PTL - Fleet Managers who won't let you sleep and expect you to run unsafe tractors and trailers

Discussion in 'Report A BAD Trucking Company Here' started by TAYG, Jun 27, 2016.

  1. TAYG

    TAYG Bobtail Member

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    Jun 27, 2016
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    Until recently, I was happy running for PTL. I was then put under Eric and given the following mission:
    Go to Atlanta, recover a truck abandoned by another driver, pick up a load and return to Murray, KY.
    The truck I recovered was to be retired - with GOOD REASON.
    Now I know whjy drivers walk away from PTL Trucks.
    The truck was in the pay to park lot at the Atlanta PETRO. I was forced to resort to slightly unorthodox means to gain entry since the key cut for me at Murray worked in exactly nothing. The key I found left in the can opened the side boxes and nothing else.
    I spent two days getting the ignition re-cored and the badly cupped left steer tire replaced. When this was finally accomplished, at 1800 the second day (I had been up since 0600 going back and forth between the repair shop and PTL's breakdown line) I moved it from the lot, and looked for a place to park free and fuel. This took four hours of searching. I finally fueled and parked in the Loves on I-85, 52 miles north. I sent a qualcomm message indicating to dispatch that I was shutting down for the night due to being exhausted. At this point, I had been up for 17 hours. My drive line still had 7 hours on it, but this is no indication of the driver's physical state, of course.
    Suddenly, dispatch, which had steadfastly refused to communicate, had a preplan for me - pick up in 1 hour and run. I re-indicated the above, to which I received the reply "Your pta was 11 hours at 1800": This is true, however, PTA indicates, as I have said, the drive line. I responded that I was physically too tired to drive. Dispatch then informed me that I was the "only truck in area they could assign to that load." Apparently, none of the four other PTL trucks in the parking lot would do.
    I replied that I would catch some sleep and do what I could in the morning.
    In the morning, I picked up a preloaded trailer from Anheuser-Busch that had two tandem pins that would not engage. After trying everything I could, I was forced to return to Loves for repairs on this safety issue.
    I was also obliged by this to actually take my 10. I started off at 1900.
    Now here is where it gets interesting. The tractor I was driving was in dire need of a front end alignment (remember cupping on the steer) and also had bad teeth in its steering gear box. I could feel the steers toeing in and out, literally beating against the steering collumn, and every now and again, they would slip past center and I was forced to abruptly countersteer to avoid going off the road. This went on all night.
    I was required to deliver the load, not to drop at Murray as originally assigned, but to western Illinois. This I managed with 26 minutes left on my drive line. I managed to get unloaded and parked at a flying j. Again I sent a messsage to dispatch indicating that I was shutting down. I transfloed my bills and went to sleep.
    Three hours later, I woke to my phone ringing. My fleet manager wanted to know if I was going to accept the pre-plan he had just sent, with a pick up deadline FOUR HOURS BEFORE the expiry of my 10.
    I indicated that I could not do this and asked if he could adjust the times. He removed the load. I again requested to return to Murray to rid myself of the tractor and told him why. The response was a pre-plan directing me to pick up a new customer's load and deliver in Louisiana. "We can't mess with a new customer's first load" - While I sat thinking "You do want the load to actually arrive, yes?" I was not about to take that tractor and trailer - the latter needed its tandem pins fixed AGAIN - into Louisiana's weather - I had already driven through two thunderstorms in the mountains in what I can only describe as a "suicide sled" of a tractor and was not about to repeat the feat. I wound up arguing with a Director about this.
    I decided "Enough" and returned to Murray. The next morning, my fleet manager yelled at me on the phone and let me know the decision was mutual.
     
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  3. Allow Me.

    Allow Me. Trucker Forum STAFF Staff Member

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    Rancho Mirage, Ca.
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    I had plenty of near impossible or impossible dispatches over the years. I just accepted them as "challenges". And did my best. This is what separates the men from the boys in this biz. The bottom line is YOU are in command (of that truck)
     
    DustyRoad and TST65 Thank this.
  4. Wooly Rhino

    Wooly Rhino Road Train Member

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    Liberty, Missouri
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    Always and I mean Always use the phrase. "I cannot safely do what you are asking me." The courts have ruled that once this phrase is used the company no longer has the right to ask you to do anything. If they fire you, you get all your back pay plus an award to punish them.
     
  5. stayinback

    stayinback Road Train Member

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    chicago,il
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  6. stayinback

    stayinback Road Train Member

    3,911
    8,254
    Jan 24, 2014
    chicago,il
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    Allow Me.............

    And in the End, Where was the "Reward" for going out of your way like that?

    Seen this Cr@p for far too long.......I can't believe these guys are still putting up with this Today.

    When I was Young just starting out, I fell in the same trap thinking there's a huge reward for my sleepless nights....... Used,Used,Used. Makes me Sick still seeing this.

    nerw Customer? You should have planned better to service them PTL.
     
  7. bamamac

    bamamac Medium Load Member

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    Nov 4, 2010
    Alabaster,Alabama
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  8. bamamac

    bamamac Medium Load Member

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    Nov 4, 2010
    Alabaster,Alabama
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    Alot of these college geniuses hired as FM are clueless!
     
    Dave_in_AZ, 48Packard and drvrtech77 Thank this.
  9. superflow

    superflow Road Train Member

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    Wow,....
    , you should've just told PTL , the truck is not fit to be on public highways period !!!
    ..... End of story !!!
    When you are on a 10 Break , by law you don't have to respond to the company at all, unless it's an emergency or something like that
    ..... The law is in your corner on stuff like this, you don't have to endanger yourself or others on our highways by driving equipment that shouldn't be on the road in the first place
     
    MidWest_MacDaddy and bowhunter67 Thank this.
  10. MACK E-6

    MACK E-6 Moderator Staff Member

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    Baltimore, MD
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    If it were me, that truck would go straight to a terminal with a shop while NOT under a load, and wouldn't move until the steering gear box got replaced.
     
  11. tow614

    tow614 Road Train Member

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    Should have called DOT and had them put truck out of service before you ever left the parking lot...

    I worked for a company once...central transport... that their equipment was so horrible a driver called DOT and they actually came to the terminal and put over half the trucks and trailers out of service...
     
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