calling in sick

Use qualcom to let them know your sick and can't drive then there is a record. Don't call on the phone. I had pneumonia when i was truckin in Canada. Qualcom my dm told him. He sent a ambulance and fire to check me out. Spent a week in the hospital. If you're ligt sick tell them. If they won't work with you on it don't work for them.

 

Hey that might be how they treat their family! Ever stop to think about that?

 

The real question is:
Am I too sick to drive this load safely.

If you are, then STOP, call your dispatcher and make arrangements. No company worth working for wants you driving with a 103 temp. Figure on it being a hassle. If you're working for the "Borg" (e.g. Swift,Werner,England, etc.) remember that they suspect malingering unless you're a proven entity. They'll probably insist on a doctor's note and a release to come back to work.

But it's TRUCKING. We work when we are feeling rotten. I had viral bronchitis in school and showed up sicker than a dog cause I didn't want to miss time behind the wheel. (they sent me home for 2 days). I was safe to drive, so I showed up. To me, that's the test. I don't want to killsomeone because I didn't want to get in trouble or have a tough-guy syndrome. If you're THAT sick, you NEED to call in. Take the day, get to a doc and get better.

If you're one of those guys that calls in sick because you have a headache or the sniffles, you're going to hve problems. The loads have to move or no one makes money. Sometmes you just gotta Cowboy up and hope for the best. Ibuprophen, pepto and aspirin are wonderful things.

 

If you've always been a dependable driver then I'm sure if you called in an told them you were to sick to drive then it wouldn't be an issue. Sometimes people get sick. It's just a fact of life.

 

I've been sick before I had the flu big time.A swap met me at a restarea.I stayed there 3 days.Werner wanted me to take trk to the Walcott truckstop a hundred miles away take a cab to a greyhound and leave my dog at a kennel and come for her when I feel better.That was safety's brilliant idea.Told safety it aint happening.I remained at the rest area until I felt better and then continued driving trk as if nothing happened.

 

That's a great question. I don't do OTR work but some of the answers given seem like the right thing to do. There are many requirements from the FMCSA that spell out that the driver needs to be physically and mentally fit to drive a CMV. If you are not, you not only endanger yourself but also the rest of the motoring public as well.

The sad part is that most companies do not pay their driver's for sick time which is a shame in my opinion. That is why you read about people never calling in sick. They just can't afford it. That is just one of the many black eyes on the OTR industry and why there is so much turnover.

I try not to call in sick. The way I figure it is if I have a simple cold, I will work. If it is something serious like others have mentioned, I will call in sick. It's just not worth it. If I can't seem to leave the restroom at home, there is no reason to drive.

I'm in a different segment of the industry. I am a local Union tanker driver. I get paid for 8 hours if I call in sick. I get 12 sick days per year. If I call in sick, I am paid $218.00. If I work, my average work day is 11.5 hours. That comes out to $361.08 for the day.

Having said that, If I feel that I am putting myself or others in danger if I get behind the wheel, I will call in sick. It's not worth it!

 

This is a true story and NO BS at all. There are at least 200 drivers out of our LTL terminal. My buddy was in the Emergency room getting ready for his appendix to be removed because they were ready to burst. He called the night operations manager and was told " If you feel better after surgery let us know if you can work" Folks you can't make this crap up. idiots will be Idiots

 

That's false... Your just as human as them...

 

Pissed in my share of bottles, cups what have you. Never melted the bottom out of one or failed a test. Reason I never called in sick is who the hell would I call myself? I never called a man to say his cows are at x place get them there. I have been to sick to load or felt I may be sick and didn't load. Usually been right, most of the time a grown up knows when they should or shouldn't. Naturally there are the ones that sneak up on you such as heart attack or stroke etc. I didn't say never call in said I haven't ever. Anything else you would like to know youngin