An unnamed trucker was fired after refusing to drive during unsafe conditions. His carrier has been ordered by the U.S. Department of Labor to rehire him and pay him over $180k for his trouble.
In accordance with federal whistleblower protections, the name of the driver has not been released. But according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), a division of the Department of Labor, the driver was fired because he refused to drive during a winter storm.
Kentucky-based carrier Freight Rite, Inc. fired the unnamed driver after his refusal. OSHA says that this is a violation of the Surface Transportation Assistance Act.
“Forcing drivers to operate a commercial motor vehicle during inclement weather places their lives and the lives of others at risk,” said OSHA Regional Administrator Kurt Petermeyer, in Atlanta, Georgia. “This order underscores the agency’s commitment to protect workers who exercise their right to ensure the safety of themselves and the general public.”
OSHA has ordered Freight Rite to pay the driver $31,569 in back wages and interest, $100,000 in punitive damages, $50,000 in compensatory damages, and reasonable attorney fees. Additionally, the company will have to re-hire the driver, refrain from retaliating against the employee, and remove any mention of his firing from his record.
Source: freightwaves, gobytrucknews, fleetowner, osha
Good for him and the public !
I’m so glad this driver stood his ground and done as he felt was right and I’m not the only one that does that because I won’t drive in inclement weather I don’t care what I’m hauling It will not happen sorry it’s about time drivers get someone to stand up for them because the government Surely won’t 😜🇺🇸
Uh…the government just did stand up for him, to the tune of $180k.
Now that’s funny right there, but I never worked for a company that was that stupid. Not once was I ever coerced to herd a truck down the road in the winter time. I have worked for companies that would tell you if the road isn’t closed keep going. But the policy was only in place to keep drivers from stopping every time they saw a snow flake. Get it? It’s funny because millenials are called snowflakes. ……oh, never mind.
Lol…
Wow I never knew a law like that existed. I’m just wondering now if all carriers are aware of that law and if so why doesn’t the FMCSA require every single company to inform every potential driver about this in orientation.
That little green and white book they give you when your hired … it’s your job to read it
Please!! They need to edit that sucker, big time…also there should be page…I type in, let’s just say, inclement weather, it brings up every code written and how it’s applied. Now let me ask you? How many feet do you stop before a railroad track? Now let me ask you?? What does the book say?
We encourage driver’s to stay safe and seeing this really breaks my heart. What if a family was killed because the company is worried about that load making them an extra 500-1000 bottom line? This stuff needs to stop and good for the driver, hopefully this makes a point to other companies that want to encourage driving in extreme conditions on the road.
It costs very little to reschedule an appointment. Not 500 dollars…some of these people are not support, they are office workers that like to manipulate drivers like puppets. They think they are better and envy the fact we earn more. They try to minimize our sense of worth…also they hate us for the most part. They would have the perfect job if they didn’t have to deal with the speckling of what we deal with. They hear about it and are bothered!! We live it . They need to be held accountable.
And this is a good start.
Good for him and the righteous ones that helped him and the families lives it could have saved
Kind of a good thing, but since the general population has turned into weenies who cower at the mention of a storm (see Jeff above…) it is kind of like being rewarded for cowardice. Before you crucify me, stop and think of all the cancelled school and work days over the last couple of years, based solely on ‘what if’ and ‘maybe’. Sometimes there is a legitimate reason, but mostly it is just chickenitis. It isn’t fun so we don’t want to go out in the big bad storm. I recall when I first hit the road in the early 80s the big trucks ran all the time, day and night. Not anymore.
Oh well…..
We don’t know what the conditions were either!?
Well a lot of stupid things happened in the 80″s Captain Kirk, and you are one of the reasons there is so much regulations now, because of your attitude and truckers like you.
Not true Archie. The reason government is all over truckers is for revenue not safety. If it was safety all trucking companies would operate under the same set of rules. Check your eld exemptions before commenting.
I have never understood that seemingly macho attitude that driving in seriously dangerous conditions is somehow cool. Before you jump down my throat, I have driven since 1998 and yes, in white out blizzard conditions, ice, tornados and hurricanes. There is not a load on this planet that is worth more than my life. Not one.
The government did help
Ditto Mr Silva !!!
Can’t fix stupid !
Depends where your at , I’d rather drive in 8 inches of snow in Maine than an inch in Kentucky, Maine knows how to take care of it the southern states do not, I’ve never had to stop because of the weather, only because of the other people on the road in the weather… that’s why when it’s bad out I try to plan to work at night and I pay attention to the weather forecast for where I am and where I’m gonna be a few days in advance… it’s called trip planning. These truckers nowadays are just as bad as the 4 wheelers , litigation happy call the cops every time my order is wrong at Burger King sissies
Good for him
If you can’t handle a little ice and snow stay at home and suck your thumb.
1-800-CRY-BABY.
I disagree and I would return that money to the company. We have become to soft.
Thank you Archie and Gwin, and Kelly needs to shut the duck up..always gotta be some loud mouth who thinks they know it all. No load is worth a life.
Read 392.14
“If conditions become sufficiently dangerous, the driver shall stop until it’s safe to continue.” So if a driver starts in the snow but needs to stop 2 hours later because it’s unsafe, don’t give up. Let the plows scrape and salt, and go again when it’s safe. And that’s probably before the roads are dry.
When the weather gets bad the best thing You can do is slow down and then when You get a chance pull into a safe place and let it clear up some. You would never believe the number of trucks that would fly by Me only to be down the road aways and in the rhubarb ! Most of the storms clear up after midnight and no load no matter what is not worth risking lives over !!