can you wear a headset while hauling HazMat?

Discussion in 'Questions From New Drivers' started by Jabber1990, Jun 27, 2014.

  1. Jabber1990

    Jabber1990 Road Train Member

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    this might be a stupid question, but I have been given conflicting answers on this

    I was told when I worked at Oakley that one cannot wear/use a bluetooth headset while hauling HazMat, I don't know if this refers to when just hauling flammable liquids (which they hauled) or if it refers to all HazMat. When I worked for Schneider they never mentioned this. I discussed this with my current company who was unaware with this rule but didn't argue with me.

    is this true? is this a load of crap? what is the truth?
     
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  3. Ezrider_48501

    Ezrider_48501 Road Train Member

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    iv never heard of it i would guess company policy vrs actual law, but i could be wrong
     
  4. Cottonmouth85

    Cottonmouth85 Bad Influence

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    I can text, drive, eat a hamburger and ratchet~jaw on the cb while hauling an oversized load through heavy traffic at 2am......

    Haha I don't know honestly, I think it would come down to company policy. I thought having a headset was accepted by DOT.
     
  5. cabwrecker

    cabwrecker The clutch wrecker

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    Hands free is acceptable on the DOT front, expect that to come under scrutiny.
    In the mean time it's at the drivers discretion unless your company specifically says otherwise.

    Pulling Hazmat? I wouldn't do anything that would put me at further risk. Talking includes that.

    Any driver that has a headset knows; those miles fly when you're jabbering away. Admit it- you enter a state, you're on the phone jibber-jabbering with your trucker buddies, and before you know it; you're on the other side of that state. It's nice if you can manage your concentration, but a lot of us can't. That includes me. I try to stay off the phone unless it's dispatch crawling up my ### about paperwork being late.

    Just because you can, doesn't mean you should.
     
  6. Jabber1990

    Jabber1990 Road Train Member

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    i've never been on the phone long enough or really used it that much, $100 headset that i've used 6 times in 18 months...wow I am stupid

    but it was dispatch and customers I was on the phone with, I told dispatch about how I was told its illegal to drive with headset, they were unaware of that rule but chose not to argue with me (I think i'm one of a handful of drivers who haul hazmat, I guess they must be desperate)
     
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  7. cabwrecker

    cabwrecker The clutch wrecker

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    I don't pull hazmat. I've never pulled hazmat.
    Frankly, I'm frightened of it. Not that I might screw up, but those around me. Which is not meant to mean that I think I'm flawless- on the contrary; I'm made of flaws. But, I've been hit now, three times at a truck stop, by other drivers failing to back safely. I can only imagine what would happen when (I'm not even kidding here) when the swift driver that destroyed the bulkhead on my reefer, or the CR driver that crumpled in the side of my reefer, or the Werner driver that literally ripped off my front bumper- would've done to a hazmat load.

    It scares me. It deeply frightens me, what might happen when I'm pulling flammable, or acidic tanker- what could happen when I get hit. I've been a prof. driver for two years now. I've been hit three times. That's 1.3 times a year. That's ridiculous.


    Take that into account, please, OP. I was sitting. I rarely talk anymore, on the phone, when I'm driving, and yet have people drifting in and out of my lane, cutting me off, swerving at me, the list goes on and on- we share the same burden.

    The only thing I ask is that you're careful. Sure! Call the family. Get caught up. Enjoy a portion of your life. Do it somewhere safe, though. That hands free headset is great, but try to minimize it's use, for the sake of us all so I don't have to hear Anne Ferro is after our ##### again.
     
  8. Skydivedavec

    Skydivedavec Medium Load Member

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    Right on, Cabwrecker!
     
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  9. Jabber1990

    Jabber1990 Road Train Member

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    um, I was directing that question to 1) people who do haul it, 2) for people to sticky the thread so they can learn

    also, I don't have a family. I was hoping if I got a headset i'd get a girlfriend so I could use the darn thing, but thats not what happened. and I don't talk to my 2 friends I have, I don't really use it
     
  10. HotH2o

    HotH2o Road Train Member

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    I haul hazmat regularly. I use a Bluetooth headset and never have been bothered about it. Someone is feeding you some BS!
     
  11. cabwrecker

    cabwrecker The clutch wrecker

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    Hey man, just don't back your haz mat into my trailer, and we'll be good.
    Getting a girlfriend, while being OTR? Ain't you ever heard of Jodie?
    Sticky? Sorry bout your luck.
     
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