Urge to drink (but not drive)

If company is paying your hotel, be careful. Although you’re legal to drink. I’ve heard during orientation since the company usually rents the room, they’ll send someone in during the morning and if they find any consumed alcohol they let you go.

 

I'm not trying to pick a fight. In fact, I would not doubt your words one bit. I know several places in the Atlanta area where alcohol was consumed during a Christmas party. However, these parties were generally by manufacturing companies that had a distribution division. I know several carriers that do have small Christmas parties but most of these don't allow alcohol to be consumed on company property. Let me remind you of part 383.51 Table 1. Regardless of the type of vehicle caught in. A CDL holder loses that CDL for a period of one full year. In most states short an accident, you are considered to be driving drunk by blowing a .08. Try sitting in a bar drinking 2 or 3 beers and go see what you blow. In my view, any carrier that allows alcohol to be consumed on the property OR at another location but sanctioned by the said carrier is playing with fire. Another problem is some states have laws that place some of the blame on an accident where the person was drunk on the business that served the drinks. This could mean a person could leave a party like that, drunk, run over and kill 3 or 4 people and the company MIGHT be writing some checks afterward.

 

No one and I mean no one should drink away from home without a designated driver or a room within walking distance. CDL or not. That shouldn’t have to be explained to grown ### men. The mere fact these people live in extreme fear of any and everything every day absolutely kills me. The government cannot eat you and they cannot take your birthday away.


Sure I drive a truck for pay, sure bad things can happen. Oh my I can be sued holy crap......I refuse to live in constant fear.......over what might happen. Nor will I ask permission from any one on what I should or shouldn’t do with my own #### time.

 

Winner.

 

I NEVER consumed alcohol until I was down for that day. Most of the time at home OR in a full-service hotel with a bar. I also have been a DD many times for friends. This is just the smart way to be with anything to do with alcohol. That last paragraph I agree with and also disagree with. A smart prudent person does not "live in fear" of lawsuits. Living like that is just stupid. They live their lives smart and prudent so they don't have to deal with that kind of BS! I also agree you are free to engage in any conduct you deem fit. So do I. The thing is though if that said conduct results in unfavorable consequences as an adult be ready to suffer those consequences! Right now I know a guy, OVER 25 years driving. Can't work because he lost his CDL after getting stopped drunk on I 64 by the Virginia State Police. He still has about 3 months left until he can get his CDL again, but I suspect it will be a few years yet before he gets a job.

 

Prime is famous for this at the Springfield, MO hotel the company owns and operates for their newbies getting a CDL. I don't know if other companies do this or not.

 

Several years ago I was riding around with a fleet owner and just handing out with him. One thing he did was he had 2 men in the main office that had finished the hiring process and were waiting to get their COMDATA cards. The man walked over to his working desk took out an Intoximeter and walked into the lobby. One guy got his COMDATA card and another was told to leave the property. FYI::::: DO NOT be on company property with ANY alcohol in your body! At any time you could be asked to blow into an Intoximeter and failing that sent right to do the official DOT alcohol test.

I will say this to preempt the coming you don't know what you are talking about.

382.307 (a)
An employer shall require a driver to submit to an alcohol test when the employer has reasonable suspicion to believe that the driver has violated the prohibitions of subpart B of this part concerning alcohol. The employer's determination that reasonable suspicion exists to require the driver to undergo an alcohol test must be based on specific, contemporaneous, articulable observations concerning the appearance, behavior, speech or body odors of the driver.

I HIGHLY recommend not getting into a contest with the boss when it comes to what they consider reasonable here.

I am also aware of 382.307 (d)
Alcohol testing is authorized by this section only if the observations required by paragraph (a) of this section are made during, just preceding, or just after the period of the work day that the driver is required to be in compliance with this part. A driver may be directed by the employer to only undergo reasonable suspicion testing while the driver is performing safety-sensitive functions, just before the driver is to perform safety-sensitive functions, or just after the driver has ceased performing such functions.

You can be approached just walking from your car to the truck in a terminal and required to go blow.

The best advice I can give people during orientations even when at the hotel is to simply ask. I remember asking once about drinking and was told that if I smell of drink later on I am headed to get tested, in other words we won't say you can't but we highly advise you to NOT!

 

Yeah, don't show back up smelling like a rotten brewery. Take a shower and put some cologne on.

 

It ain’t just on land anymore. I was fishing one day and the game wardens came around. They checked my license and looked in my live wells and made sure I had my safety devices, etc…

There was a pilgrim fishing down the way from me that they checked after me. They ended up handcuffing him and towing his boat. I bet they unloaded 10 or 12 beers out his boat. Apparently, he was drinking more than he was fishing.

Now I ask you, how in the hell can you expect to find and catch the lunkers if you’re liquored up?

 

I’m gonna email your boss if you drink one