A trucker has been arrested and charged with DUI after he fell asleep several times during his sobriety test. The driver is blaming his dispatcher for forcing him back on the road even after he had taken sleeping pills.
According to The Mercury, driver Brock Claggett was driving on Route 422 in Pennsylvania near Exeter when the 911 calls started coming in. Claggett had allegedly been swerving all over the road, cutting people off, and falling asleep at the wheel.
When Exeter Police officers stopped Claggett, they reported that he had trouble pulling the truck over onto the shoulder. Claggett was allegedly slurring his words and was falling asleep while talking to authorities.
He told police that while he was stopped in Baltimore three hours earlier, he had taken 1 1/5 Ambien sleeping pills. When his dispatcher called him to tell him to get back on the road, Claggett says he told him about the pills, but the dispatcher insisted that he continue his drive.
When police gave Claggett a field sobriety test, Claggett appeared to fall asleep multiple times during the test. He was taken to a local hospital where he allegedly declined a blood test. He was arrested and charged with driving under the influence of drugs.
Source: pottsmerc, readingeagle, facebook
Is getting the load to the destination so important that the life of the driver is less important. Now that he was arrested. A new driver, trade off of trailers, getting the vehicle out of impound, increase in insurance. Payment of court.
All instead of letting the driver sleep.
I don’t buy the my dispatch made me do it story , nobody was standing there putting a gun to his head! He should have known better
Rawdog you have no idea what these dispatchers for large trucking companies force the weak minded to do. They hold your jobs in the palm of their hands. I’m a truck driver 5yr vested and have heard all the threats from dispatchers that you would not believe. One from a very reputable company told me he would send a police office to come remove from the vehicle if I didn’t drive to pick up a missed load immediately even though I had ran out of time; so I really wouldn’t put it pass these dispatchers.
No one holds your life in their hands but you. A dispatcher can’t get a driver fired. The guy refused a blood test.
You understand the ramifications of refusing the test. If he had been telling the truth, the test might have saved his license.
If a person is so weak minded a piss ant dispatcher can make him drive when he shouldn’t, then he doesn’t deserve to be on the same highway our families travel.
Over all the driver is still responsible it’s your license in life that you put on the line so no dispatcher could ever force a driver to do something that he do not want to do I have been in the trucking industry for 45 So drivers step up take responsibility it’s no one’s fault but yours you have to be accountable for your actions quit whining and be men not my fault somebody else made me do it it don’t cut it.
As a retired 40 year driver. I agree. If you had nothing to hide take the blood test. If your a moron don’t take it and blame your dispatcher for your stupidity and lack of professional
You are exactly right! One quick call to DOT to report what your company “told” you to do would have shut that dispatcher down. And if they fire you, you must have given them reason. My husband has been driving for 38 yrs. Throw a stone get another CDL driving job.
Shane, you are spot on! Tell little dispatcher to pound sand, turn your phone off and go to bed! Then next day when clear headed file a safety comes to and talk to the Head of HR! Send dispatcher job hunting!
I agree. There has to be more to this story although I will say this.
Most Managers and Driver Leaders do care about one thing. That load. Period.
A dispather CAN get a driver fired!
The ONLY way to avoid this is to call the dispatcher, telling him that you are recording this call.
THEN tell him that you can’t SAFELY continue to drive !
SAFETY is the KEY word.
AGREED!!!
Dispatch cannot force you to do anything. You are the driver, is your responsibility.
Wife and I teamed for crst I was tired and pulled over for a 30 min nap we were 45 min from drop called them said we wouldn’t be able in load for 2-3 hrs. See you in couple hrs dispatch and load planers made us sit for 4 days before asking a load I have 1.23 mil Mike’s in a big truck .me my Pete and wife retired last yr
If you are a company driver. Using their truck, they CAN force you to drive, UNLESS you tell them you can’t SAFELY continue.
Empress.. Dude, really. Don’t be a wuss. screw that Or any dispatcher,. in your scenario I would have just simply said “okay send the authorities.. Bye.. Click. There’s there’s hundreds of thousands of trucking carriers to choose from.
Trust me.. 12 yrs. Otr, I’ve learned a lil.
“Shane wangs” comment.. Spot on.
@Al
Company or not, no one can force you to drive. Hell, I won’t even let my dispatcher tie me down to an arrival time if I can be early. Dispatcher says how soon can you be there, I respond with when I get there I’ll send you a message letting you know I’m there. 14 years doing this with an excellent record, no dispatcher is going to tell me what to do.
First off neather one of you know what you are talking about once your 10 hr break is up that dispatchers can make you drive unless your over your 70 hr but I do beleave that the dispatcher has had trouble getting this guy to run and he did not believe him I be do agree he refused blood test cause he had something in him but he didn’t want them to findso road dog you were rite
Understand one thing, dispatchers work for the driver, not the other way around.
You should have told him to call the police
If there’s that big of a drivers shortage he should have said no took the truck back to wherever the yard is after sleeping and clean it out. Those companies aren’t worth working for if they’ll do that sh#t.
Been at this for 30 years and have never had this issue. Tell me I don’t have a choice?? Lol always a choice. Say I quit.
Get some self respect if you don’t respect yourself no one else is.
Your right unless you have such a poor record you are stuck with the bottom feeders like crst. If you even try to be any sort of professional driver you should find a job in a hour or two
key phrase is “weak minded”.
Indeed!!
Lol empress, if you really think a dispatcher has that much power, you need to work in another industry. NO ONE CAN MAKE YOU RUN ILLEGAL!!!!! PERIOD!!! If they threaten you all you have to do is call the authorities. The eld can’t lie. Use your brain instead of being brainwashed.
U should’ve said trucks cleaned out come get it
Bad idea unless at one of their yards good luck getting a job after abandoning a truck
Ok 5yrs? Well it’s a very interesting thing, I’m a 30yr driver and I’ve heard all the threats. But one thing the driver fails to realize all you gotta do is call the D.O.T. These companies and dispatchers cannot force you to do anything illegal. It’s your license and your career. As long as you keep it clean you can get a job anywhere. If your dispatcher tells you to do something you know to be illegal, tell him/her to piss off. Back in the day we used a dispatch buster recorder because you know they wont admit they tried it. Now technology is great. Tell them to send it on Qualcomm or people net message and in a text to your phone. Then and only then will you consider it. Odds are they will change their tune.
Now I’ve got to ask this, 5 years your still wet behind the ears. Even I know know dispatcher can force you to move while on break and I’ve been out here for 25 years. They can say what they want but you the driver are in command of the truck. Even if this driver was on sleeping pills why did he have them? And not to take the test he just committed he was under the influence. So he has know leg to stand on. He’ll never prove anything about a dispatcher forcing him, did the dispatcher put it in writing telling him to move. NO.
Did your dispatcher put it in writing that he was going to send police out to remove you from your truck. NO.
We as drivers draw the line, we follow the rules set by the FMCSR then NO dispatcher can push a driver when he is on his 10 break. Weak minded or not.
agree.. he is old enough to make a conscious sound decision. He choose to drive.. He needs to own it and take responsibility for his stupid actions.
Exactly you have a right to refuse a load if you can’t get it there safely
Some dispatchers would do it but in the end its the drivers call.
I will guarantee that dispatcher isnt admitting to saying anything(assuming they did).
This is why I have an app called ACR on my cell phone. All Call Recorder. It records every call to and from my phone.
Yeah he refused a blood text s o he’s hiding more than a Ambien problem
So how long does it take to get next driving job, – if ur hazmat it takes 2 weeks to a month, a lot of drivers don’t make enough money to save.
So when they threaten you with your job n you have wife and 3 kids at home and your the sole breadwinner you’ll jump back to work to.
But all all he didn’t except blood test, which means he’s a stoner too
Im haz mat took me 2 hours to find a new job. All you got to do is keep your nose clean
Calls should’ve been recorded, right? Even if the dispatcher “forced” the driver, it’s his responsibility to follow the laws, e.g., max hours, 34 hr restarts, etc.
Unfortunately these dispatchers demand/ threaten you drive or “else” ….Speaking from true experience.. If you dont drive then you become one of those drivers that get crappy loads or no loads at all. Its ridiculous how the dispatchers play with your license and ability to drive. I feel sorry for tge driver
Exactly why did he deny the blood test?
Im guessing you don’t drive for a large company. If you refuse to do what the dispatch says they have no problem with kicking you out ofthe truck and leaving you stranded.
Wrong!!! NO ONE HAS THE POWER.TO MAKE YOU RUN ILLEGAL. WAKE UP YOU SHEEP!!!!
I do drive for one of the largest companies and they will not leave a driver stranded. They will act like everything is ok and get you a load to your home terminal. Then you get fired.
However if you have a great record with the company and your safety and license are clean they will work with you. I’ve outlasted many dispatchers because of my record and being honest with the terminal manager.
Yeah but you know they threaten you with firing you and stuff like that and especially if you’re living paycheck-to-paycheck you know I know it’s not right but you really can’t afford it so it’s kind of a touch and go
You don’t buy the dispatcher sorry. Find and read the article where the company was just sued for 178 million because the dispatcher told the driver to show he took a 10 hr break when he only took a 2 hour break. Some new drivers are afraid of losing their job because they don’t have the experience. I have been in this industry for over 35 years and I have seen a lot of abuse by dispatchers. And telling a dispatcher your not going to run would have gotten one fired. Than try getting another driving job once you been fired. Times have changed. Now the driver has a lot more control.
Yep. It’s HIS & ONLY his fault. It’s HIS license, he is supossed to know the rules and could have simply said NO! CAN’T DO IT. And hung up. NO EXCUSES, NO EXCUSES, NO EXCUSES!
👏🏽👏🏽
I recently quit driving truck. After driving a full day. Night dispatch would want you to do the 8-hour 2-hour split in sleeper.I would not do it not in my life would I do it I need my sleep that’s the only time I get to sleep and I would refuse so it’s boils down to the driver how bad does he value his life and others.That load is better off late then you’re being arrested for actions much much worse.Money is important as well but life comes first there’s only one life that you get .
Welcome to all of the wonderful freedom offered up by capitalism. Obey your master, uh, I mean “employer” otherwise your livelihood will be ripped away.
So true, they will manipulate you to get it done, and they wonder why drivers are crashing due to fatigue.
Wtf has “capitalism” got to do with a driver being so stupid and spineless that HE CHOOSES to operate his truck knowing full well he was incapable???
Exactly
Amen!!
Amen, your right
Just some lib commie trying to get our goat so he can have sex with it
Good question, I’d Like to know the answer to that myself.
If it is so bad here I will buy a
One way ticket to any where I the world but you give up your us citizens ship.
Not too bright…are you.
That’s an idiotic comment.
Why did he take sleeping pills. He made his situation worse. The dispatcher should have fired him for taking pills when he still had time to drive and needed to get to his destination.
Amen Dispatcers must think, use that little mass on top of the shoulders God gave them
Many companies do not care about the truck drivers. They just care about the load getting to the final destination. It’s true they push their workers to the limits.
That’s right. It will be very difficult fir the driver to find a job, thanks yo his stupid company
Yes it is that important. I ordered a red rider bb gun ™ and I want it yesterday. I guess this idiot didn’t know about the coercion law.
My hubby is a truck driver and his DM use tobwake him up when he was on sleeper berth to get him back on the road and would threaten to fire if he doesn’t do the work because he would refuse it.
Some DM don’t care for safety and more for making that $$.
I’ve been on both sides of the wheel. I’ve heard all the same stories and experienced some of them during my 40+ years of driving, and now as a nighttime dispatcher. I’m not sure, but I think every cell phone out there has an on/off button. When I drove, I turned my phone off. It’s my time, no one else’s. If you work for a company that pushes over the line, time to find another company. Any decent driver can have another job driving within 24 hours if they want.
And I agree with the person that commented on the driver’s refusal to take a blood test. He sealed his own fate and his action certainly doesn’t give credence to his claim.
Regardless of what dispatch allegedly instructed him to do it was the drivers responsibility to refuse to move knowing that he had taken the sleeping pills. At the end if the day its HIS license & livelihood at stake & he is accountable to that not the dispatcher
Shouldn’t be taking ambient if you are a driver period, I took that stuff once about 25 years ago before I got my class a and I can’t imagine any time when I would take that stuff even if I had to drive the next day
Ambien is on the truck driver no no list.
Right you are. I tell you these drivers need to learn. Your a grown person and responsible for your choices, not the dispatcher.
Good. He should go to jail. We have enough idiot truckers and 4 wheelers out here.
Blaming dispatch isn’t a good excuse. He can refuse to drive. I would have.
Actually I have due to other reasons. At my company safety backs the drivers decision to stop driving no matter what reason.
This is the correct response. Drivers claiming that “my dispatchers made me do it” haven’t read the regulations.
Right on! Wonder who trained them? Hmmmm…..
How can a dispatcher force a driver to drive? He can only fire him or give him the worst loads. Both are preferable from an employability perspective to what ended up happening.
I have told dispatchers numerous times over the years to fire me if they don’t like how I do my job because I can get another job in a week doing it my way while I may not last a week in trucking doing it the dispatchers way. Safe and legal are most important to me. Too bad this driver didn’t stand on that standard.
Dispatch cannot fire drivers.
This wasnt a truck driver. This is the normal. They are called Steering Wheel Holders.
He is at fault just like drinking and driving there is no excuse for driving impaired. Somebody didn’t teach this driver correctly
I am not buying this story. Why would the driver refuse a blood test if all he had taken was 1 1/5 of sleeping medication pill? This piece reads like a typical false news story.
He might refuse because his company prohibits sleep aids.
Right against self incrimination. Any attorney will tell you this.
Different rules apply to our industry. That’s why we have a handbook of regulations.
Exactly
You cannot be “forced” to drive when you are unsafe to do so. Driving jobs are a dime a dozen. If you’ve being pressured to do something dangerous it’s not difficult to replace that job.
Correct.
As a medical examiner for FMSCA I was not aware a driver with a CDL could refuse any test. What I do know is that refusal is automatic positive as far as the FMSCA and DOT are concerned. Hope he has a back up plan for his mandatory withdrawal of his CDL until he can show compliance. However, Ambien is automatic denial for a CDL license.
Agreed SnowWalker… we are not getting the full story! SHOCKER.
Tammy Germany, FNP-C, NRCME
“However, Ambien is automatic denial for a CDL license.”
So there’s no need for anyone to ask ‘why would he refuse the test?’
Truth!!!!
I agree with other comments! You the Driver are in charge if the truck. Company I am with now I see they don’t have their crap together. Cannot plan loads according to time of hours.
Sounds like everyone is guilty but him… Come on, with electronic logs…. Why would you even be taking a break if you was under a load and had hours on your clock. If you got hours why would you be taking a long enough break to think you was good to taking your sleeping meds. And if you got a script, you supposed to have a script. So why refuse a blood test, when refusing one is worse than taking one and it being dirty. People need to grow up and take responsibility. This man put how many families at risk by driving while he been taking sleeping pills
Not enough information given. You are the keeper of your CDL. Did you have HOS left? Were you just trying to get out of a load? Were you told by dispatch that you need to rest for a later load? Isn’t ambien on the list of medications not allowed? I mean Ted Kennedy “sleep drove” on this medication.
How about just telling dispatch no
I disagree with giving drivers the worst loads are low miles..so they cannot make money…thats why quit. No money and those payments are not in his name..But telling drivers to drive on the midnight are graveyard shift can be toxic to drivers who are not use to the physical changing time of there sleep pattern..no sleep can be like drinking a 5th of Gin..it will lay you down…even if he didn’t take sleeping pills…
All these idiot drivers put lives in danger for their stupid greed. These imbeciles should have their license revoked immediately when pulled over.
Ambien ain’t no joke. Honestly. It’s not like a normal sleeping pill, or even like alcohol. You often don’t even realize when it kicks in. He should not have even answered his phone or communication device once he had swallowed them.
Yes we do have a lot of idiots driving trucks now ,and this guy should of known to just go to bed and turn his phone off.Things happen out here on the road,its your dission to make the call on what’s right and wrong.YOU ARE THE CAPTIAN OF YOUR SHIP.I myself have 32years at the wheel.had to shut down many time’s before for coming up 15mins short of delivery and cost me two or more days.Oh well IT IS WHAT IT IS.LIFE!!!
Just another dumb truck driver off the road!! Thank god!!!
When I worked for the big blue motor carrier, there was many times I said no. Usually their load planners do stupid things like give you a live load at a grocery warehouse when you only have an hour and a half left on your 14, and insist they have overnight parking when they don’t. They can’t legally fire you, but they can work against you by giving you crappy freight to lower your pay until you quit, which is what eventually happened to me.
I know your pain about big blue. I was a good driver for them, lasted 6years as company, 3 as o/o (ouch). Just because I refused 1 load high priority for. They lowered my miles so fast I started earning $400 a month. All because I told them no I am not putting my life and the lives of others at risk. I quit and have not looked back except to flip them the bird. I would rather be pissed off at a company for cutting my pay than to risk my life and other lives, like this idiot did.
There’s two sides to every story here people,you kind of have check out both sides of the story first before making conclusions,in my 45 years of driving semi’s there are dispatchers who will tell a driver that the has to be delivered because it’s a time sensitive load whether he needs to be at a customer’s place or to swap off with another driver at a certain place,but that doesn’t excuse that driver to just go right ahead and do it knowing that he shouldn’t,if I were him I would have call the police and told him or her what the dispatcher had said,if this driver has had this kind of situation with his dispatchers before,Audio the call or have a way of recording exactly what was said or took place so that the dispatcher can’t hide what was told to the driver,I’ve gotten two dispatchers fired from their jobs over that kind of crap in the past,I’m not about to allow some lousy company or dispatcher put me in the spotlight like this driver did,
UMM … Doesn’t matter if he drove 10 min after taking sleeping pills or after taking them and taking a full 10 hour break. It’s illegal either way unless he has a DOT medical waiver allowing him to take them. Any drug that induces drowsiness is illegal for a CDL holder to take and drive a CMV.
I have Ambien (and another drug that induces drowsiness) listed on my DOT Long Form as prescribed to me. The doctor doing my DOT physical asked if I ever take them before driving, and I gasped, and said “No way!” And I passed and got my card renewed. Does that mean I have a DOT waiver?
Yep
We’ve all been asked some even “told” to keep going. We’ve been made to feel guilty for not pushing our trucks or pushing our bodies beyond their capabilities let’s be honest about this. What this driver did was just plain dumb !!!!
Let’s not let the dispatcher off the hook. He is the one who out the job on the line. He, and the company, need to be held accountable for hearing “Ambien” and failing to back off.
Driver is the master of his own ship.
The driver is at fault for several reasons.
1) It’s the drivers call if he is safe to drive.
2) The driver manager can not force or cohersce the driver to continue on.
3) Ambien is labeled “Do not operate heavy machinery” and the obvious “may make drowsy”.
Foolio rolled the dice, pushing the blame on someone else AND putting the public at risk. 3 to 5 years on a government protected sleep program for attempted manslaughter should be sufficient.
“NO MEANS NO” simple as that !!!!
I agree he was dumb for listening to his dispatch, it doesn’t matter what the company says, i was always told you’re the captain of your ship.
No he chose to No means no. Unless his dispatcher was in the truck with a weapon he was not forced. Sorry no excuse. I have ingored my boss when he calls and I am on break.
Like I told a dispatcher once it’s your truck and my license you can keep your truck. Where I work now for the largest truck stop company in the country hauling fuel my lead driver told me we work through our break and to take it when I drop or load fuel and I said ok. I stop every night and take my 30 minute break f him I don’t work through my break it’s the law !
I got fired from Schneider for refusing to drive while fatigued. I made a n FMCSA complaint, and they said they aren’t going to do an investigation.
Big difference between being fatigued and out of hours. Big orange knows exactly what your hours are and how time you had to rest. If you didn’t use the time to rest…. on you. I would have fired you too. It is always the drivers responsibility to rest when off and work when available, if needed. Big companies suck but you have to learn how to do it somewhere.
NO… No dispatcher these days are going to make you drive tired or as so admitted told dispatcher he took a pill. And to refuse a blood test this guy is a liar and drivers like him who manage to get a CDL are a danger. Put his ass in jail never let him drive again not even a car.
I was always told your rhe captain of the ship ,nobody can make you drive when your not safe ,dispatchers don’t run the. Company he should have called safety, fyi it’s illegal for him to have sleeping pills in the truck anyway.
It’s very possible this story could be true.
But at the end it’s up to me to decide if I will accept anything from a dispatcher.
This industry needs a series of new laws to punish this kind of behaviors.
Ever hear of Safety Department ???
You can refuse to drive. That’s what the safety department is for. And if that company doesn’t care, STOP DRIVING FOR THEM !!!!! drivers like you killed my best friend. You PRICK !!!
More like he was already late with the load so he decided to keep going, smh. If you as a truck driver sneezes wrong that could be a CSA point. Driver’s gotta be smarter out here.
Halts.
Hungry angry lonely tired sad
Are when we are most vulnerable and more apt to make bad decisions in each of those areas.
So stupid
Safety first, CYA second! Have the Dispatcher communicate his instructions in writing… then refuse on safety grounds. You have a CDL, you will always have a job. Don’t Be Intimidated!
I don’t buy it, every dispatcher that I have always worked with dropped it when I told them that I was unable to drive for one reason or another. I have never had a dispatcher try to force me to move a load. I think he was just DWI.
A dispatcher ever said that to me, I tell him/her to go to the devil. I would never drive like that, come on driver are you that stupid?
ambien good lord, tell the dispatcher NO
No matter what when you drive any size vehicle! There is no excuse for saying your dispatcher forced you to drive. You know your limitations. You decide whether to drink, do drugs, drive, driving impaired is a choice. Its lucky and a miracle he didnt kill someone and not only affect his own life but the life of the people he killed or injured. No one doing stupid behind the wheel or anything doesnt think of what it does or how it affects the one you chose to use to do your stupid thing. I had a drunk motorcyclist hit me head on at 90mph., passing vehicles in a 45 mph zone. He didnt think of how that would affect me or anyone else when he used me to kill him. So please dont feel sorry for him. Please do t accept his excuse. Unless the dispatch was recorded. He made the choice and let the dispatcher bully him. Maybe he didnt use his mandatory 10 hour break when he was suppose too. He should have slept on his time like he should have. He deserves to pay and deserves to pay the consequences.
Having been prescribed ambien myself in the past, I can relate. The man shouldn’t have driven no matter what the dispatcher said especially if he was near the end of his behind the wheel time. With that stuff, you’d best be laying down ready for bed when you take it
You as a driver need to establish your parameters and just how far you are willing to let them push you early on in your job. I had been with my current company for about 3 months and I needed to be home a doctor’s appointment. The vice president, the owners son, called and told me to forget my doctors appointment they needed me to do another run or I was fired. I said ok I wll bring the truck to the yard and hung up my phone and refused to answer the phone or computer messages. I pulled into the yard about an hour and a half later and was met by the owner and his son, who were waiting on me. I flat told them that if I say I can’t or won’t do a load for reasons of mine or someone else’s health or safety I mean it. and if you can’t accept that then I can not work for you. I have been with them 10 years now no tickets or at fault accidents. At times I have missed doctors appointments but it has been due to circumstances and not because they didn’t think it was important.
Bull! No body can make you do anything, sorry but he ownes this one
God, I hate to sound arrogant or cocky but it’s stupid shyt like these stories that make me feel that I am glad to be me. The driver is a flat out moron. The dispatcher.. If the story is even true (doubtful), is indeed a scum. Case closed. Look at dude I’m pic! Lol.. He’s still sleepy lol
Drove trucks for 37 years. It’s your neck on the chopping block if you do something illegal because the dispatcher told you to. Any trucking company that operates that way ain’t worth working for. There is a driver shortage and they can’t afford to keep running off the drivers. If a supervisor tells you to violate Federal Motor Carrier Regulations tell him to put it in a text and send to you. Than still refuse and send copy to Federal Motor Carrier Safety Adminstration.
Its his fault the driver is the only person who can legally make the decision to drive and if they fire him he can sue he should have refused, its not like he couldn’t have been in orientation with another company the following Monday.
Plain and simple. He refused blood test so probably more to it. Second if you don’t feel good enough to drive tired,sick whatever all you have to do is call safety and say you don’t feel comfortable driving and go back to bed. I’ve left companies and been with another and rolling within a week so I don’t buy that scared of losing job crap. Been out here 20yrs I’ve never been fired for refusing to drive if I don’t feel good.
Sorry but a dispatcher can get you fired and will before themselves i have been driving for over 22 urs and seen it however no one controls whether they have life or dont god does that…i just get a kick out of thesee drivers that are so hard and quick to put a fellow driver down and truthfully its usually them that are wrong and bullied by so called piss ant dispatches at the end of the day all us drivers need to support and help each other not act like one is better than the other.
Dispatchers will do and say what they have to to get a load to the moon if they have to you are a foot on a peddle not a person to some of these companies but if these things are coming from dispatchers then you have to it’s the company culture so it is standard practice. I tried driving trucks twice quit because of the company culture loved the job though.
Sorry, it’s TOTALLY the drivers’ fault! Even if dispatch threatened his job, he KNEW he was in no condition to drive. I had a similar experience years ago. I was ordered to drive even tho I was out of hours. I was about 15 minutes from an inspection station. I drove there, took all my paperwork and log inside and explained. They told me to go and sleep and they would take care of everything. When I called in the next day and asked for that dispatcher, I was told he had been fired the day before! That’s justice!
I don’t believe that clown for a minute. Driving jobs are a dime a dozen. Nobody forces anybody to drive when they’re impaired by ANYTHING! If a0 dispatcher were to tell me I had to go after I took a sleeping pill, which I would NEVER do, first I’d lie to him and tell him I’m back at it. Then, I’d turn off my phone and go back to bed. When I’d had enough sleep, I’d call in the next day and tell them that I was so sorry, but I was so fatigued that I fell asleep in the drivers seat before I could put it in gear and release the brakes. If they didn’t like that, my only solution would be to ask them where they want their truck parked, call Enterprises to pick me up, load my stuff in the rental and head for the house. While I’m on my way home, I call one of the several recruiters who I keep in touch with and have another job lined up by the time I get home.
My only question is, WTF did this guy need a sleeping pill for?
Hello truckersreport,
As the title of your publication suggests, this forum should belong strictly to truck drivers period. Thus, to have Yahoo, DohDoh, and Dimbat four wheeler drivers pitching in their worthless opinions as to how WE hard working brave truckers should be driving is an insult to our intelligence and our profession. Is there any possible chance to exclude the involvement of these ‘ wannabe’ s of getting their insignificant and illogical opinion out of our forum? Afterall, They hold the lion share of the responsibility of unsafe roadways of our nation; precisely 95 percent and some . Thnx, for your time.
Baltimore + swerving , falling asleep , high trucker = heroine. I bet he declined a blood test. Officers should have got a subpoena. At least a urine test. I didn’t think a truck driver had the option of declining.
Out of 111 comments you’re
the only one who got it right.
No other substance will make you fall sleep in the middle of a field sobriety test.
My older brother is a heroin addict and i heard Baltimore is the heroin capital of the world.
Also I second the above drivers opinion. Every last one of these four wheelers are complete idiots. Bad enough I have too sift thru some wannabe truckers comments but the idiot four wheelers on here is just completely out of order. Really wish y’all would get on the ball and make us send in a photo of our cdl. Quick fix too some of the stupidity on here.
I believed it up until the point where he declined a blood test. In this industry, you’re as good as drunk if you decline to be tested. If he was affected by Ambien, there’s no good reason why he shouldn’t take the test. He more likely declined to get back on the road because he was impaired by something illicit.
The driver is CLEARLY the bigger idiot and at fault.
If he actually did take sleeping pills, simply turn OFF your phone and go to sleep! What’s the harm? You get “written up”? So what?!!! Better than taking chances driving under the influence and, as a result, getting pulled over and a DUI on your record. How you gonna get a driving job now?
Its called “thinning the heard”…nobody got hurt, killed, no property damage, as far as I can tell, there will now be one less dopey driver on the road, good for the rest of us!!!
Should have got that Message from the dispatcher, either by text. Or Qualcomm.
No need to refuse a drug test if all you’re using is sleeping pills. That moron was on drugs. Look at his mug shot, he looks strung out. And using the dispatcher as an excuse for his recklessness. There’s to much at risk for these companies to force a driver to be unsafe. But that’s just my opinion watching the industry nose dive the last 20 some years out here.
lol , nosedive to the line ..get a life 309 , upward and onward for the BEST !!
The driver makes the call not the dispatcher, I’ve drove over 20 years and my last company was the last straw they’re out of Hudson Illinois is all I’m going to say. I had the flu at a hundred and one temperature I was in Spokane Washington. My dispatcher tried to tell me I still have their drive and I told them to stick it up their butts then he said I will put you at the bottom of my list I said just fine do whatever you want there’s other companies. I did deliver that load when I felt better. Then I told my dispatcher to give me a load back to Hudson Illinois and I quit I will not let a dispatcher put my life for somebody’s else’s life in danger for a dollar.
lol ..liar
This goes under, just say no!
When you’re that tired you don’t drive.
If you did on the road that dispatcher won’t be dead.
I repeat, if you’re that tired don’t drive!
Yeah but you know they threaten you with firing you and stuff like that and especially if you’re living paycheck-to-paycheck you know I know it’s not right but you really can’t afford it so it’s kind of a touch and go
Every company I’ve worked for has tried to push me to drive: beyond my legal hours, while under medication influence, gross illness and/or through dangerous weather.
In the end, YOU ARE THE CAPTAIN OF YOUR SHIP. Period.
As long as you have (or can supply) proof, there isn’t a company in America that will terminate you (for fear of lawsuit).
If you choose to drive while unable to do so SAFELY or LEGALLY, then YOU are at fault.
I COULD make a comment about weak-minded “sheeple” here, but I won’t.
If you aren’t adult enough to make your own decisions and stand behind that decision, then go work for McDonalds.
Shane, you are spot on! Tell little dispatcher to pound sand, turn your phone off and go to bed! Then next day when clear headed file a safety complaint and talk to the Head of HR! Send dispatcher job hunting!
Got my CDL in 1963 at the age of 17 and couldn’t run out of state until I was 18 . All accident free by the Grace of God and still driving my own truck.
Yes I’ve seen and heard a lot of wild crap in trucking. Mostly lies on both ends. The driver was lying are he would have taken the test, He was drunk or high as hell on pot.
Most of us hate the ELD but it is also a tracking device and major companies have access to it which stopped DISPATCHERS from lying to the customers. Now they need the alcohol breathing machine that starts or stop the truck engine.
None
Doesn’t matter what anyone told this guy. He knew he wasn’t safe to drive and he made the decision to drive.
All that crying “my dispatcher made me” does is give whoever he might have hurt some deep pockets to go after.
If a driver can’t stand up to a dispatcher, he doesn’t belong behind the wheel.
I’ve had similar situations, sometimes I’ll message Dispatch and broker but sometimes I’ll forget. Also sometimes I’ll take a sleeping pill and forget I took it and drive to another area for either better internet or restroom and I am falling asleep driving and wonder why and then remember I had taken the sleeping pill. But I agree refusing the whatever test is kinda sketchy doesn’t make sense. I’ve never been forced to run illegally because I AM THE BOSS whichever company I work for period.
Out of 111 comments trucker tee is the only one that hit the nail on the head. Baltimore is the “heroin capital of the world”. No other substance will make u fall sleep in the middle of
a field sobriety test, in the presence of police officers.
Really just a miracle he didn’t crash or kill someone. Souls have turned his phone off, got his sleep. I’ve worked for company’s that would push you that hard, not in years though. Guess his career is over.
Sounds more like heroin.after all,if all that was in his system was his prescribed ambien why did he refuse a blood test? They most likely saved his life because it sounds like he was near overdose.
Lol, Ambien! I don’t believe this story. It’s not legal for a commercial driver to take ambien. This guy was probably on heroin, it’s big in Baltimore. Why did he refuse the drug test? Why did he answer his phone? I bet the dispatcher denies this conversation, cause it never happened.
Not even DOT cares if you call them and report the safety issue, they will simply tell you to deal with your company. The dispatchers get vindictive if you refuse to drive or companies like EMKO Reefer of IL won’t pay you the flat rate if you are late (stealing around $400.00 in a week!). I won my lawsuit vs USA TRUCK (as far as I know the only one against this company) because they punished me for reporting overweight trailers, so after 3 unsafe loads which I reported, they terminated me from the RRDonnelley dedicated account the very next day. Also they reduced my pay. The amount I won was small, even if I won the case (I also had an unsafe truck, which was given to a [black] driver after me (I had warned them the truck would end up in the ditch because it was leaning to the right significantly and all axles were constantly out of wack), the next driver ended up in a creek in KY, he lost his job and never managed to get another trucking job! Still, even I won my case, I did not get hired by JBHunt, bc I had a lawsuit against USA TRUCK, also ATS flew me to their terminal then refused to hire me with no obvious reason! The sharks support each other. Everywhere I go the dispatchers have a HUGE EGO, they set the appntms tight on purpose, destined for failure, so the driver won’t request detention! WE DO NEED TO STAND OUR GROUND, but we also need to realize that without a UNION we are ALONE against the nasty games of all: dispatchers, brokers, shippers, customers, who force us to 1) take risks for their profit, 2) speed to catch up a tight appointment, 3) work FOR FREE. Then they require a clean record & no traffic violations. PS: my case can be googled: vasiliki kouveli vs usa truck. May God bless and protect all my fellow warriors of the highways. Stay safe as possible!
It boils down to weak minded cdl drivers allowing it to happen. You are the responsible one with the cdl not the dispatcher. If anyone drives for a company that use threats as a tactic to force you to drive. Please find another profession like flipping burgers because my friend you are a liability on the highway presenting a clear and obvious threat to others one the road.
We as drivers have to set our dispatcher straight,they will treat us like 🐕.al ways in heat, getting to that load.Me started in 1994.. Have told a few dispatcher to F off.and crawled in sleeper.Did what the requirements. Sucks but
First off the driver is using his dispatcher told him too as a way to get out of trouble, hint he refused to take a drug test. Second, a dispatcher cannot force you to do anything illegal, yes they may try, and if you do it, they will throw you under the bus. I’ve been out here 42 years and was fired once for refusing to drive an unsafe truck. Well actually I was fired because I called DOT to have him put it out if service then told dispatch I had done it. I had a better job within an hour. So keep your record and your MVR clean, and no worries about dispatch or a job.
It’s scary that anyone is defending this guy. Just tell the dispatcher okay were driving now and then just fall asleep until you’re well enough to drive. If everybody does this then they can threaten all they want because there’s no one to replace you with because everybody else refuses to drive when your hours are up or you’re too tired.
I have been driving for over 30 years (1985) I could wright a thesis on all the dirty tricks and lies a dispatcher does to get a person to go down the road when he/she is to tired to be safe. 1 thing I have done is after hanging up the phone get on QC or People net send dispatch a synopsis of the phone conversation and state I will not move till he confirms on the QC/Pn NOT Phone call. in fact I would turn off phone
BOTTOM LINE : The DRIVER is the ONLY person who knows if he/she is in condition to drive or if there is an unsafe situation with the truck. If the dispatcher gives the driver a hard time about the break then the driver needs to call the safety department. If this is a habitual problem with this driver, then he needs to be routed back to the terminal to find out what’s going wrong be it poor trip planing, health matters or poor planing on the part of the dispatcher or logistics. As for trying to record the conversation, unless the dispatcher gives permission to record (if it’s a two party permission state), it is NOT admissible in ANY legal proceeding. You people need to understand, the dispatcher is NOT the enemy, unless YOU make him/her as such. Their job is to keep the wheels turning and you can absolutely guarantee that dispatcher will be in the loop should a collision occur as an investigation of HOS will begin. Drivers also need to understand they need to take command of their time and get proper rest as well as plan accordingly so that can happen. If the driver knows proper rest is not going to be possible, that driver needs to communicate with the dispatcher. Again, if it’s a continual problem for the driver, that’s a cause for concern. If the driver comes across as having an attitude problem, that’s another problem all together. As far as this case is concerned, his excuse is simply that and a feeble one at that.
Let this be a lesson to new drivers.
Eff the load, get some sleep. To hell with your pencil neck dweeb of a dispatcher he’s already clocked out and having dinner with his family while you’re lying in a ditch.
If I was on sleeping pills and my dispatcher told me to drive I would have said NO I CANNOT. Id rather lose my job than to kill people. Period. He knew he was unable to drive. Now he has ruined his driving career for 5 years AT LEAST and lucky he didn’t kill someone. Where will the dispatcher be that helped ruin him (if its even true). They will still be dispatching swearing they never told him to, not by his side defending him that’s for sure.
I been driving Almost 39 years And I tell all my drivers if you get tired Pull it over. It’s better to be late than not make it at all. That load is not worth killing yourself or someone else. It sounds like he is trying to cover up some thing by refusing the blood test. Maybe should have gotten a court order. I would have fired him over that before him refusing to drive.
I would’ve said Hell No and went back to sleep, Western Express did that to me once but I lucky I still had hours but the following I said hell no and went back to sleep
It’s not the dispatcher that drives the truck
It is all up to you “ the driver “ to operate in a safe and professional manner
Just have to man up and tell them NO now his driving career is over probably just as well for the rest of the motoring public
The driver is full of BS. He needs to take responsibility for his decision. Yes, there are companies who will try to make drivers operate a CMV illegal or unsafe. In the end, it is up to the driver to say no.
You can argue that he would have been fired, but that would have been better than dealing with what he will have to now. He had recourse available. If the company has a safety department worth a grain of salt he could have contacted them to let them know the situation. He could have called the proper authorities to turn the company in if safety did nothing. If he had a good record with the company and had to escalate the situation to an outside authority than was fired he would have a strong lawsuit.
He made a bad decision. I also question his decision to refuse taking a blood test. This leads me to believe he isn’t telling the entire truth about what he took or did leading up to the incident.
If dispatch is told driver is sleepy or sick, driver is required to shut down truck. This is huge liability if accident occurs.
Bad enough the trucking job is turned upside as is
Wonder if he heard of driver coercion? No desk jockey can make you drive unsafe. Forced dispatched be damned.