So why does everyone hate the safety director?

someone needs to fix that..../\

seriously though, I have just under a million safe miles... dont come chase me down because I didnt climb out of the truck the proper way.

 

WINCHESTER,

I agree with some of what you have posted. But the reason, in my opinion, for the regulations are some drivers, and for that fact some carriers, can not follow rules and regulations. I stopped a carrier the other week. Turns out I did some checking on the "new enterant" as I recognized the truck and trailer from a previous contact. Matter of fact I have stopped the same combination 4 times in the last 3 years. Out of the 4 stops, the carrier has had 3 different names. Each inspection has had at least 15 violations listed with numerous out of service violations. I checked the carrier's information and found the same individual is listed on the MCS-150 as the authorized person/CEO/president. This individual drives all over the country for about 1 year to 18 months, rack up numerous inspections. The inspections are horrendous and this person then shuts down the carrier and starts another carrier with a new US DOT number. Otherwise known as a chameleon carrier. Then another 18 months go by, with the same scenario. Then shut that one down and start a new one. Each time I have stopped them, there is license issues, registration issues and serious vehicle defects. I have shut them down and then caught them jumping OOS orders. CSA will help track these types of individuals and other things that we have to do as far as documenting the inspections. It's unfortunate that the minority screw it up for the majority. But that is life, and it's that way in many facets of life, not just trucking.

I speak to many safety department types each year, whether it be doing safety talks at carriers, on accident scenes, or responding to Data Q's. There job is not an easy one. They are not going to please everyone, but none the less decent size companies need them to do what they do.

 

As a JB Hunt driver, I discovered that some SAFETY EMPLOYEES in the company were only former drivers with SUSPENDED LICENSES! The rest are a mix of former drivers and office employees with accounting experience. In other words, the word "Safety" in a trucking company is ironic. They usually have little knowledge of the FMCSR's and only repeat what the legal dept of the company tells them to.

 

I just got a letter from the FMCSA Oklahoma division after reporting a company's non-compliance. Wasn't a form letter, was a "we'll probably need to talk" letter from a DPS captain. Glad to know that people actually do something with these complaints.

The company I'm leased to know acts as if they have no idea that DOT HOS and CSA even exist. 4 days in, and I've already been force-dispatched to run all day and all night. Declined the load, they got loud, I threatened to go find a scale and show the officer my text messages. They repowered me.

 

JMHO, Safety dep. has only one primary function to protect the company against all liability. All the rules and regs are there for a reason.

Either some one employed by saide company was hurt and there was a workmans comp claim. or a customer or other party was injured or property was damaged. the other issue is fines and penaltys.

The reason that alot of people do not like the safety dept. is alot of the things REQUIRED are annoying,time consumeing, or have the notion "that won't happen only an idiot would do that."
News flash there alot of idiots out there.

TO put it plainly they cover the company's butt. employees If they follow the rules have their butt covered by default. YOU do not follow safety and there is an accident or fine, guess what Cover the COMPANY BUTT and hang you out to dry.

This is in every industry not just trucking. Some people believe the rules do not apply, or that will never happen, I'm smarter than that. ect...

That is why they are Called accidents.

PS: i do not work in a safety dept. BUT as a manager I have had to deal with my safety dept enough times and filled out enough reports for idiots. lol

 

DIESELBEAR

I agree with you as well. All the truckers I know and am good friends with, are safe drivers who've never caused wrecks, don't do drugs, many have over a million miles,ect. The guys you speak of are the ones who need enforcement. I see them all the time backed at whatever warehouse I'm at- total POS freightliner Cambodia with a scummy ex fleet reefer, neither have been washed in two years, stolen werner mudflap, mailbox stickers for MC/USDOT numbers, etc.

The jist of my opinions are that if a guys pisses clean every single time for 20 years, its a pretty safe bet he doesn't do drugs and the urinalisis mandated by the feds is a total waste of money for the company. All laws are made by 4-wheelers, and these people baseline their limited driving talent onto the same parallel as what they think truckers are only capable of doing. Some kid runs a red light and t-bones a truck. The kid is high or under the influence, yet the trucker is mandated to go piss immediately.

I can understand me being held to a higher standard than people who can only drive Toyota corollas with automatic transmisions, but at the same time we are beyond over regulated and we are generaly deemed guilty until proven innocent.

Do you know how many local, state, and federal laws I deal with, made exclusively by 4-wheelers who couldn't drive a manual transmission vehicle across an empty parking lot ?

 

Your right. In the last 18 months, I had 4 "random" pee tests . In my 14 years I believe I'm up around 20 or so. I feel the same way. If I have a wreck, I'm in the same boat as you. Off to the hospital for a blood test just to ensure I have no drugs or alcohol in my system. It's the way it is, and I deal with it.

I don't believe you are guilty until proven innocent. I meet a lot of decent driver's out there. I also meet some that shouldn't be called driver's. You described some of those so-called "driver's" in your last post. Those are the ones I usually write about on here and their adventures.

 

So hypoteticaly, if I ever T-bone your squad, I can ride along with you to the clinic to piss, since you're going too......(grin)

I ride shotgun! We can both beeotch in unison about the system...(grin)

 

I have heard stories about this type of behavior, but didn't really think that it was true.

I have often wondered if we got rid of the logs and most of the regulations if we would actually see a rise in accidents. I think that we would see little or no increase in the number of accidents. Those who constantly break the rules will continue to do so regardless of the regulations. If we got rid of the logs and most of the regulations I would probably continue to drive and operate pretty much as I do now. I expect that most other carriers would do the same thing.