How do you know your getting fired?

No. The most important thing to know about trucking is it's regulated by many laws but NOT EVERYTHING in trucking is covered by a law, unless you truck in CA. That's why it's important to investigate a company before working there. Drive like your decisions affect your life. And, protect your license above all else.

 

I don't know I've only been driving 3 years and when I started I pretty much didn't know crap I did my CDL test in February in Fairbanks right after it rained on the ice. Had the trailer start to slide sideways on the ice at a red light but I caught it and the guy giving me my test was very impressed he later admitted to me that as slick as it was that day he didn't want to give a new driver a test. But it's all about what you're used to it no harder up here in fact I think it's way easier I have no trouble with mountains hills and ice roads and winter weather, I recently went to the lower 48 and drove a truck from Fife Washington down to Fontana California and was absolutely scared ####tless at the tightness of the parking at some of those truck stops. We don't really have truck stops up here and that ta in Ontario California I Saw three wrecks in 14 hours in the traffic down there was absolutely mind-boggling to me.
so to answer your question I have lots of respect for people who drive in the lower 48 it's just different but they're still lots of things you have to be aware of I definitely don't think I'm any better then any of you guys down there.

 

Firing? Been there done that. Ive been fired so many times.. it's almost irrelevant. Either you work or you don't

Some of the firings come with a story.

One boss he likes to fire with profanity and theatrical performance. Then call you at sunup, HEY! GET OUTTABED YER LATE.

The bad ones are when you are told absolutely nothing and you see that Dispatch does not care how long you are parked, then you find the fuel card does not work, customer service is not anymore and so on.

I usually head straight to the yard. BIP! WHERE YOU GOING? What do you think? Im not stupid, everything shut off no comms and suddenly when I decide to go to yard miles and hours be ###### (Im no longer employed) that should not be a problem with anyone. Why is it a problem now?

That makes them angry. Once or twice the truck is where it is and I am home on my own transport arrangements. One company made a very bad process of it hoping I quit. Maryland took care of that in my favor. Then the question of being Blacklisted came up. That got taken care of in time as well. First I heard of it was from a potential employer called Maverick down here in Arkansas, they explained to me pretty clear with the information I needed to know. eventually with enough years that company has no power over me anywhere. They don't matter anymore.

One company I went ahead and quit when request for advance did not go through against proven pending payroll well in excess of requested money amount (50 dollars) the level of economic damages on my part plus that of the company and customer who had to stop assembly due to no tires after they ran out. Birdie says it took them three days to pick up a properly dropped load that was only about 7 hours away. So this is on them. Not me.

Any time you have a problem you start looking for work elsewhere. Jobs here in this industry are so unstable it's best you move on. When done right, no future employers will ever hear of the problem.

 

The TA in Ontario is a circus. I still remember may last time there and that was 20-something years ago. The more trips I get going out West, the less I want to come back home. I am getting to the point I would rather see bad weather out West than any of the car drivers east of OKC or anyone within 200 miles of Midland - Odessa, TX (a special kind of WTH).

 

Hell, a 1,000 miles is 2 days of work. For $1k, that aint bad at all.

 

How can a carrier fire a driver while they are responsible for company property? Do you have any idea how much liability a carrier takes on by allowing a none employee charge of a truck? A driver could park a truck on a hill and accidentally not set the parking brake. Now prove the driver did it on purpose. Then try to get compensated for the damage! I have seen a driver do this in a terminal after being fired! Carriers unless the driver has done something so egregious they have to take action STAT are never going to make a job action like that. It may seem mean and maybe it is, but with this industry being as regulated as it is, a carrier has no choice but to do these terminations while a driver is in!

 

Another point. I have known a lot of drivers that have been fired. There are even stories buried deep in TTR history of drivers that have been fired. There are some exceptions, however, the average driver knows what is coming, or at least has a general idea. Chargeable accidents and continued HOS violations after warnings are not going to be a surprise to the average driver. They know a heck of a lot more then some will admit!

 

They fire you the same way we quit on
Them, when we find a better job.

Both of us keep our mouths shut and make
Up some lame excuse to get the truck back
To the yard.

Both of us know that something's just not right,
But nobody can prove anything.

If the driver is quitting,he just throws all of his stuff
In his car as quick as he can.
Turns everything in and hauls ### out of there.

If your being canned you will either:
A) receive a message over the Qualcomm or
a phone call from someone in the office,
Telling you to go see the safety manager.

B) as soon as you park the truck,
The safety guy and 2 or 3 more people from
The office are approaching you at a fast pace.
The safety guy never comes alone.
It's too dangerous.

Tip: when your routed to a terminal for some
Unknown reason,and they won't pre-plan you
On a load heading out, you got a problem.

Tip#2)
When nobody in the office wants to talk to
You anymore, your pretty much toast.

 

If you have a reason to worry and they are telling you to stop by the terminal you probably are about to get fired.
Start selling fuel and parts off the truck as they are not going to buy you a ticket home.
You will be kicked on the curb and your belongings thrown out of the truck.
Or maybe not.
We all want to know what you did.