Koch Trucking

I drove for these people eleven years. I fell in the trailer and broke my arm. After surgery and healing and physical therapy, (six months), I was released to go back to work. I was never a physically strong man, and my freight was always no touch. Upon re-entry. I passed my DOT physical, but they added a new test, a machine, http://costreductiontech.com/ . A strange machine with 3 sets of 5 quick movements. I didn't pass. Six months later, they call me back and say retest, again, I pass the DOT and again fail the CRT. My driving record is as good as they get. In my lifetime I have driven over a million miles. My immediate boss/dispatcher was a good fella, but he said 'safety' was getting rid of a lot of good drivers. Human Resources said in my release papers, that I did not meet the requirements for hire.

There was good and bad here. The pay was steady, the same thou, for ten years. I was asked to do alot off the clock, too much really. I sought legal counsel but was advised that I didn't have a case. New Hires are required to take the CRT, old employees are not. At my height, at the start of my employ, I would not have been able to pass the CRT. It's odd, demanding, awkward, and the employer sets the 'rating' needed on the test. (I think CRT has been challenged legally in the supreme court, to no avail). Concerning the CRT test, there is no way to prepare for it, they give you a number that you need to reach or attain, and you haven't a clue how to do that. You are notified a few hours later as to the results.

I have been unemployed for over a year. Not sure where to apply next. I have seen bad reports for Knight. I just don't know.

I would have to say that communications between drivers and upper management are very poor. That's my report. Thank You drivers. If you have any suggestions on a good trucking company in the southeast for a longtime, safe driver, please post here or private message me. I sure would appreciate good information.

 

The CRT machine measures strength in your knees, in your waist, and your shoulder movements. It also calculates how fast you do the repetition. The faster, and the more strength you apply, the greater the score. It's what I was told. There is resistance, and it measures strength. So, five bends at the waist. Five bends of each knee, separately. Five arm movements, moving a bar, shoulder area. So, that's twenty quick, short bursts of movement that determined if I was a qualified driver. The score you are given is a computer generated tally, never does it express success or failure in any area, physically. It's just a number and when I inquired which part of the test I didn't do well in, there is no response. There are no guidelines to prepare you for the test, nothing about weight or what is to be expected. So, you either pass or you don't. Really frustrating. Human Resources and Safety and Upper Management said that this 'test' was the determining factor of re-employment. All the traffic I've been through, all the waiting at docks, all the driving the trucks to get repaired on 'my time'. Truck drivers need to get treated better. A neighbor thinks this was just a gimmick to get me out of Koch, that they just called for a number that was too high to be reasonable. I trust that the machines are calibrated, that there is some sort of oversight... I am just surprised and astonished that 'this' was the reason I was not re-hired (sorta' a masked firing). Thank You for your responses so far people. I appreciate it very much.

 

I'm not posting anymore , you guys hash it out. Thank You, be safe out there.