Sick and On Duty

Im new to driving but to the medical firld I am not. I would seriously consider a Dr. Just for the fact from the symptoms you mentioned you could come down with a respitory infection. BUt its hard to tell from person to person. I had similar symptons and found out that I had walking Pneumonia. Took a while and some antibiotics to get rid of. Not fun.

 

Depends on the severity (sp) of the illness. Federal Regs state that your employer can't force you to drive if you are too tired or sick to do so. Use common sense on this is the best advice I can give you on this.

 

Drive when you can and sleep when you need to.

 

In today's world... I would be a little paranoid, they would fire me, and then put on my DAC.... "Un-healthy driver"?

Either way.... I hope you fell better

 

You all should read the rule 392.3 titled ill or fatigued driver. Here it is:

Sec. 392.3 Ill or fatigued operator.

No driver shall operate a commercial motor vehicle, and a motor carrier shall not require or permit a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle, while the driver's ability or alertness is so impaired, or so likely to become impaired, through fatigue, illness, or any other cause, as to make it unsafe for him/her to begin or continue to operate the commercial motor vehicle. However, in a case of grave emergency where the hazard to occupants of the commercial motor vehicle or other users of the highway would be increased by compliance with this section, the driver may continue to operate the commercial motor vehicle to the nearest place at which that hazard is removed.

When this happens the cops, be it federal or state, will place you out of service a write you a big time civil penalty (ticket).

From a retired federal DOT official

 

< 392.2 392.4 >

Subpart A—General
§392.3 Ill or fatigued operator.
No driver shall operate a commercial motor vehicle, and a motor carrier shall not require or permit a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle, while the driver’s ability or alertness is so impaired, or so likely to become impaired, through fatigue, illness, or any other cause, as to make it unsafe for him/her to begin or continue to operate the commercial motor vehicle. However, in a case of grave emergency where the hazard to occupants of the commercial motor vehicle or other users of the highway would be increased by compliance with this section, the driver may continue to operate the commercial motor vehicle to the nearest place at which that hazard is removed.


I have used this a few times when I have been to sick to drive, or can’t venture very far from a rest room.
I have even had a dispatcher reassigned ( non dispatching duties) with in the company, when I told her 10 times in the course of qc msg, telling her I was to sick to drive, please repower this load, or move back the appointment. She refused. She even tried to get me ‘written ‘ for a service failure , when I told her I was not moving this truck, till I feel a better.
So I had a conference call with her boss, and the Director of Safety, and they both told me this DOT rule.

I then told them to pull up the Qual Com records from my truck, and see what this dispatcher told me to do.
In the back ground I could here the Operations Manager, paging the dispatcher, to come please see him ASAP. The next thing I heard, was, Clean you desk out. Your telling sick drivers to drive, when they cannot and by that you are breaking the DOT Regulations. Get out of my ^%#$# DISPATCH CENTER.

She now works somewhere else in the company

 

Sorry Psanderson, i was looking up the rule , when you posted it.