From chatter over the CB, to sharing advice on the internet, to stopping to help a stranded trucker, drivers are always looking out for each other. If you drive team, it’s especially important to look out for your co-driver, and two truckers working for Sutter Transfer Service have done just that.
When Lonnie Winstead, and African-American driver, started getting harassed by his dispatcher with racially offensive remarks, his white co-driver was right there with him filing a race harassment lawsuit. According to a press release by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the dispatcher would commonly use words like “gorilla,” “porch monkey” and the “N-word.”
Before the lawsuit was filed, other drivers had witnessed the harassment, even brought it to the attention of management, but according to the EEOC statement, “the employers failed to take immediate and effective action and the harassment continued.”
Instead of letting the issue go to court, Sutter Transfer and Fiveway, LLC, an earthmoving farming company who was also named in the suit, have agreed to pay the drivers a $30,000 settlement. In addition to the money, they must provide annual anti-harassment training for all employees, revise equal employment opportunity and anti-harassment policies and complaint procedures, post a notice regarding the lawsuit, and report any complaints of harassment or discrimination to the EEOC for two years.
EEOC San Francisco District Director Michael Baldonado added, “We hope this resolution sends a clear message: Employers that receive notice of racial harassment should take prompt and effective measures to investigate, stop any unlawful conduct, and discipline those found responsible.”
Winstead’s co-driver was not named in the release from the EEOC, but he deserves congratulations and thanks. It’s not always easy to stand up for what’s right, especially when you’ll be risking your job.
“People who work expect to be treated with respect,” Winstead said. “I was the only black truck driver working there but not the only one offended when our dispatcher was allowed to give out racist comments right along with work assignments. No one should put up with discrimination! I’m glad I exercised my rights and reported this to the EEOC.”
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Source: eeoc
steve says
I hope they fired this POS dispatcher.
Bob says
Come on this is trucking. I’m sure the dispatcher was a family member of the owner. Being a dispatcher requires no brains.
Fred says
Sad that in today’s times a person still judges a book by its cover.
Sherri Van Arkel says
I am thrilled the co driver stood up for his buddy and took the blinders off as we see so many others wearing when there is wrongdoing going on.Nobody wants to “Get involved” anymore cuz they worried about themselves more. Its nice to read about someone standing up for rights of others!!! MORE SHOULD!!! I do!!
gwen says
I agree with both Steve and Fred. I’m afraid, however, the practice of degrading commercial drivers by dispatch operations is a commonality. Only lawsuits such as this one will force change to happen. I hope to see more and more of these.
Ron says
I believe it takes a lot more common sense and education than it takes to drive and haul the load you are given by the dispatcher, so Bob the next time you take your foot out of your mouth stick your fist in it.
TVadear says
Ron, it takes a special set of skills to be dispatcher and/or a driver. And common sense and education is required in both. But this dispatcher showed that he lacked common sense and respect for his fellow workers, the drivers, or for a individual. As with drivers and dispatcher there are some on both ends of the range from highly intelligent to not smart enough to get out of the rain.
bill O'Nolan says
There’s no room for this kind of treatment in America.
Jeremy says
I agree with Ron. Millions of dollars flow through a dispatch center. I’ve had to coach drivers through area’s after they decided not to follow the assigned route, just because they thought they knew a better way.
Derrick Belton says
My comment is to the co-driver, Thank You Sir for standing up for your partner, when I was driving I witness these kind of comments from dispatch and drivers nothing ever happen when a complaint was made only when I or another complained our jobs were threatened, these people stand by as if nothing is wrong.
carl says
the N word is bandied about on the CB so much i was beginning to wonder if any truck driver wasn’t a bigot. good to know some decent folks are out doing the right thing. now if the rest of them could speak up against such racism on the CB life would get even better.
Ken says
It would not have been discrimination if the dispatcher called the white drivers “cracker” and “honkie” – had he or she abused all drivers equally for their race.
Unbelievable that was permitted to happen for as long as it was.
Trucker1987 says
Thats strange..I have a similiar situation but no one will help me..I started with a new company and the trainer i felt wasn’t a big fan of african american people and he would make me feel uncomfortable with the music he listens to with the N word in it..He made up a lie that got me fired.. The company terminated me on a tuesday but didnt notify me til thanksgiving day in Laredo, TX. They had all my belongings locked up and put me out on the street with no money, food, or any way of contacting family..Thankfull a nice stranger came and helped me..Are they’re any suggestions about what i should do??
Tim says
Actually Ron, it doesn’t.
BuckeyeJim says
Way to go to both for standing up for your selves.
David Norton says
This practice and others happen everyday in the trucking world its sad but true and their is no help for the drivers strugging with big company correuption on drivers and the way they hurt America
bill says
To the dispatcher that says millions of dollars go thru there hands paper or a computer screen goes thru your hands.we have the product we touch the millions of dollars of stuff everyday and drive the trucks and trl worth more than u make in years..and when it comes to routes or anything out here on the road most of the time the driver does know better than u sitting behind the desk.
Lorenzo says
Lets get this straight. most big companies have load planner they in turn send loads to the dispatchers which they in turn send out to the drivers so how much do you have to do is push the button to be a dispatcher.I wouldn’t want the job is dispatcher but a lot of them darn sure don’t want my job that I have either.emphasize most of them don’t even have a years worth of experience in or just fresh out of college and don’t even know what a log book is
Emery C. Mayoros IV says
Unbelievable in a way. Yet, not so much. Nothing but low life white trash drinking too much cheap alcohol. Scumbags are everywhere. It’s a sin & a shame. That’s an individual w/NO self esteem, marginalizing & berating another person to make up for their own short comings in a feable attempt to prop themselves up. It all comes down to personal responsibility in the aspect of good health; mental as well as physical. This individual had failed them self . That’s a choice by the way, NOT, ‘just how it is’. What do you want and what are you WILLING to DO to achieve it? Apparently, nothing.
Remember, a debate can NOT be won by DISagreeing, the argument MUST be broken. Try & you WILL fail. I’m right, the puke dispatcher IS wrong.
Thanks for reading. Stay safe brothers & sisters. -e.
jeremy rafferty says
Right on brother, Right on!!! Stupid Mo Fos like that dispatcher should be taught the “old Fashioned” way that racisim will not stand, and should never be tolorated!! If I ever Hear someone putting down someone else due to race they immediately have a problem with me! Just ask my our marine brothers in my old unit the answer will be the same.
PBROCK says
Thats’ nothing,,, I am a GAY but nobody ever seems to figure it out.. my co-driver of many months always spent down time surfing the net for stripper poles and casinos to kill time in between loads,,, He never had much luck finding women to bring onto the rig and thought if he could get a pic of me we could get lucky.. after bugging me for months he finally snapped a pic without my permission while I was changing clothes… knowing he was planning to use it as his pic to lure women I objected.. things became heated… fianlly exploding when he says… Whats the problem.. are you gay or something.. I answered honestly… we were dropping a load at the time.. I got out and went for the paperwork… when I came back.. he and the rig were gone… I was 2k from home and my employer,, after hearing the story,,, did nothing… I had to take a bus home… of course I quit…