Not OK to take a passenger with a year of experience?

Exactly, I have bought a lot of insurance over the years and never had the subject of passengers mentioned in the policy docs.

 

And, did you read the regs?

Apparently not becuase you are to have a riders insurance and permission in writing for each rider in the truck.

The insurance companies are the group who pushed this to be enacted in a regulation.

 

Companies are worried about liability. They are paying for liability. Both the company and insurance company are lowering their risk/cost/liability. It all has to do with the policy.

 

Where in the insurance policy would this "reg" be?

 

I don't know. Have you read your policy? In our policy it's pretty easy to find. I think it's listed under "prohibited".
It says very clearly that we're not to carry passengers unless they're an employee whose presence is necessary to accomplish the work being done...mechanics, riggers, swampers, that sort of thing.
There's a clause for emergencies such as flood, fires, and such but it's pretty restrictive.
Insurance policies are hard to read...for me they are anyway...but it's worth it to take the time.

 

I don’t see what’s the big deal. They are being generous. I have not personally ever heard of a company that doesn’t have a 90 day probation period before they actually give you benefits and regvpay and etc. what company is going to let you come in on day one and do what you want? Maybe you are a young guy and haven’t seen much of what the work force is and how it operates yet. I don’t know. But just be patient

 

LTI, & Hirschbach.

 

FFE had a policy no passengers period without waiver signed by same for insurance purposes. That waiver essentially indemnifies FFE from any liability should pax be hurt, killed, offended etc.

When it was time for the wife to join me as a trainee she was seperated from me during her orientation and asked one simple question. Did she at any time ever inside my truck? "No" not even at the house because if she said yes and was allowed in there I would not have a job anymore (Nor would she) and we both find our way home.)

Now I have had her as a passenger a couple of times one truck was a proposal moment which was accepted well enough when the time was right. Otherwise, I generally did not take passengers.

With that said, I stopped taking anyone after a certain number of years out there, with a couple of very rare and humanitarian reasons for life and safety protection during the winter storms when they needed a place to get out of the cold a few hours during a bad closure or a mass wreck etc on the highway.

One of my number twos, he had a passenger with him and I told her if the dispatcher did not know she is a legit passenger at the scene of a accident near San Antonio, she is going to be kicked off to find her way home. She produced two forms that showed she was both authorized and had the waiver to ride with her man. So that was settled because night dispatcher was trying to learn how many souls were hurt or killed in that truck involved in the smash.

As I said by and large I generally quit taking people in the rig after a certain time because they were a liability in every way possible. From theft all the way through load hijacking etc. Not with a million in narcotics in that trailer they wont be in that cab. When they beg for a ride "To the nearest wherever" at a rest area" I say sorry, we have nothing for you. and eventually quit going into rest areas as well because that eliminated the problem at the root.

I have taken a few here and there but thankfully they found safe haven and another driver took them down the road. However.. I am or was not cold hearted. I kept good order inside that rig and there were a few times the public was curious to see what a 18 wheeler was like inside and showed no threat or ruse whatsoever and it's a few moments for them to look about. But that was rare.

As far as the loneliness and separation, it is a sacrifice sometimes necessary between couples, when you are working really hard to provide for the home. And she is stuck there. You two needed or rather have very good resources to be in constant communication these days. There isnt any excuse not to be in constant touch. However. If you are needed home for any particular reason if the dispatch is any good, you are home asap. I remember one storm that wrecked a county here in Arkansas and I was in KC, I was here in Arkansas the following morning assessing any damage to property and making sure the girlfriend at the time was doing well.

The industry has rules about passengers generally for insurance. You cannot believe the potential liability over loss of life for example that is potentially in the millions over a lost lifetime potential earnings as well as punitive damages etc. If you had a unauthorized person inside that tractor.

I think at one point we had civil liability insurance for a few dollars a month as a defense against lawsuits post accident in civil court should things not go well when people are hurt badly or killed.

I hate to be difficult, but the days of easy riding so to speak via 18 wheeler are long over.

When someone was last in Atlanta at the west petro there, he had a story that was taken to work as a lumper to make a few dollars, brought back to the fuel desk and left without any. It was not my problem. It was a story. The situation escalated when I explained to him that he was scammed and there is no two ways around it and to scram. We had nothing more for him.

We chose a different truck stop to fuel without that kind of problems prior to Georgia quickly enough. It's one thing when people ask for a ride. "No." and quite another when they manufacture a sob story.

Finally.

Your company, their rules. If you don't like it or cannot comply with it or simply cannot do it at all for a very long time into the future, it is time to change companies before something else comes up and make a bad seperation between you and your spouse. Spouses sometimes get lonely. And then there are bad things that come up when they do. So don't let that happen. It's nice to run for a company, really nice to have that company allow (With waivers) spouse as a passenger and helpmate to you etc. Otherwise it's not a very good trucking company to be honest with you. too greek and tightfisted with liability worries which for some can put them out of business should your spouse trip off fuel tank forgetting the three points getting in and out of a truck.

My post is rather ... difficult for some. But I am a softie at heart. Again Ive been known to take a few souls along now and then especially if there is a chance they can be brought to a safer place at a Mobile Chapel or some such back in those days.

 

To me this passenger topic is all ado about nothing. However my primary concern is the attitude you are showing in regard to this job. What do you think is going to happen if you are at a dock and tell the dock manager unload/load me in 30 minutes or i'm gone? Or tell an enforcement officer something similar? There is one thing YOU HAD BETTER LEARN about this job. It is to pick your battles wisely or you WILL find yourself on a bus headed home. There is VERY LITTLE patience in trucking for someone with the mindset of a child. Just to let you know something. IF I owned a trucking company I would close it up and park the trucks and send everybody home before I would put up with childlike behavior like this. The primary reason being I don't want my customers and support staff confronted by it. Now as to this situation to me it looks like you have 3 basic choices. Either comply and get the experience, Don't comply or go find a company that will do it. I'm giving you sage advice here. Don't fall for that crap about driver shortages! Driving is about developing teamwork and networking. It is not about I get my way or I take my marbles and go home if I can't get my way. ANYBODY that advises otherwise is spreading disinformation! I do wish you all the best of luck as you begin your career. However you really need to work on that attitude.

 

looks like the wife took over posting in this thread.....