Diary of a New Tanker Driver - Comcar CTL

Hey golfpro, I have been following your progress, and might be able to help you up here in the northeast. I live right outside of Rhode Island, and drove for a chemical company in Warwick RI. Let me know if i can help.

 

no need to stay at keasbey tw. there is a newly renovated service plaza at exit 11 on the turnpike. just stop at one of them along the way, they don't start to fill up until later in the afternoon. you will be stuck with no food and disgusting bathrooms after a stressful day of driving if you go to keasbey..

you're also going to need $180 just to go over the delaware memorial, drive across NJ Turnpike and the GWB. i don't know how much the other tolls are going through Maryland and past NYC.

 

I agree the company is not providing what you need to complete the run with success. I personally would make it clear to your operations manager/ dispatcher they need to provide an easypass before you leave. If not, would follow Ethos advice. It is important to make it clear especially since you are new that there are limits to what you will do. At the very least, they should provide you with cash to complete the run if they are not going to provide easypass.

 

First, I want to thank all of you guys, especially ethos, for taking such an interest in this! You guys have been great.

Now, the news...I've been suspended, and I stand a good chance of being fired shortly.

On March 10 I loaded out of Savannah, checked that the dome lid was tight, and went to Kiswire in Newberry, SC. I got there and no one was there to meet me, so I did a lap around the building to make sure I was in the right spot (I was). When I got back and got out of the truck, I noticed I had tracked through a bunch of liquid. What?! Where did this come from? Was it me? Of course it was.

I notified the guy who met me who told me not to worry about it, but that the lab guy would be by shortly and he might have a different opinion. The lab guy told me the same thing. So I started to unload and couldn't get any air pressure. I went to the dome and saw liquid everywhere! And there was air escaping from the dome. I tried tightening the dome but it still leaked air. I stopped everything, opened the dome lid, and saw the gasket all askew. The loader somehow screwed it up. Great.

I fixed everything and finished airing off and left the plant. This morning (the 14th) I report for my trip to Rhode Island and noticed my paperwork missing from my box. Weird. So that's when I was told about the spill and that I am in trouble for not reporting it as per company policy.

I am 100% guilty as charged. We're supposed to report any spill, no matter how small and no matter what the consignee or its reps say. But here's the deal. I trained at various times with four different trainers. Each had some spillage at least as often as not, and every time I was told it was no big deal. I said this, both to Safety in Tampa and our terminal manager. So I figured when the Kiswire guys told me it was no big deal, it was no big deal.

When I explained things in detail to our terminal manager, he told me that the spills the other guys had were "minor" ones and that the one I had was one of the worst he'd seen in his 20 years of doing this. So I said, "So now I'm confused; is it ANY spill we're supposed to report (as per company policy) or does the amount determine it?" He had a sheepish look and knew he got caught with his pants down.

Ethos, I may take your advice and quit (if I'm not fired first), since basically I threw my fellow drivers under the bus (I was ticked...boy was I ticked), and I don't see how I can continue working there without them ostracizing me or ever worse. And with all you experienced truckers telling me about this Rhode Island trip (first time NE, no EZ-Pass, etc.), it makes me realize CTL's training and operations leave a lot to be desired. Once again, I am 100% at fault for this. I got caught up in the culture of drivers not reporting spills, telling me not to worry about them...and even the consignees telling me the same thing.

 

Lol, screw them just quit.

 

At this point I agree with ethos, "it's obvious this is not for me. " here's your keys.