FORMER COVENANT DRIVERS WANTED

[wayne hunkins]

We are looking for former Covenant drivers. We have a suit pending against Covenant for the passengers of a large bus that was distroyed by a covenant truck. We want to speak to former drivers about Covenant policies and their use of the Qualcomm.

[PortlandDriver]

Although this may have been a grave loss and no details have been given other then broad generalities, can you give more details? Although this websight does not endorse any carrier and will allow discussions on the good and the bad of the industry this subject can be left private through either email or PM's...

[dedicated]

I've been working for Covenant since May of 2006. I teamed with my wife during the first six months. We had plenty of little problems with the company, but together we had great fun. I have been solo on a dedicated run since Nov. I got into an abandoned truck that had the quallcom bracket mounted just to the right of the steering wheel, level with the steering wheel. Company policy, and an advisory on the unit itself advises not to use the device while driving. With it mounted directly to my right, just above control switches and the radio it is very easy to use it to follow street directions. I must decide proactively to pull off at the next safe stop before using the quallcom to send messages because it is in fact easier to type a few letters check my surroundings type, and send my message than it is to stop the truck. I took my truck in to have a windshield replaced at a Covenant transport third party repair facility in southern California. All I can remember about the place is it is off Cherry St. by the Pomona Terminal. The tech removed the qualcomm bracket from the dashboard and replaced the driver's windshield. After this was all said and done he had not reinstalled the bracket. It lay on the floorboard with the two self tapping screws that the previous driver used to install the bracket. I asked the tech about this and he said that due to policy he could not reinstall the bracket but he did have a screwdriver laying over on his toolbox. I reinstalled the bracket, have been through several maintenence checks and nothing was ever said about my quallcom. I got into another truck and installed the quallcom in that spot. I have never had a complaint from any terminal service personel. When my wife and I trained we were together with another individual in a truck (3 people in one truck for 40 days, no breaks, no days off). The quallcom was mounted on the lower dashboard directly in front of the passenger's left leg . The trainer would often reach down, grab the quallcom, set it on the steering wheel and read and use the unit, usually in a fit of frustration. This led to at least 3 near collisions. one with an abandoned car in the breakdown lane that was so close I became very shocked, and soon thereafter my wife and I removed ourselves from the truck. The dispatchers send many messages desireing replies, which would call for the truck to be stopped for message response, while they express disdain when the truck comes to a stop too often for their satisfaction. While my wife and I were teamed, one of us must rest as best as we can in a moving truck which is difficult enough without having to raise up from the bunk to read a message and respond. It is difficult to rest when the truck must stop and go often. which would be necessary if the driver did not want to wake up the sleeper to respond to messages. So for so many reasons, right or wrong, often drivers choose to remain in motion while answering messages about ETA's , or sending messages about why we were stopped twenty minutes ago, or asking if there any better directions that could be sent. or responding to a message like the one I got recently that said "The trailer fairy is no longer here, all drivers who drop loaded trailers must get an empty trailer before leaving consignee or the driver who bobtails into a shipper can be charged the expense of moving to find an empty, or for someone to bring on to my location, please respond with message recieved". I responded with condolences to the lollipop guild.
Finally, in summary, Covenant is not able to ensure that each driver is able to conform to each of it's policies, using quallcom while in motion included, because the driver is urged to respond to the needs of the load being shipped before his or her own personal needs, equipment needs, and logistical needs. It behooves the entire industry to just take a deep breath and stop and think for a minute. And then listen.

[uncletommy]

I was also a covenant dedicated driver and only recently found out that I had been taken from 32cpm to 25cpm for dedicated division. I also quit because I refused to answer stupid questions on Qualcomm while driving. They have unrealisitic delivery times and p/u times and you get a service failure for being late. I got tired of cheating on my logs to comply with Company standards and go by DOT standards and was fired.

[pick n flick]

my qualcomm is mounted on the right side of steering wheel and used during motion yes I drive team hazmat and we are both trainors. The driver is urged to respond to the needs of the fleet mangers and CRS I can almost say with certain that at least 40% of the direction are wrong. Covenant does nothing to fix them it is so

[Rocks]

I am a new driver, working for Covenant. My trainer tought me how to read and type quick messages on the qc while driving. He said I would HAVE to learn that. Although I thought that was unsafe and irresponsible of him... now I have been reading and typing while driving (whenever is possible). Have seen several Covenant drivers with QC screwed on the right side of the steering wheel. I keep mine on the passenger's seat or on the floor next to me.

[warhoop]

Subpeona the info directly from Qualcom. Their archived records will contain all messages,whether the truck was in motion when messages were sent,gps positions for every minute since the unit was activated and on and on.Virtually every piece of history associated with that truck.

[ziggystyles]

Jeesh, that just erks me seeing others use cell phones or Qcomms while driving. Schneider has ours locked so we can't even use the darned things while its in motion.