First Fleet

Folks I know I was talking highly of first fleet just a few months ago but I now have a very different opinion, it's not what it's all made out to be. Just 2 weeks ago I had a wisdom tooth to become absessed and I was at home but went by the terminal 10 hours before I was due out with the load and explained and even showed them what the problem was but I was told they don't have anyone to take the load so I had to take it so I said I would try. At midnight that night I woke and was in alot of pain and called and explained I couldn't take the load and was going to the dentist as soon as they opened. After getting to the dentist offisce he called an oral surgeon and said I had to have it cut out that afternoon along with 3 roots that were left from a previous visit. I went and had the procedure done (along with 14 shots in my mouth) and was told I could't drive or work til the following tuesday due to the hydrocodone I would be taking. As soon as I was out of the doc's office I took the note to my terminal and gave it to the safety manager and was asked to sign a write up sheet for not taking the load. I calmly asked for a copy of the write up to take to my lawyers office before I signed it because I felt like I was being rail roaded. When I asked for it he jerked it out of my hands and ran into the terminal managers office and then I was asked to come in as well. I was told that I had to work the next couple of days because he felt like I was trying to get the holiday weekend off. I explained to him again that I was on medication and he smiled and said I needed to make the call that he wasn't familiar with that drug even after I explained it was a narcotic. Well I told him I couldn't and wouldn't drive while taking the medicine and he told me to have another note from the doctor to return to work on tuesday. I went back to the doctor on monday and they discover I have a dry socket and that's why it's still hurting so bad. Anyway I told them I wanted to return to work on tuesday and didn't want anything harder than aspirin. So he writes me another note and again states that I have been under his care for the past week but when I go by the terminal again I am met by both the safety manager and terminal manager and I am told I have been terminated for not working. Since I am in tennessee it's my understanding that I can't do anything because it is an at will state and they can let you go for anything so I guess that's that. I was with them exactly 9 months and thought it was a pretty good deal til this. I allways ran the loads I was given and allways on time with no issue's such as a wreck or ticket. I called the main office and spoke with the vice president of the company and was told they can't have any call in' s and since I had called in twice, once when a 6 tornado's destroyed our town and neighborhood and then the tooth deal. I'm not gonna bash them I'm just putting the info out there in case anyone is thinking of making the move. I'm through with the big companies and gonna find another small deal to do, in my 19 years of trucking the two large trucking companies that I drove for treated me the same so now I'm moving on. Oh and one more thing I wanted to say, on my way out I was told that drivers are a dime a dozen with all the new recruits going through the schools so I reached in my pocket and pulled out a quarter and set it on the dispatch desk and told them to go buy then 2 and half dozen