Problems with drivers in the past week

Sounds familiar.....

Couldn't remeber the number for the company he worked for for the last 3 weeks'
I suppose he forgot how to charge his phone as well?

Maybe his uncle died and maybe his phone died, and maybe he forgot your phone number and maybe he even forgot how to charge his phone......With all the grief and everything over his uncle dying for the third or fourth time in his life....these things might be understandable.

But more than likely he flaked and then ignored your calls and shut off his phone and used the same bull--it story that he's probably used at other companies before when he pulled the same crap.

I have heard so many drivers tell these types of lies that when I hear this #### anymore I just shake my head in disgust.
Most guys that REALLY have things like this happen will call work almost immediately and make arrangements for time off to deal with everything that needs to be dealt with.

I'd fire him anyway because anyone that's too stupid to charge his cell phone or remember the phone number of his employer should probably not be allowed to operate your equipment.

 

I'm starting to think this a made up story,cause your asking alot of no brainer questions to be owner and leader of a company.No insult intended,I'm just reading the mail.

 

Not holding myself out as a shining example, but this is how I handled my father's passing:

Working local at the time, start time was 6am. Phone call from my brother wakes me at around 3:30am to give me the bad news. There will be no one in the office until 7am, so couldn't arrange a replacement driver. The pickups are for GM, and are all tightly scheduled.
Go into work for 6am, make my first two pickups then swing by terminal at 7am, inform Terminal Manager that I'll do the next pickup and he can arrange for another driver in the meantime to cover the rest of my schedule.
Left the terminal at 8:15am with a spare driver covering my load, with the sympathy and respect of my Terminal Manager.
There was absolutely nothing I could do for my father, my brother had made the immediate arrangements and we then that day contacted funeral homes, etc for final arrangements.

It's all quite simple really, it's called "responsibility"

 

This driver needs to be way more responsible.

I have been a driver for a lot of years. I have had a few family emergencies come.

Here is how you handle the situation if you have an obligation at work.
1. Call you boss or supervisor immediatly so they can get to work on covering your obligation.

I do not believe the story that this driver was unable to call you. I am sure he was around other people that had working cell phones. It does not take a rocket scientist to figue out how to get a message to you.

I have never met you. I know very little info about you. But, I am willing to bet that if you told me the name of your company and where it is located I could get a message to you without much effort.

I am in agreement with Blackw900. You do not need this guy. You need a guy that can make better decisions.

 

This is the kind of driver I would want working for me.

Great example of how to take care of a crisis.

Sorry for you loss. Thanks for sharing your story and Happy Holidays.

 

I have to agree with many on here: BS story likely.

I ran a delivery department (and drove) for a local building supply 20 years ago; 3 employees. Then I ran automotive service and retail centers for 10 years (averaged 75 employees at a time), as well as served as an area manager with 7 stores and well over a hundred employees. My last non trucking job was with the Dept of Homeland Security in human resources. I am ALWAYS amazed at people who say "I could not get a hold of you to tell you I could not make it" in this day of electronic communication. Does not pass the smell test with me.

 

My dad always said, "Even if you go out and party with the boys at night, you still have to get up and go to work with the men."

I remember my grandfather say that "worrrk is spelled with three R's:"

What is expected:
On time:
Responsible:
Reasonable:
Respectful:
Keep your personal life at home and your work life at work.

 

Yeah. Next time he will dissapear with your truck, trailer and load.

 

Pavel, how many days/hours did the phone ring instead of going straight to voicemail?

not sure about others phones but MINE will ring and ring before voice mail when its on and powered. when its off or dead it goes straight to voicemail without ringing the 4 or 5 times.

also, the last job i had REQUIRED i call in if i was late or not going to be there for any reason. illness, family death, whatever. that was for a call center job. not a haul thousands of pounds of merchandise in a trailer to people who need it badly job.