Swift Transportation Company, Inc. - Phoenix, Az.

Why would you re-do the logs? Photocopies are legit as long as they are signed by you afterwards.

As far as hazardous driving goes, stop the truck when you don't feel it's safe to continue. Call your supervisor/dispatcher and let them know. Do not let them pressure you to be unsafe.

 

If for any reason, ie. weather, health, fatigue/tiredness, truck issues, you feel it is unsafe to drive STOP THE TRUCK! Ultimately, you are the one responsible for not only your safety but for everyone else on that stretch of road.

I used to be a trainer and always told my students to stop if they felt unsafe. I never reprimanded them for it. I would rather get there late than not at all. And I rescheduled appointments with dispatch if neccesary.

In the future, call your recruiter, your safety department, your driver relations department, whomever if your trainer and/or dispatcher tries to push you. Emphasize it as a safety issue.

Good luck.

 

thanks for the help here. When my trainer picks me up here in an hour when I get on his truck I will inform him of my options. I am going to get one of those phone recorders and advise them over thier qualcom that the conversation if needed to be made live by call will be recorded for safety reasons.

If they try to force me while recorded I will then make my call to OSHA.

Thanks for the help

 

I'd take it to the FMCSA. OSHA doesn't really mean much to the trucking industry.

 

My suggestion is to pull over and sleep if your tired.
Don't drive if its too dangerous. And try not to
burn your bridges behind you. If you can get another
job without being on top of their list when you
leave it will be better on you in the long run. Swift has
a reputation of fileing false DAC reports on drivers that
make trouble for them. If you want a good chance of
makeing this a career you will try to leave on good terms.
Cover your Butt. When you turn in your truck get a
receipt. If you can give them 2 weeks notice in writeing.
If you can hold on that long. My main point is that you
calling safety or OSHA is probably only going to hurt you.
It may change things for a week or 2 but in the long run
it will only hurt you. I am not an expert on Swift but am
a truck driver whose career was screwed up by politics.
I have found that the drivers that sleep on a load but keep
their mouth shut usually end up in better shape than the
ones that push themselves and complain. Just my 2 cents.

 

My roommate was headed from Detroit to Grand Rapids during that storm. The problem wasn't that the roads were slippery -- the pavement still had enough heat to melt the snow -- it was the lack of visibility and the high winds. He was empty -- on his way home for home time and crept along to get here. If it wasn't so late, with no traffic, and if he hadn't taken his break in Detroit before leaving to come home (he was well rested), he said he would have waited to make the trip -- and he got his CDL in '85. Don't ever let yourself be pressured into driving if you feel unsafe. The advice you have received about sending your communications electronically were right on. Any company should prefer that the load get there safe -- even if it's late -- than not get there at all. Remember that it is your life and career that is on the line -- not theirs. Many dispatchers seem to think that drivers are lazy and will stop driving for any excuse. They have no idea what it is like to try and handle 80,000 lbs when you're tired, when it is snowing, rainy, windy, foggy etc... Where they are is probably nice weather and they have trouble imagining that the weather can be different anywhere else. Be careful about the recording phone calls thing also. Notifying them of something like that may put you in the 'trouble' category and set you up to be messed with and blackballed using DAC. agree with the advice to get what you can out of them while trying to stay as far under the radar as possible, then get out as soon as you can. You may also want to make sure you have another job lined up before you let them know you are leaving to possibly avoid problems with your DAC preventing you from getting another job. Good luck to you and whatever you do -- stay safe out there.