COVENANT -- From a wife's perspective

Are you saying the drivers can't even stop at a rest area within 200 miles of pickup and delivery?

If this is true, then these people deserve to rot in you know where. I'm boiling just reading this.

 

From what I've been reading, I get the impression that
Covenant doesn't allow their trainees to boil either.
However, I'm thinkin' they go you know where a lot.

 

Congrats to RC!! We all knew he would make him with you having his back Mrs. RC. You deserve congrats too!

 

Stranger- that rule is for High Security/Value loads- you are supposed to close the doors and go. This is done to keep the chance of the load being stolen down. My personal thought was if I had to take a leak (or my co-driver), then the truck would stop. But there are some who follow that rule to the letter (ie RC's trainer).

 

If it's a high security load, that 200 mile rule is pretty much the same with any company. The company my hubby drives for has the same rule for high security loads. You also have to follow the routing they give you, or get your DM's approval to change your routing.

 

If I had top take a leak or #2 the truck would stop they can kiss my *** !!!!

How about if the dispatcher has a high secuirty load on one of their drivers they could not go home, to the bathroom, or to sleep untill it is delivered.

Kind of like telling us drivers not to idle when it is hot or cold out.

The dispatchers do not have to sweat, freeze, hold the pee, crap, they get to eat at a cretian point in the day then what the heck is wrong with them thinking that were are not allowed to have the same?

Even if I found a port o potty I would be happy that I could atleast use the bathroom.
I would not like it but hey atleast it is a place to go when you have to go.



Ps tell rc conrats from all of us

 

The reason for the 200 mile driving before stopping is because the most hijackings of high security loads occur within the first 200 miles. It was clearly stated in the handbook my hubby got, and explained to all drivers during orientation.

 

Hi-jackers don't "kiss" ---
they kick. :smt021

Two hundred miles and "until it's delivered" isn't the same thing.

I doubt it's the dispatchers who make those rules. Dispatchers have rules to follow, too. And those rules being followed, or not, could affect a dispatcher's paycheck.
If a Big truck truck driver messes with a dispatcher's income, a dispatcher could easily return the favor.
Rather, they just pass on the information of decisions made by the powers that be to their drivers. I don't think dispatchers enjoy that.
Nor do I think they're unaware of the additional hardships created by the no-idling rules. I'm SURE they hear complaints from the drivers.

It could also be the LAST time you need to use a port-0-potty.
Thieves ain't playin' games. They'll hurt, or worse, a Big truck truck driver to take possession of that load.
Imagine takin' your last breath in a port-0-potty.

Exactly!

And those rules are not only to protect the High-Value loads, but to also protect the Big truck truck driver transporting them,
ESPECIALLY with the economy we're experiencing now-a-daze.

Cigarettes, designer clothes and electronics shipments --- can easily have over a million dollar value, and are rather easy for thieves to sell, probably for 25 cents on the dollar. And if y'all think if all that's standin' betwixt a quarter million bucks and them is a driver, that they won't do whatevr they feel is necessary to remove the driver from the equasion, y'all aren't connected with reality.

As for not stopping for the first 200 miles goes, it's part of being a professional Big truck truck driver. And that's where a good dispatcher comes in, by INFORMING their driver(s) that the load they're about to pick up is a High-Val load.
Be prepared.

Once that is known, it's up to the driver to be SURE they're ready to roll once loaded. Not drinking cup after cup of coffee while waiting, and/or being loaded is a good start.
If that means missing, or rescheduling a meal prior to being loaded, so be it.
If that means not guzzling liquids while enroute, so be it.
If that means not stopping at a favorite truckstop within the first couple of hunderd miles, so be it.
Deserted rest areas, or on/off ramps, at night, especially?
NEVER!
UNLESS it's an EMERGENCY.
And if it IS an emergency, I'd recommend a cellphone call to the truckin' company informing them of your plans BEFORE doing so.
If y'all don't make another call to the company within a prearranged time frame, inform them to call the police, or whatever law enforcement agency necessary to check y'all's welfare.
DON'T take ANY chances.

I also think it's a good idea to, within the first 200 miles, or so, to take a busier off ramp, and get right back on the big road --- paying particular attention to those rear-view mirrors to see if ANYone seems to be following y'all. Do that a couple of times within the first 50 to 75 miles, and make a mental note of the vehicles that exit behind y'all. If y'all see the same vehicle twice, be VERY concerned. Three times, --- start making cellphone calls.
Try to arrange to meet a law enforcement officer in a rest area to question any vehicles that are following y'all.

If y'all exit into a prearranged rest area, and an officer isn't there, keep on rollin'. Don't sit and wait for what MAY be coming instead of what DIDN'T come.

Ignoring the 200 mile no-stop rule, or suggestion, while under a High-Value load isn't the wisest choice a Big truck truck driver can make. Not only for the protection of the loads, but the protection of the Big truck truck driver.
It's y'all's load and y'all's well-being at stake.
Please take care of both.

 

I had once directed to go out of the way to a drop yard and wait till instructed to leave for the receiver. Not a fun thing to have to sit in a deserted drop yard for 2 days. I was not given the go ahead till I had barely enough time to make it.

 

Believe it or not, dispatchers DO understand!! They get grief like you wouldn't believe and if a load is late, all heck breaks loose...ON THEM. I used to be a dispatcher for 3 different companies and let me tell you, the last company was the WORST!! The supervisor of your "group", depending on the location and type of "fleet" you were in charge of, SE Regional (Super South), OTR, City, doesn't care WHY the load was late, they want to know WHY you didn't know beforehand (which you did, and can PROVE IT). WHY you didn't call customer service, or "This customer is VERY IMPORTANT, we've been late before and we're about to lose them and if we lose them, we'll lose freight for contractors which means we'll lose contractors which, in turn, means we WON'T NEED YOU!". FORGET trying to CARE about the drivers, heck, I cared about my ENTIRE fleet, talked to wives, kids, mothers, remembered events and such, but I got black-listed because of that...and the contractor/driver paid the price because the supervisor THEN black-lists the driver, who was late, and they won't get any better than a 1800-2000 miles a week. Then the dispatcher is on the phone with the driver getting yelled at then getting pulled into the Operations Managers office who is DEMANDING to know WHY this driver is upset while their Supervisor looks on wanting to know the answer too! It's a vicious circle.

Oh and sorry about the rambling...