I'm baaaaaack!!!!!!!!

Got a call from a higher up this morning, asking some questions about the last few weeks. Mostly approximate times and dates of phone calls, do I remember who I spoke with, etc. Mostly centered around the Texas Incident. I don't know the person I spoke with; Heartland management something something. I smell an investigation of some sort.

Dispatch is currently working me West to help me escape the Midwest Vortex.

 

Huh... He's grown a goatee. Ironic.

 

Nobody's bashing you; you have some salient points--although your facts are in part flawed (which would lead to the conclusions you appear to have reached). No time to go into all of it, nor do I want to as I'm here to chronicle my experience not bicker. That said I feel I should at least address your two examples.

I would be a desperate fool not to think that none of my problems are of my own making. I don't have time to go back and find it but I don't think I blamed anybody else for that late load in New Mexico (where I openly admitted to taking a long lunch). I remember taking responsibility for it with Dispatch on the phone. If I hadn't admitted to it you wouldn't have read it. If you've read through this thread you can see that I do my best to be open and balanced, even playing devil's advocate from time to time.

Your second example is, frankly, ridiculous (experienced dry van haulers, feel free to back me up). First, I picked up a load of paper rolls from a facility that does not allow drivers on the dock (yes, they do exist). That is in essence the same thing as picking up a sealed trailer. I did strap the load properly before closing the doors, guarding against the load shifting backward, which leads me to:

Second, I defy anyone to show me a method of load securement that will prevent rolls from moving FORWARD under extreme deceleration (I avoided a collision with a four wheeler and kept the truck upright). It was discovered that there was no blocking/bracing at the front of the load after the dust settled. I was not charged with a preventable. You could tell on account of how I didn't lose my job.

Yes, I have moved around, although that isn't a lifetime habit. You have a disproportionate perspective as you only have a brief snapshot of a rather tumultuous time in my life and career, and I can understand how one might think as you seem to think. I personally try not to make character judgements about people I haven't met, at least out loud (mile, walk, shoes).

I don't think it's fair to accuse me of just carping about every little thing; right now I'm going through a difficult time and am reporting on it but I have also reported on the good things. I've also done my best to normal about events without blaming anybody, although I admit that adding my personal subjective feelings about events can make it look like I am demonizing the company (am activity which I have scrupulously tried to avoid).

This was supposed to be a brief post, but this kind of behavior gets me up on my soap box about character assassination, judgemental behavior, thinking the whole world works from your own point of view, etc. I had to deal with a couple of trolls early on in the thread and they eventually got bored and left (I AM NOT CALLING YOU A TROLL!!! SEE FIRST SENTENCE OF THIS POST).

This is a danger of choosing to open one's life to the public. It is impossible to give a complete picture and someone will inevitably draw a false conclusion and proceed from there to (perhaps unintentionally and with good intentions) bash you.

I'm going through a tough time right now but had made up my mind to stick it out and see what's on the other side, specifically BECAUSE I've moved around recently and that's bad. That's what I'm showing all of you. When things get better you'll see that too (at which point I reckon someone will accuse me of being a shill for Gordon). I will always share what I'm thinking, good or bad. That's called honesty and I shouldn't be slammed for being honest about what I'm thinking.

I said no one's bashing you for your opinion and I meant it (at least as far as I'm concerned). I would suggest, however, that voicing your opinion and engaging in character assassination/telling someone else how to live their life are two very different things.

On a final note (again, folks, feel free to chime in here-this could become a lively debate although I would prefer not) it is a VERY long way from McDonald's fry cook to an OTR driver. The director of regional operations personally apologized to be me for what happened and admitted what they did was a bad call on their part, so in my mind that particular issue is closed.

That's all for now--this post is already 10 times longer than I wanted it to be.

(Waits for the firestorm of comments and opinions)