Reasonable Expectations?

thanks pattyj, would love to here about it JT

 

getting hit by a walmart truck is like winning the lottery,guaranteed payout

 

Hi Meltom at the time anything happens on our roads it is drivers responsibility for his actions otherwise companies wouldn't keep operating the way they do and the law would get off their lazy ##### and do something.Look at that Walmart case,they have had 380 crashes in 2 yrs and they're still operating the same because the law don't penalize them,they go after the entire industry.As long as nothing gets done to certain companies with an outstanding crash record or violations,companies/dispatchers will continue to not change a thing how they work with drivers.Does'nt matter how many lawsuits they lose,that's not going to scare them in operating safely.Money is the name of the game safety is when they have time.

 

Yeah and they have 6239 power units, 9 fatalities, and the rest are just DOT reportable. As a trucker I'm certain you realize this data doesn't include fault or preventability, just the total number of DOT reportable accidents.

 

The way I see it, there are no grey areas. You can make some grey areas if you choose but the 14/11 hour clock prevents most of the issues you may be concerned with. Being required to run the early morning hours because you have the hours and you've sadly gotten a 10 behind you waiting all day may be considered grey by you, but it's "part of trucking" to those in the office.

Some guys have little pride in their performance history and will shut down at the drop of a hat (get a little sleepy for a time) and miss an appointment ... some will get sleepy, stop, get some air, walk a little, have a soda and there good to go to make the appointment. Everyone is different and has different attitudes about the job and their reputation.

 

I know but still way too many.Sad thing is it keeps happening over and over.

 

So everyone says that upwards of 70% of accidents are the faults of cars and not of CMV's. So apply those numbers to Wal-Mart, reduce their numbers by 70% and clearly they don't have a culture issue. Couple that with their outstanding CSA scores and they're probably clear in a lawsuit. Other companies have a lot more at stake and to worry about. The company I'm leaving has zero safety culture or regard for safety IMHO. Hopefully they never have to face a competent lawyer that knows anything about transportation law, and they're prosecuted in a jurisdictions that are favorable towards defendants.

 

See the company you'll be leaving has a bad safety record but still continues to operate that way.Will there ever be a time FMCSA says enough is enough and really crack down on those companies rather then make the entire industry take the hit.One and the worst company I drove for had a bad safety rating,it was at 100% and no chance of ever getting it lowered.I had to find out what his score was from a TN state tropper.He pulled me over just because of that.Once I got back to the yard I confronted Jason/owner about it.He has operated unsafely for yrs.Since I got fired he did change his name dot number the whole 9 yrds because he was facing being closed by the DOT.Hes been operating this way at least 10 yrs before I started there.Drivers get put OOS immediately,wish it was the same way for companies.Untill the law cracks down more on carriers rather then the drivers,nothing will ever change.Can't believe FMCSA doesn't see the most obvious.

 

Dispatchers will always push you to your limits but always remember that you have every right to say no if your tired or don't have enough hours to run a load. If they keep pushing you just call your safety dept and your fleet manager.

 

So if you are out of hours, keep driving, hit a DOT patrol car on the shoulder, killing the DOT officer, you as a driver are not responsible? I must be not understanding what you mean.