Dispatches not legally possible. Do them anyway?

Pickup empty at 0600 (10 hours ago) live load at 1300 (3.5 hours ago) deliver 581 miles away at 2200 same day.
16 hours to run 581 miles.

I declined the trip on the communication device (peoplenet). They are bullying, trying to strong arm, and insist I still take and run this load. Am I their slave? I have to do as they order and say the way they say and order me around like a b"tch?

What do I do here? This isn't the first time they've done it.

My mom passed on 9/5/19 in NE Pennsylvania. I requested home time from the 12th ti the 16th for the services both private and public. They at forst gave me a trip to near my hime town due on the 9th then after I accepted it deleted it and gave me a trip to the other side of the country due on the 9th that even if I drove back home running my clock out I wouldn't get there til early morning on the 12th and be exhausted needing to sleep therefore missing my mothers final services.

It was the same trip briefed at the begining of this post. After I declined it the first time they demanded I do it partially and get it relayed. The trip was originally 1500 miles but after first declining it because it disabled getting me home they made it to run the 581 miles to a yard. I again declined that because it wasn't legally possible. They kept me up until 5am with messages and calls and still expected me to run that distance in 16 hours on less than an hour of sleep. So I declined it again.

What can I do here? Do I have to be a Btch and run a load that's not possible to make the appointments for? Do I have to tolerate the bullying, strong arming, etc?

I already declined the trip. 3 times. They marked it as accepted and sent it anyway.

 

Stand your ground. Dont let any company bully you. To many drivers are push overs that's why these companies do it.

I'd find another company to work for.

Any company that would hesitate and play games with getting you home for your mother's burial services pretty much speaks volumes of how scummy they are.

Find another company, tell that one to kick rocks.

 

What? how far away is your empty? how much hours is on your logbook? 581 miles . at 58 mph average that takes 10 hours. definatly do able if you have the time on your clock. I agree that you should stand your ground but If you have the time on your clock to do the load , you dont have any leverage to argue with them.

i was in a similar situation a while back where i decided to stand my ground on a load of lumber . that wouldve had me out of hours at the shipper with nowhere to park in northeast after 8 pm. i stood my ground and got it rescheduled , althou it was worse than pulling teeth. but at the end of the day i had a better argument then they did, even if i was being a little stubborn which i was .

i know the feeling of being put in a tight spot by dispatch but u have to make sure u actually have an argument against their demands or you will just be shooting yourself in the foot and setting urself up to get ur miles cut in the future and being listed as lazy or somebody who doesnt want to run miles.

 

Look up the FMSCA statute for COERCION (might be 309.6 or 06?) and throw it in their face, and threaten to sue. Then get another job. (Notice I don't memorize that statute too well, because where I am, I've no need to use it~!)

Even if pulling a 'once a week maximum' 16 exempt, you can STILL only DRIVE YOUR 11.

 

I'm so glad I'm not OTR anymore, tbh....LoL~!

 

The empty is on the way to the live load. There is no time at all given to hook the empty or allow for it to be loaded at the shipper. This is going to run my 14 out with that alone and the live load is near Chicago. Traffic delays their plan doesn't allow time for either.

Plans aren't generally made at 58 miles an hour. They're made at 50 or less. Well except for with these folks and you...
There's no guarantee I'll be able to do 58mph or more the whole way. Especially going near Chicago, St. Louis, and whatever other city traffic, construction, and accident delays there will be on the way to Tulsa, OK.

It is not legally possible.

 

For your first situation, after you have told them the problems with the trip you can send a message (and take a picture of that message in case they erase it) saying something to the effect "I see you want me to take trip 1234. As I wrote in the other message, or discussed with you on the phone, I notice that due to trip length, appointment times (describe exactly what the problem is and don't give a sentence by sentence replay of what everybody said and they said it like they meant X) that trip cannot be completed as described. My best estimate is that I can deliver at X time on the date of provided there are no traffic, mechanical, road closures, weather circumstances etc. while complying with the Fedral HOS and company policies Please advise if the revised appointment times I just described for me to complete this trip will be acceptable or if you are assigning another driver or a later appointment time."

Make sure your estimate has plenty of time to make it on time. I usually add 2-4 hours per day after I calculate everything using the HOS limits assuming a trip average speed of 55 mph, or 50 mph in mountainous regions and CA.

The point is you don't say "I'm not doing that trip." You say "I can deliver that load at this estimated date and time."

 

What is so hard to understand family is first. You cannot be held to a #### firing squad for saying no.

Do what you need to do if you get fired go get another God #### job. Stupidity is running rampant

 

I simply mentally calculate a trip assignment several ways.

I get a new appt time.

Document the situation carefully by yourself as it evolves.

Never tell dispatch you aint gonna. It will be really easy for them to aint gonna let you work and make money for complaining too much. Tell it to the trees. But never a dispatcher.

DO say that sure thing, you bet. I require a appt time for at least this time and date. That load will get there then.

IF dispatch makes noises that are not pleaseant bring in safety and conference call all three and get the new appt time and date.

Worse case scenario have the company find a team and give the load to them. Thats what teams are for.

Your personal issues are irrelevant. The whole passing was a botched episode all the way around so wash it off and get on with your life.

That does not mean to say that once in a while I will be with someone when they pass. There are two people in this world I will do it for. Employers are irrelevant.

 

i have planned at 60 mph if i know i can average that. depends on where ur going. ur right theres no gurantee u can average 50mph or 55mph or even 35 for that matter. i wasnt guranteeing you. i was saying that if u average 58 u can get there in 10 hours. u can average 55mph thru big cities with traffic, even thru mountains out west u can get 55mph. in a 65 truck.

all that said if u dont feel comfortable to run that then tell them to reschedule. dont just decline it, tell them why, tell them to do their job and reschedule and u will run it. u have to communicate even if they dont.... but just understand ur going to lose that load and if they give it to somebody who gets it done in that amount of time you are going to lose a little credibility in the dispatch room.

Me i am used to flatbed so i am thinking of terms of getting loaded in say 1 hour. , now say it takes me 4 hours to load and tarp ur, right its very slim in possibility i can make it there. but id still do my best and if i cant make it then u have to make the phone call and tell them whats going on, got held up at a shipper, traffic, construction,freeway shutdown etc etc etc ....


but also if u need to get home for family and make a funeral and they not wanting to get you there. man u got to turn that truck towards home and get home. dont rely on dispatch to do it , they dont give 2 rats ### in a crackhouse what goes on at home. worst case scenario tell them you need to get home and u taking a bus or plane home and be back after funeral .

good luck to you driver. but like others said dont let them boss you around. you have the cdl and the keys to the truck. do what you think is the best decision.