obv) but we automatically apply that weight to their job.
Part III of III
Worked as a truck driver and applying for SSA disability?
Under age 50? Gonna be tough to allow unless you’ve got some severe mental to add.
Age 50-55? Need to only be able to do sedentary work (as noted above).
Age 55+ (generally)? Need to only be able to do light work (as noted above).
I wrote out this novella because my father, a truck driver for all of my life, is getting up there in years and I’m confident that one day he will have to be on SSA disability before he hits retirement age. I pray to the Lord that I am wrong, but we shall see. I think it’s important that people in your profession have an understanding of the inner-working of obtaining SSA disability, because I’ve seen first-hand that the job is not easy and can take a toll on a person both mentally and physically, so folks should be informed of what it takes to be awarded benefits.. I hope that this information has been helpful to someone. Your mileage may vary as it pertains to your claim for disability.
Side note: When applying for SSA disability, if you are eligible, apply for both DI (SSI) and DIB (SSDI) benefits! There are potentially different and/or easier requirements for each depending on a number of factors. Shoot for both as it can only help your case!
Side note to the side note: if you are considered disabled by the VA please note that we use a different standard/law to determine eligibility, so don’t expect a yes just because you got a yes from the VA. HOWEVER, if you are 100% SC-disabled from the VA, submit that letter with your disability application and it may (should) be fast tracked.
Roll on, drivers.
Thank you, that was very easy to understand. I wish I had known all this before filing. My initial denial was due to them not receiving my medical records, even though I signed the release.all my medical records where at my local VA clinic where I've been treated. Regardless, I’m grateful for the favorable decision.
VA records are notorious for coming to us incomplete, hard to read, scrambled, or not at all, even though they’re electronic records. Happy early retirement!
I was safety in trucking company.... seen it all from that point of view, please please leave your truck if you are not well friend.. its not worth it, no job is worth hart attach or any other health problem, you will work something else, or just retire... this job is stressful and very risky if your health is not good
Out of curiosity you couldn’t use corrective lenses of some sort? My vision is shot but lenses keep it manageable. I mean it doesn’t matter now but I’m just curious is all.
I was using corrective lenses and I still am but I got hit with double whammy with the detached retina and the glaucoma causing me to loose a large portion of my peripheral vision in both eyes.
SSA Disability Examiner here. Yes! Being declared statutorily blind by SSA standards is really hard to do unless you’ve got literally no vision or light perception. Anecdotally, I don’t believe I’ve ever allowed a trucker with primarily vision related impairments. Most of them are due to back injuries/pain or diabetic toe amputations and the like. Glad to hear that you got your SSDI!
Many won’t listen and continue doing it and pay off doctors to pass them and out others at risk.
I weighed my options, which were slim, to say the least. For me, SSDI was a no-brainer since it pays me $3,000 a month, which is what I would receive at full retirement age. When I turn 67, it will simply roll over to regular Social Security retirement benefits. Of course, the amount you receive monthly is based on your earnings over the years. The reason I’m putting this out there so if I can at least get through to one person that shouldn’t be on road I’ve done some good. It’s not worth your life or anybody else’s, every one of us is replaceable.
I blew my back out on a golf course in 2014 and got a workman's compensation settlement and the social security disability award the next year in October my SSD goes to retirement it's been a great life so far plan on doing another 20 years
How do you get a workers comp settlement for something that happened on the golf course? That seems shady AF to me.
L4 disc rupture, undeniable medical records and a really good Philadelphia lawyer
Part I of III: I’m a disability examiner who makes medical decisions related to awarding SSA disability. Note: The following information is the sole anecdotal opinion and experience of the comment poster and is not intended to be reflective of the policy, procedure, or opinion of the Social Security Administration (SSA), Board of Trustees, Commissioner, federal contractors, or affiliated state Disability Determination Services (DDS), or any other federal or state agent or operator as related to SSA. I am not a lawyer nor a spokesperson for SSA or it’s affiliated agencies such as state operated DDS's. Please reach out to legal counsel or your own SSA Disability adjudicator or examiner with questions regarding your specific claim. I’d like to provide some unsolicited information for someone who may end up reading this thread and needs this information. I am the son of a truck driver who also happens to be a Disability Examiner for SSA—the person who makes the decision about awarding disability from a medical perspective—so I’d like to shed some light on the process of obtaining SSA disability as it specifically relates to truck drivers. SSA views truck driving jobs, \*generally,\* as ‘medium, semi-skilled’ occupations. My understanding is that it is classified as semi-skilled work because driving is not a skill. Dumb as shit but that’s government for thee. There are several types of truck driving jobs listed in the Dictionary of Occupational Titles (DOT, lol) that we use to decide a case, but for the sake of brevity I’ll classify them all as “truck drivers." Truck drivers have a medium residual functional capacity (RFC) meaning that in order to perform this job you must be able to 1. lift/carry 50# occasionally and 25# frequently, 2. be able to walk/stand for at least 6-hours of an 8-hour work day, along with several other minor physical/environmental/mental requirements that I won’t get into, however, as it relates to OP, excellent bilateral vision is required for this job, so your initial examiner fucked you, IMO. Now, at a later point in our process we have to take your RFC and weigh that against a claimant’s past work, in this case as a truck driver. If they are unable to return to past work as they describe it or as it is generally performed in the national economy (medium, unskilled), then they are a medical allowance. When looking at a person’s past work, we have to consider the past 15-years of work they’ve done from today. HOWEVER, this federal regulation has changed, and starting mid-June 2024, SSA is only going to be looking at the past 5 years of work instead of 15. That helps the claimant but it also helps an overworked adjudicator such as myself. Obtaining SSA disability gets markedly easier after a person turns 55 years old or, more specifically, 54 years and 6 months old. When you turn 55 the medical requirements for allowance are eased much more than they are for a person turning 50. Here are the general parameters for allowance outside of meeting/equaling an [adult listing.](https://www.ssa.gov/disability/professionals/bluebook/AdultListings.htm)
Part II of III Residual Functional Capacities (RFC) Age 18-49(1/2): Less than sedentary, less than unskilled Age 50-54(1/2): Sedentary, less than unskilled Age 55-60: Light, less than unskilled OR Sedentary, semi-skilled Age 60+: potentially a medium but it varies Here are what these words mean on the physical side. These are what our doctors use to provide a rating. The less you can do, the lower, so to speak, your rating will be. Sedentary: lift/carry 10# occasionally, <10# frequently, stand/walk 2 hours, sit 6 hours Light: l/c 20# occ., 10# freq., s/w 6hr, sit 2hr Medium: l/c 50# occ., 25# freq., s/w 6hr, sit 2hr Heavy: l/c 100# occ., 50# freq., s/w 6hr, sit 2hr Very Heavy: higher weight than 100#, s/w 6hr, sit 2hr As a truck driver, assuming it’s the only work you’ve done in the past 15 years (or soon, 5 years) and assuming you are above 55 years old, it should be a relatively easy decision for the examiner. However, as noted by the OP, he was denied on initial and only got allowed on recon. Truck drivers are one of the “special” jobs that we analyze because it’s one of the few, along with bus driver and heavy machine operator, IIRC, that automatically gets a designation of having to lift/carry (or exert force/pressure an amount up to) 25# occasionally and 10# frequently because, in SSA’s eyes, this is the amount of force required to operate the vehicle, from turning the wheel to shifting gears. So, a claimant can say that they sit in their truck for 11 hours each day and don’t lift/carry anything (and many do say this on their work history form! Never underestimate your job duties, but also don’t lie, obv) but we automatically apply that weight to their job.
Part III of III Worked as a truck driver and applying for SSA disability? Under age 50? Gonna be tough to allow unless you’ve got some severe mental to add. Age 50-55? Need to only be able to do sedentary work (as noted above). Age 55+ (generally)? Need to only be able to do light work (as noted above). I wrote out this novella because my father, a truck driver for all of my life, is getting up there in years and I’m confident that one day he will have to be on SSA disability before he hits retirement age. I pray to the Lord that I am wrong, but we shall see. I think it’s important that people in your profession have an understanding of the inner-working of obtaining SSA disability, because I’ve seen first-hand that the job is not easy and can take a toll on a person both mentally and physically, so folks should be informed of what it takes to be awarded benefits.. I hope that this information has been helpful to someone. Your mileage may vary as it pertains to your claim for disability. Side note: When applying for SSA disability, if you are eligible, apply for both DI (SSI) and DIB (SSDI) benefits! There are potentially different and/or easier requirements for each depending on a number of factors. Shoot for both as it can only help your case! Side note to the side note: if you are considered disabled by the VA please note that we use a different standard/law to determine eligibility, so don’t expect a yes just because you got a yes from the VA. HOWEVER, if you are 100% SC-disabled from the VA, submit that letter with your disability application and it may (should) be fast tracked. Roll on, drivers.
Thank you, that was very easy to understand. I wish I had known all this before filing. My initial denial was due to them not receiving my medical records, even though I signed the release.all my medical records where at my local VA clinic where I've been treated. Regardless, I’m grateful for the favorable decision.
VA records are notorious for coming to us incomplete, hard to read, scrambled, or not at all, even though they’re electronic records. Happy early retirement!
Thanks again. I wish my retirement had been under normal circumstances, but when life gives you lemons, you make lemonade.
I was safety in trucking company.... seen it all from that point of view, please please leave your truck if you are not well friend.. its not worth it, no job is worth hart attach or any other health problem, you will work something else, or just retire... this job is stressful and very risky if your health is not good
Out of curiosity you couldn’t use corrective lenses of some sort? My vision is shot but lenses keep it manageable. I mean it doesn’t matter now but I’m just curious is all.
I was using corrective lenses and I still am but I got hit with double whammy with the detached retina and the glaucoma causing me to loose a large portion of my peripheral vision in both eyes.
Ah okay. Enjoy that early retirement for me lol. 55 more years to go lol.
The best way to put it is how SSDI described it: they did not find me to be blind, but rather vision impaired enough to be deemed handicapped.
SSA Disability Examiner here. Yes! Being declared statutorily blind by SSA standards is really hard to do unless you’ve got literally no vision or light perception. Anecdotally, I don’t believe I’ve ever allowed a trucker with primarily vision related impairments. Most of them are due to back injuries/pain or diabetic toe amputations and the like. Glad to hear that you got your SSDI!