Where Are You....continues........

I am alive and well!!

I survived after 4 hrs of excruciating stressful driving on slippery, totally snow covered narrow undivided state roads in VT and NY 2 days ago... And I was totally empty...
Got out of that little town in the middle of the hills in VT and arrived at another town in up state NY at night... That was another totally unforgettable and valuable experience...

Would like to post pictures and comment some more but no time now... later... gotta go to bed immediately....

I am at a service plaza on I-90 OH... going to places in IN and then to TX... gotta rush...
YOU ALL BE VERY SAFE!!!
​

 

HISD warehouse on Bennington St. in Houston. Probably head over to that disaster of a Love's off of 610 later... since it's close.

 

What a weather day it's been around here. Severe thunderstorms last night and this morning, ping pong size hail in some areas, sleet, and the topping on the cake: snow. From what our drivers said, I 29 from about the 20 MM to Council Bluffs was a heavy snow event, then again up across NW MO. Our ever sympathetic load planner/dispatcher told the drivers to quit worrying about the weather and get going, she didn't care about the weather and didn't want to hear about it. Funny thing is, earlier this week there was a safety meeting conference call in which drivers were told they were in charge of their truck/trailer, and if they didn't feel it was safe to drive, shut down, call the DBL and let them know so they can reschedule deliveries if needed. *Shaking head*

 

Home for the "weekend", and the Safety Award meeting on Saturday. Had a little "chat" with the new "regional manager" (25 years my junior) regarding a position being discussed with the title of Mentor Program....told him I don't like that word at all, then asked if I would have to wear a blue shirt with patches....gave me a funny look! I guess they have finally figured out the fact that if they want drivers they will have to start training right out of school. We talked for about an hour, with me poo-pooing most of his thoughts. Finally, I asked him if he had any clue as to setting up a training program, and what would be required of the company, the drivers, the drivers to be teachers, the changes in dispatch, the necessary changes in freight, the rates of pay for trainers, the processes in training trainers, what needs to be taught, how to teach, when to kick a student loose accepting the fact that the student just isn't cut out for this field.....he cut me off and told me they are thinking about me as the Director of Training. I told him I don't come cheap and I don't play politics very well....he said he already knew that! LOL!!!!

 

Kansas city mo hole of a flying zoo ,,,
That sounds good Otter good luck with it ,,,

Watchman

 

It's illegal to coerce a driver to do something unsafe... federal Surface Transportation Assistance Act of 1986, and reiterated in MAP21- the current highway bill. My carrier got sued pretty well for a FM saying something like that to a serious slacker a number of years ago. If one of your drivers gets in an accident, she just set you up.

Otter... git yerself a heavy-duty cattle prod, and a pair of hip waders. Yer gonna need 'em!

At the alleged "Texas Truck Stop..." actually a great big pit of a dump masquerading as a mud hole in Houston tonight. Today's Bud ain't hatched yet!

 

It may be, but many companies are prone to abuse the driver this way.

As far as the accident, unless there is a recording which was made and the dispatcher was aware so it was legal, it is nothing more than the word of the driver against the company.

 

As long as there is one witness... which I believe TB indicated there was simply because SHE heard it. Also, there is nothing in the statutes that requires the dispatcher is aware that what they are doing is illegal. The coercion alone is enough to win the case. Call that lawyer in Texas that's makin' a living off of suing trucking companies.

 

I understand, but what if they were to "influence" the witness as well.

So, the dispatcher now would claim she was just pulling their chains.

 

Ya know... you might want to take that up with that lawyer in Tejas... he's makin' a VERY good livin' at this. Seems the companies aren't gettin' to pull many chains these days.