No one complaining about Interstate Distributors yet? well I will.

Good for you guys, and you might a lawsuit if they fired you while on disability.

 

my brother worked for them he had a load to deliver in Tulsa Ok sams club on a friday morn his dispatcher didn't think he would make appointment on time so he reset appointment for monday my bro gets to sams on time they tell him his load is now set for mon. so after discussing problem with dispatch they tell him to go to truck stop so he goes to truck stop waits all day no word from dispatch around 7pm he calls me says hes going to walk about 100 yards down street to a little pub-steakhouse we talk for about an hour until he tells me his dinner has arrived next morning about 6am I get a call from er nurse he had been ran over by a hit and run driver a half block from truckstop 2 broken legs, broken arm, broken hip, broken foot,punctured lung and 23 staples in back of his head he stayed nearly 2 weeks in Tulsa hospital before we can safely transport him to my home in Little Rock he was living in Louisville ky. needless to say a week after he arrives at my home interstate fires him for having alcohol in his system even though he was off duty after contacting attorneys all tell a differant story on what he needs to do he is in no better shape and will need a 3rd surgery on his arm i fill interstate fired him to keep from paying his insurance so my opinion is interstate dist. is in the worst group of trucking companies and wouldn't reccomend working for them

 

some companies have a no alcohol policy off duty if you have a load he would have to look at his contract/ company policies to find out for sure

 

SOunds like some real BullFlop, and that's saying something considering the sheer amount that gets slung around in trucking. If I am shut down for a weekend, under load and have to wait, usually the first thing I do is find the closest bar, so I can go have a drink (and maybe a decent meal) and then walk (or cab) back to the truck and sleep it off. I figure I'm an adult, and I have done my job, so I am allowed to go and enjoy myself. Don't misunderstand, I NEVER get lit on the road.

RedDeb, glad to hear things have worked out so well for all three of you (esp about the cancer!)

TT, what an ordeal. I hope your brother can,with enough time, recover from that horrible accident. My prayers are with you and him.

 

walbanger i do Agree, it's stupid, but that is a way to limmit liability to the company, just think, you have a load and go and get a few cold ones and while you are your load gets broken into, now who's going to pay for it, if you are sober the company will be more willing to not send the bill your way( but might lay you off ), if you had a few they could have a clause that while underlaod that if you are found to have drank and something happens to the load or the companys equipment that you will be held liable and have to pay any and all losses and damages ( or medical for the driver if he/she gets hurt to save the company money), and by signing the contract you agree to that, that's all I'm saying and it is legal, now the thing is they would need the police to administer a BAL test and get the results to PROVE that you had a few when the mishap occured.

 

The driver may of considered that he was off duty but some companies consider that he still had a load on the truck then he is still working. He may have go to have a cold one but some compines policys are that you are not allowed to be in/on company property while intoxicated/imparied.
Also if he would of touched the truck or been in the truck the police could of made him take a breathalizer and if he was over the legal limits he would of been charged with dwi/dui or what ever you can be charged with and he would of lost his license for a period of time and lost his job.
It is verry important to read those policys for every word.

I would suggest that anyone while driving they should refrane from having any drinks while on the road that just opens you up to too many problems.
I know alot of you may bash me for that but hey it is true wait untill you get home to drink you would be better off. And just rember that you should allways drink at home or a buddy's home but stay were you are at if you like driving trucks.

 

What happens when every trucking company is on Bad Boy Board and the Favorite Board? It is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma.

 

There have been other post's about IDC from those of us that have the misfortune of driving for them. Just have to look around about to find them.

As for what happened, IDC does have a no alcohol policy while you are ON THERE PROPERTY. However I do not recall them saying that you could not have a drink while off duty, even under a load, as long as you do not get back into the truck for at least 8 to 10 hours.

If he was not in the truck and there was a Motel/Hotel next door to the truckstop (or even in the truck stop in some cases) they would have a hard time saying that he was heading back to the truck, or at least proving it unless he said that he was heading to the truck (in which case he screwed himself because they terminated him with just cause).
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A company can not legally terminate you while you are still on disablity as long as you wuwtained the injury at WORK. However keep in mind that if you are injured durring off duty time, a company may or may not keep you working as they are not reqiured to give you more than 90 days (if my memory serves me correctly) to recooperate from off duty injuries.

EDIT: Ok, I reread what you posted about the circumstances of everything.... I think that you very well might have good grounds for talking to an attorney about that. I am sorry to hear about the cancer surgery and hope all is well now and continues to be so.

Anyway's back to the matter at hand, I thought that you was talking about being injured and being off duty (my fault for not reading it fully). In circumstances such as those, I think that I would talk to an attorney that could research the law's for Washington (being that is where the company is based out of, that is the state that governs the hiring and firing law's for the compnay). Good luck and keep us all posted!! And congrats on the better job with CFI!!! IDC sucks tail anyways!!! LMAO

Thank you for reading my reply and I hope that it is helpfull.

David "HIGHLANDER"

 

Well, I've heard very little about Interstate before reading this thread. Now I know a lot more. Now I know the most important thing of all--avoid this company. They sound like bad news. Any company that will treat drivers this badly is a company that is on par with the Swifts and the Englands of the world.