Illness on the road

I had one coworker when I worked for Volunteer Trucking that was at the terminal and put under a load from TN to Houston. He told the dispatcher he wasn't feeling well at all and needed to go to the hospital. The dispatcher told him he didn't have anyone else to run that load and said he could go to the hospital in Houston after he delivered.

They found him dead three days later in the sleeper from a heart attack.

All the company did was buy the man's wife a months worth of groceries.

I thought that was as low as you can get.



The company I work for now, I never been sick but I have repowered loads from other drivers that were. One lady was so sick she asked me to buy her something to eat. I did because she was real sick and stayed in her truck for three days.

 

A months groceries?????

 

I dont intend on backing down and I know I'll get another ride it'll just take a little time

 

I know you all get tired of seeing me type this. But consult an attorney . Better sooner than later, believe me they've already talk to theres. It should not cost you anything.

Sorry for your streak of misfortune. Every door that closes leads you to another with a better future anyway.

 

Oh I hear ya loud and clear PJ. the sad thing is one of the owners IS a lawyer, that;s how this company keeps from being shut down, and believe me when I say they should be shut down. The trucks are about as unsafe as you could want. Drivers are scoring 89% on the safe stat and the trucks 67%. On the DOT's list of must inspect. We were told to avoid all coops in the midwest. Legal logging is optional just make it look legal. I fully intend on getting the hell away from them asap.

I dont mind bending a rule here or there but flat out breaking them so the boss can retile his roof on his vacation villa in Mexico? I dont think so

 

That's just so low down and dirty with no regards or respect for human life or dignity!!
Thanks for those words or wisdom everyone!!

 

A couple of years ago I popped the tendons in my right arm, the ones that run from your wrist past your elbow up the inside of your bicep. Thankfully our company had another driver in the street.

I had reached around behind me to grab a 5" Cement hose, expecting it to be empty like its suppose to be, grabbed it yanked it for all its worth, and it did not move. Now thats 6'1" and 300 lbs of me yanking on a hose too heavy to be moved this way. It sounded like rubber bands snapping in my arm, then it just feel to my side and hurt and burned like I've never felt before. Any Robert (the other driver) pulled in and thought I was playing around till he saw me. Had to have the forklift pull the filled hose out and hold the weight while Robert hooked it to my truck to blow it out. Anyway that was in Henderson NV, drove my truck back to Victorville, CA. The owner of the company took me to the doctor.

Doc's says you've ripped the ligaments. So that was that, gave me Anabolic Steriods (like gold to help muscle stuff heal). The Boss drove me to Tehachapi, had Robert bring ny truck to the house, Then the boss took him back to the yard to pick up his truck.

I was off work for 4 weeks and all I ever heard was If I need anything just ask. I was hitching rides with other drivers to get to the yard, using a dispatchers Pickup tp go to the doc, then hitching rides back to my side of the desert. Hitching rides on company trucks traveling that direction anyway.

My arm has never fully recovered,the ligaments still tighten up at times. But the company could not have been better.

Point is that there are a few places that still care about there drivers, but dam few. We read all the bad so I felt obligated to put in the good if I know about it... And yeah I would run to the end of the earth for these people, by the looks of where we delivery to do exactly that.....

 

Oh yeah not all companies are complete or bosses are complete worms. Even my boss surprised me and is paying me 2 weeks vacation. I didnt even know we got vacation time LOL

 

Yep it all depends on who you work for. My boss could not have treated me better the couple of times i have been real sick on the road. The last time after i got out of the hospital paid for two nights in a hotel till i was ready to drive.

 

After reading these I have two post 2 of my very own,

As a Driver.
I was Long hauling ( with this company its few and far between ) running from Salt Lake City, UT to Nashville, TN Feb 2009. I pulled all the way into Big Springs, NE stoped for some food and sleep, early morning snowing and I felt like crap, I sucked it up and got on the road. I Made it to mm305 Alda, NE TA before I couldn't move. ended in the hospital for 12 days under load and the company never called once, they didn't notice that stopped or that I didn't make my delivery. I called them when I got out of the hospital ( Phone was dead in hospital ), told them what happened and they said ok what about the load where is it and why didn't I deliver the load??? Thats it, thats all.

I rolled the load in, mind you 12 days later then I should have, and they never fired me nothing.


As a Dispatcher.

This happened a few months ago, I had a driver call in 60 miles from delivery In Washingtion State he was really sick and couldn't make the delivery 12 hours from the call in. I told the driver "A ok" lets see what we can do, how bad are you.
Driver told me they are taking me to the hospital right now, I told him WOW thats bad lets get you taken care of, he repetedly told what about the load. I told the driver first you then the load.
I got him squard away and had another driver come and swap trailers with him, deliver his load and come and deliver driver #2's load. no problem.
I come into the next day and they have a new hire taking a rental car to go get this guys truck and bring it back to the yard WTF is that BS. Then this is 3 days later guy is release from the hospital before new hire gets there they "thank GOD" turn the new hire around and let guy take the truck back himself.

and the funny thing is they didnt care about the guy. I did and he is still here because of me.



Well I'll make this short and sweat, when looking for a company find one with a nice young lady as manager. We just in the last month have a NEW manager, and as far for now she is the best, taking care of the drivers is what she does. We had a driver lose his father a few days ago. We got him home and she saved his truck, got them a card, and paid him the whole time.
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