Driver reports facility to OSHA after 13 hour wait outside of shipper

bhw, you get prettier every year,,( unless that avatar is a composite of younger years) when I was an O/O, our company had a 2 hour limit, then on the clock, which came out to about $3.17/hr. Most of my warehouse delivery jobs were by the hour. I had a good rapore with most, saw them everyday, they knew I was paid by the hour, and I said, "take your time. fellas", and that actually got me out quicker. I had seen how impatient drivers got fed up and paced back and forth, didn't matter. Naturally, this ^^^ is excessive, not sure what OSHA would have to do with it, , dat's a trucking,,

 

I waited 3-4 days trapped in bobtail parking at a tyson plant on through new years eve/day for a "drop and hook" load during covid. That's my record. Couldn't leave, no security officer to open the gates. Ran out of food and water. Had to crap in their parking lot a couple times.

I'd like to think of myself as a survivorman. With the likes of Les Stroud and Alexander Supertramp. I deserve a trucking medal for my valiant sacrifices.

 

If that was me they'd be repairing the gate.

 

That last sentence is what the driver in the article should have done, especially if he was an owner operator. If he was a company driver, then he just has to communicate with his company. If he's working for a decent company, they'll call the shipper or find him a different load. Calling OSHA......I don't know what he expects to occur by tattling to them. I would also ask, "Why didn't you go inside and get an update?" Especially if he saw trucks come after and leave before him.

 

When I was an o/o I always refused to book places I knew to be massive time sucks no matter how lucrative the option could've been. Sometimes the broker would ask why and then admit that they knew and understood. When they're selling you some POS load like that though they never mention it lol. Occasionally you get bamboozled if you don't know a place. I can't remember one worse than 6-8 hours though.

As a company driver when I was a rookie I remember some massive wait times at different customers. And not getting proper compensation for it either. We just shrugged it was what it was. It was paper logs back then so you never really lost time and managed to make a good paycheck if you would hustle. The BS that I put up with back then in no way, shape or form would I be patient with anymore. That company had a lot of direct freight but they would put the customer ahead of a driver in that situation every time. Where I'm at now as a company driver all wait time is paid. But if I'm at a vendor and they're saying it's going to be more than an hour or two we'll be told by dispatch to boogie on outta there and they'll get us productively onto something else ASAP. That's nice.

 

OSHA has a tendency to ignore driver complaints.. They tend to side with carriers/shippers/receivers.. but you can still file the complaint..just change the venue to the department of labor..judges there hear cases as they should be heard..so employees/workers are more likely to prevail..