stop Western Express!!!!!

Is this still about western express or did it suddenly get hijacked into a union vs. non-union debate? the answer wouldnt be to go to the teamsters (unless they are able to or have legal authority to intervene on the drivers' behalf), but to report them to the dept. of labor, OSHA, FMCSA, or maybe OOIDA(Who i doubt would do much except maybe look in to court action if enough current or former WE drivers file a report.)

 

Checking your wipers is part of your pre-trip. You could have saved yourself a lot of aggravation, don't cha think?

 

Na, I doubt it. Even if I had checked them again after coming out of shop I would of lost the load getting back in line to get it re connected. So it worked out because I continued to run the load, got paid, and did it myself in a fraction of the time it would of taken the shop.

 

we have become a nation not concerned with freedom and rights,plenty of politicians taking full advantage of our non unification.

 

I'm sitting overnight at the Pilot in schodack, ny, waiting to pick up a load nearby. I'm parked on the end of the row, near a curb, sidewalk, and trashcan.
My cab curtains were mostly closed, but there is a open gap in the middle of a windshield.

I was sitting in the drivers seat, using the steering wheel as a desk for my laptop, and noticed a western express truck trying to back in a parking spot across from me. He was far enough from my truck I wasn't worried, and kept doing what I was doing......THEN....I heard a loud crunching noise to my left.

I pull the driver side curtain back, and western express, truck number 1670, has pulled over the curb, onto the grass, and the drivers side steer wheel is fully on top of the pilot trash can. I look at the driver, an older black man, and he is smiling or laughing. There is somebody in the passenger seat. It is broad daylight. The curb he drove over is a normal curb, that you would KNOW you drove over. You would have to do it intentionally.

I look at the smiling driver, rolled my window down, asked him if the thought it was funny? He backs off the grass.
WHen I notice him heading back the grass, I grab my cell phone to take pics.



The show is not over, yet, folks, he jumps the curb, pulls back over the grass, AGAIN, this time a few feet away from the trash can he has crushed.

He finally makes it into the parking spot he wanted, and to give him some credit, he did come over and pick up the trash and stand the mangled trash can back up, but then he came over to me, we had this conversation.

(paraphrased, not verbatim, I wish I had thought to hit the record button on my cellphone)

I asked if that was another driver or trainee in the passenger seat, and why they didn't see the trash can?

'That is my wife and she saw the trash can. Why do you assume she is a driver or trainee?'

'I was trying to avoid hitting your truck'

'Why didn't you get out of your truck to help me back in? It's your fault I hit the trash can. Why didn't you get out of your truck when you were just sitting there?'

I tried to tell him I heard the crunch, THEN opened that side curtain, to find him already on top of the trash can, which meant he had to drive over the curb, onto the grass, and another two feet to be on top of the #### thing.

No...it was my fault. I guess i should have gotten out of the truck to keep him from jumping the curb, the second time? Maybe I should contact Western Express? They could pay me to help western express drivers park safely, in half empty truck stop parking lots, in daylight, no adverse conditions, and even when they have somebody riding in the passenger seat who could be at least helping them see where they are driving, even without getting out of the seat?
If they still have that free lunch at the nashville terminals, I'd be happy to do it for a coupon for free parking and lunch for every time I help a Western Express driver avoid those moving curbs and trash cans.


Note: the first pic is after he backed off of the can, or was coming back for his second attempt/assault.
The second pic is when he was up over the curb and on the grass, the second time, that I know of.
The third pic, he's backing toward the spot he wants, and the last pic is where he finally parked.
All pics taken from my drivers seat, and the spot where I was parked, and supposed to be jumping out and helping western express trucks avoid trash cans.

 

I did my part by beating those scum at their own game: Read about it here http://www.thetruckersreport.com/tr...on-about-everything/156174-hireright-dac.html

Drove by their Ft. Dodge, IA. terminal that used to be SMX. Boy have they destroyed that place. SMX kept the place up....looks like a freaking ghost town now with trucks and trailers rotting in the grassy over-grown parking lots. Shame.

 

Well; I was driving for Smithway Motor Xpress (SMX) when Western bought them.

I was making .37cpm running flatbed. The Western drivers were making .32cpm running flatbed.
So guess who got the loads, and the miles? Not me with SMX on the door.....Western can and did move it for .05cpm less---company keeps more of the revenue, and I starve.

Gave them about three weeks to see if they would even things out between the available trucks, but Western kept getting the loads, and I kept sitting waiting on PeopleNet.

SEE YA!!! Shame too....because I was doing pretty good with SMX.

 

I worked for them a short period, until I could find a better job. What I do remember in orientation, was I had more experience, than the other 18-20 drivers, COMBINED.

I used to haul flatbed and heavy haul with other companies. I would laugh at the way the loads were secured on the open equipment that came in and out of the Nashville terminal, the one place somebody with some sense should be checking up on this sort of stuff.

 

OFTOTR it's not your fault but you seen that driver having trouble,so rather then worry if you miss something on your laptop or not,you should have took a few minutes got out and helped him.That would have been the neighborly thing to do.

 

I did not see him having trouble until after he parked on top of the trash can. There was really no reason for him to be up over that curb, on the grass, and on top of the trash can.

I will help anybody that asks for help, and even offer help when it's not wanted, at times, but somebody at Western Express decided he was suitable to be an OTR truck driver, not only entrusted with an expensive truck and whatever the cargo is worth, but also transport a passenger...(if she was authorized).
I know Obama was just re-elected, but at some point we need to be responsible for what WE do, and not always find somebody else to blame it on.

I'd hate to see this idiot in a CROWDED truck stop.

I surely have done stupid things in a truck, also. I never blamed it on somebody else.