Rookies MUST READ: The nightmare that was supposed to be a step up the career ladder

tinytim · Feb 28, 2015

X-Country said: ↑

Somehow, through CDL School and while out with my training, it was never once mentioned or covered. Every time I backed under a trailer it was always at the right height.

It wasn't until I learned the hard way by hitting the fairing that I realized you need to get out and check the trailer height, and if its too high, then you need to lower it.
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I'm sorry but that baffles me. OK, so it wasn't covered and nobody stressed it. So what? When you back under a trailer you should feel it and you should see it getting closer in the mirror. To me it says you're not paying attention or not very observant.

It seems to happen to a lot though so you're not the only one.

As for the third incident, if you're being straight with us then you got burned and you should fight it. I have no reason to doubt your version of the story and don't find it hard to believe they would try and pin it on an unsuspecting driver. Then again, you didn't realize how close the trailer you were backing under was until you hit it with a fairing. Just sayin...

DrtyDiesel · Feb 28, 2015

One thing I've learned is most companies aren't going to run your dac, mvr, or background until you're in orientation. They want to make sure you show up before they spend the money to pull those records.

I've worked for four trucking companies, two of the four didn't pull any info until I was in orientation. Both OTR companies, the fourth one, my current employer, didn't pull any info until I had my interview in person then after he got all the info back and I was ok for hire, he called and setup when I could start in case I wanted to give two weeks notice at my previous job, which I did of course.

If I was to hire someone I'd wait until they were in orientation or if I got a 100% yes from them in person that they'd want to come work for me before I pulled their info.

I don't think the op has any grounds at all for a lawsuit.

Brandonpdx · Feb 28, 2015

street beater said: ↑

And there goes the thread
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No no...thread open for business. Let me get my popcorn.

rocknroll81 · Feb 28, 2015

X-Country said: ↑

Rookies and Anyone considering a trucking industry career,

If there's any I can tell you from this experience...COVER YOU BUTT. (In my terms...CYA). Looking back based on my knowledge at the time, I couldn't have done anything different. I had no way to forsee what was to happen next. Hindsight is 20/20 and knowledge is power.

I got my start with Werner back in January of last year. Put in my year. I had a few bumps, a couple of minor preventables early on my first 60 days out on my own, but they were very very light. A bent fairing on the truck from jumping a kingpin, and a got a trailer stuck in some in mud and had to have the trailer lifted up and put back on the road. Rookie mistakes.

In November I was charged with a 3rd preventable, but I know for a FACT that it was not caused by me. Because I had done a pivot/U-turn manuever in a tight lot at a consignee's dock area, and I got out and looked 3 times. Anyways, I was charged with hitting the front of a truck with the rear of my trailer. The trucks were all parked across from the docks. I contested it and appealed, but I might have well have been trying to spray water from a garden hose into the wind. My appeal was denied, so I am going to have to fork out money for an attorney and try to fight it, because it's basically setting the rest of what I am about to tell you in motion.

In early January, I got a job offer from Knight Transportation. With my experience, the recruiter said I could easily make $65,000 my first year. I was only making $47,000 with Werner, so I saw this as a substantial pay increase and a chance to take my driving to the next level and move up the ladder. I put in my app and submitted it. The recruiter called and said he had looked over my application and run my background check and everything looked good. I verbally TOLD HIM on the phone, that I had had 3 preventables with Werner, and we talked about each one of them. He said that wasn't going to be a problem.

When someone says they ran my background check, I took that to mean, my DAC, my MVR and my Background. That was a wrong assumption, but I didn't know any better at the time, and it never occurred to me. So I put in my 2 weeks notice and I left. Was enroute to Denver (from St. Louis), because I also wanted to move and get a change of scenery, and Ig et a phone call from my recruiter. Hey said I had too many preventables and Safety decided to pass on my application. I was shocked and stunned. He also tried to say I didn't put my preventables on my app and therefore falsified my application which also disqualified me. As a result, they weren't going to pay me the $150 orientation pay. And I never got any money for that.

I knew I hadn't falisified my app, and luckily, I had covered my butt, by downloading the application as a PDF document. I found the application, took a screenshot and put a highlighted yellow box around the section where I had listed them, and sent it to the recruiter. He looked at it, then checked the app I had sent him, and called me back and apologized for missing it. I told him we had "TALKED ABOUT THIS" during the phone interview and that he had assured me that it wouldn't be a problem and of course, he said he never remembered having any such conversation about my preventables or the details of what happened. (Of course you dont, you little weasel. That would prove that you were NEGLIGENT in your job and you dont want that coming back on you).

He then made a big show of having me send in the info on my preventables to try and get Safety to approve me (which I doubt he ever really did), and then I haven't heard a peep from him since. Refuses to answer my calls. Refuses to return my emails. No surprise there.

On January 25th, I filed for unemployment. Yesterday, my unemployment claim was denied because I "quit my job" and under state law, I am not entitled to unemployment since I quit. It's on appeal, because I am unemployment situation is no fault of my own. I had a job, I found another job, I gave notice and then resigned, and went to orientation, and found myself without a job. I did everything right and it was still wrong. I may have to get an attorney and sue to get my unemployment benefits. I don't know yet.

I tried to get my job back, but my position on my route has been filled, and the Review Board at Werner is telling me that they are opting not to bring me back. No reason is being given. I have pressed hard to find out, but no will give me an answer when I call. Which is garbage.

So if you're a young driver, thinking about moving to another company;

Make sure you have your recruiter pull your DAC, pull your MVR, and pull your Criminal Background Check before you ever give notice to leave your job.
Once he has, make him send you a letter that is SIGNED in ink, in the mail, that says, your Criminal Background Check, MVR and DAC report are acceptable and have him/her put the offer of employment in the letter.

This is for YOUR PROTECTION!

If they aren't willing to do that, tell 'em you're content to stay where you at.

If not for that 3rd preventable, none of this would have ever occurred, because 2 preventables would have been ok and gotten me in the door at Knight.

Had I known all this was gonna happen, I would have just stayed put at Werner till next November and then gotten out of there. What was another 10 months?

These negligent hiring practices MUST STOP. There's no reason why any recruiter can't pull all your info before you quit your job and come to orientation. I will be writing some letters to the Department of Labor, and state representatives trying to get some changes implemented. I may or may not be successful, but if you don't try, then you can't change anything.

If I don't get my unemployment, I may consider discussing with an attorney what my options are for suing Knight and the recruiter for negligence, wages lost plus damages, because it's been a stress filled 6 weeks. I have proof that the recruiter only ran my Background and not my MVR or DAC, because I requested a copy of my DAC report and it shows his inquiry for my background check, but not the MVR or DAC because the boxes aren't checked next to those too.

I also saved ALL email correspondence, so I have proof of everything.

While this story doesn't have the ending I ultimately had wanted when I left Werner, it does end on a positive note, as I did find some work finally, got on with a FedEx contractor here in Denver, running doubles OTR as a team. I was able to find a cheap room to rent, and stick around and hold out on my limited funds till I found something, but I shoud be starting a week from tomorrow. Not sure if it's just the contractor or if it is FedEx, but they didn't go off my DAC report. they only went off my MVR which was clean. I also got registered with a Driver Placement company, so if I hadn't gotten the FedEx job, I'd have at least had work every day till I found something. I couldn't work last week because I had pneumonia.
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Really??Welcome to the Party Pal !!!!

DrtyDiesel · Feb 28, 2015

tinytim said: ↑

I'm sorry but that baffles me. OK, so it wasn't covered and nobody stressed it. So what? When you back under a trailer you should feel it and you should see it getting closer in the mirror. To me it says you're not paying attention or not very observant.

It seems to happen to a lot though so you're not the only one.

As for the third incident, if you're being straight with us then you got burned and you should fight it. I have no reason to doubt your version of the story and don't find it hard to believe they would try and pin it on an unsuspecting driver. Then again, you didn't realize how close the trailer you were backing under was until you hit it with a fairing. Just sayin...
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I will admit I've never bent a fairing backing under a trailer but I have hopped the kingpin over the fifth wheel lol.

Dang automatic trucks...

joseph1135 · Feb 28, 2015

Why the hell was I the only one called stupid! No fair!!! Lol.

street beater · Feb 28, 2015

joseph1135 said: ↑

Why the hell was I the only one called stupid! No fair!!! Lol.
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Welcome to driving. Nobody ever said you would be treated fairly.

rocknroll81 · Feb 28, 2015

joseph1135 said: ↑

Why the hell was I the only one called stupid! No fair!!! Lol.
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Ok,Ok, I'll call myself stupid, does that help?? LOL

joseph1135 · Feb 28, 2015

rocknroll81 said: ↑

Ok,Ok, I'll call myself stupid, does that help?? LOL
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It's about time! I hate being alone....... Ha ha.

rocknsand · Feb 28, 2015

x-country, I would suggest you do not reply or pay any attention to all the super trucker idiots that are attacking you. That's the problem with these forums, there are always those that only know how to respond by attacking and running you down, guess that builds them up in their mind.
Good luck in your new job with Fed-X.

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