Transport America Problem that is Industry Wide

Good point. I wonder if dispatchers are forced to work with a flu or do they call in sick?

 

The problem here is that a driver can get sick easier than a dispatcher because of the variety of the people we meet through our job.

Cashiers, other people in the line and people who do not clean their hands in the rest rooms.

Dispatchers and some safety personnel do not believe that a trucker can be sick enough to not drive. The frieght is the most important item on the truck at many companies.

Yet the DOT will put the driver out of service for being too sick to drive. The company will then be furious at the driver for driving in that condition.

The unfortunate thing here is that the driver chose to adhere to the law. However, the only recourse is to engage an attorney and pursue the company through the legal means.

The company will always have records that will show the driver is the problem. The law suit will force the company to show all qual comm records and therefore they will settle at that point. It is most likely only going to happen with the attorney.

Business like this is the backbone of the integrity of the country.

 

They where never a good company to start with, they hire driver out of school or they will teach people to be drivers, they will replace you with a new driver off the street. Hopefully they didn't black ball you because they will. Notoriously known for blackballing.

 

what exactly is a supertrucker???????????? Been called that many times do my job as a truck-driver the same way I did as a soldier for 21 years guess that makes me a supersoldier and how many companies have you driven for in 11yrs? My 15yrs 4,1 was my dad .

 

HAHA,I guess it's a cow boy boot wearing, coffee sipping, chain smoking gool ole boy, who drives 1,000 miles a day at 80 MPH, and usually drives a Pete classic.

 

I got called a super trucker on another thread and I don't even own a shirt with snaps. I will admit to the coffee sipping part.

On this site it might just be someone who disagrees with someone else and thinks they are being schooled.

I have never had a situation when I was driving OTR where a company thought being sick was a legit excuse not to drive. If you where too sick to drive, you had to go to a clinic and get a doctors note. Even the 1 company who let me off a dp due to illness made me pay for it by letting me sit when I was well enough to drive again.

What happened to this driver probably happen all the time. The OTR company's talk alot about safety until it means a late load.

 

Here is what it all boils down to. I remember reading 'been sick for 10 days...' and what not. I would assume the load was given 2-3 days to be delivered. on the day you accepted the preplan, i would imagine that you still felt under the weather. You accepted the preplan in your condition, the load is on you. If you felt under the weather, i would have denied the load, told your DM that you need to get off the road and park somewhere for 24-36 hrs and get over your ailment. Once you agree to the load, unless you have a DM that will work with you, and work for a company with plenty of trucks, where one is usually within 30min to an hour who can repower your load....you deliver it. If you felt under the weather, or had PMS or whatever, and felt 'unsafe' you should have never accepted the load. PERIOD

 

No slight meant against you. But is this common where you're from, or at your company?

I know too many drivers, myself included, who have driven, pull over...puke...drive some more...repeat for the next 400 miles.

It's nothing to brag about, I know. But jeez, I've never heard of a company that got handed the "I'm sick" line too much. Are they Union?

 

BigGreg, I was terminated from them on Feb13 (Friday). They told me that they reviewed my file and decided to let me go. I was with them for 3yrs and 1 month. They told the unemployment office that I valided company rules. When I apelled my discharge Transport America really couldn't come up with a good company reason why. But, no one will hire me because of what they said " vilotion of company rule". Needless to say I see my attorney on Tuesday.

 

Look at smaller companies that could give a crap about the DAC. It's a lot better work in my opinion.