"We Care Werner Cares" REALLY????

At the end of the day you are supposed to fill out a DVIR (Driver Inspection Vehicle Report), if you filled it out and noted that there was a problem with the steering and it still wasn't fixed, but you continued to drive it instead of refusing to for Safety Reasons, than it is your fault. Like another poster said, you are the Captain of your ship, anything that happens in the Trucking Industry is always the Driver's fault. You should have CYA and refused to drive the truck until it was properly repaired.

 

Which makes me wonder where the drivers that Swift, and Werner don't hire are driving? Probably at some small no name outfit so they can call Swift and Werner bottom feeders.

 

Some of these companies will fire you for CSA violations that put a truck out of service. Just refuse to drive a broke truck. They can only fix truck or send home. Either way your safety record stays clean.

 

I agree,why give the DOT more ammunition to play with.More drivers then not has a tarnished csa score because they thought requesting an inspection was doing the right thing,only it backfired.No way no how would I turn a company in and tarnish my csa along with maybe your mvr maybe logs ect ect.You don't like something then grow a spine and say something.Drivers needs to stop being puppets to the companies.

 

I could be wrong, doesn't Weather's actions violate the Surface Transportation Assistance Act?
In essence weren't they saying if you report our defective we will fire you. If they didn't violate the law they certainly danced with it!
Like other posters have said, you don't have to drive faulty equipment period. For any company.
I hope you have copies of your inspection reports.

 

K

......i agree with this ....better yet tell them you already told them about the problem but they insisted that you drive it

 

Did Swift and/or Werner hire you?

Bovine excrement by any other name is still bovine excrement.
What do you call Swift and/or Werner?
Have you driven for either of them recently?
You're 50 years of age and driven Big trucks for half your life. According to my cacklatooter, that would put you starting Big truck truck drivin' around 1990. As I recall, things were very different back then. Big truck truckin' companies spent Big bucks recruiting drivers; not like today with desperate, out of work wannaBees stampeding through the revolving doors.

When the economy turned south and freight started drying up the mega companies were near panic trying to figure out how to keep their office doors unlocked, so they went fishin' for ideas and they came up with what we have today. Cheap labor provided by desperate people trying to keep their head above water. To top that off, they figured a way to get those poor souls to pay part, or most of, the operating costs. All they had to do is widen the revolving doors for the crowd to go through ---> over there, under the sign that reads Big truck truck drivin' SCHOOL, Make the Big bucks drivin' the Big trucks for ____________ <---- insert name of bottom feeder company here. For added perks, the gub'ment kicks in a few thousand bucks for re-training those out of work, through no fault of their own. Pretty sweet deal.

After a few short weeks those trainees are turned loose to haul freight cheaply. They run 'em hard for a few months until they're up for a raise in pay, and no longer desirable as Big truck truck drivers because they can put more trainees in the driver's seats, --- except for one small problem, --- too many new drivers drivin' their Big trucks pluggin' up the driver's seats. But that's easily corrected. Just treat 'em like dirt 'till they can't take it anymore and they either quit or just burn out early. The company still keeps the gub'ment perks (read dollars) 'cause the gub'ment didn't specify those re-trained Big truck truck drivers have to remain drivers for any set time. So, by around six months they put the squeeze on 'em 'till they quit, which leaves a driver's seat open as the mega bottom feeders cry "DRIVER SHORTAGE", and the gub'ment falls for it. And around and around the block it goes.

What it all boils down to is those mega bottom feeding training companies DON'T want drivers to remain with them long term like they used to when they had to lure drivers with better pay and perks; they've become an over-paid liability in the eyes of the company bean counters who've figured ways to take advantage of the situation. Big truck truck drivers have become expendable. Where as before there were ten jobs and one job seeker, now there are ten seekers for one job. What's not to like? Putting up with drivers has become an inconvenience for the bottom feeders to deal with, --- until they burn out or starve trying to provide for their family. It's amazing they last as long as they do before throwin' in the towel.
There's even one red truck company that encourages those with a whole three months experience to lease a Big truck from the company. About three months of tryin' to make it, they're encouraged to become Big truck truck drivin' trainers.
HaiL!
Let those trainees tear up a rookie's leased Big truck instead of a company Big truck, --- and put up with all the other headaches and off the top deductions that the company purposely doesn't mention up front. Then, when the majority of them go belly up and turn their leased Big truck in, the company re-leases that Big truck to another starry-eyed wannaBee who wants to be their "own boss". What a deal!

I don't know what you'd call companies like that, but bottom feeder gets by the bad words filter here. What they really are shouldn't be voiced in mixed company. Some words like liars, cheaters, dishonest slime-balls, swindlers, heartless, and criminals come close. I'm sure those who've been put through the mill have their own descriptive words that better describe such unethical companies.

But don't take my word for it, --- I'm just hieroglyphics on a contrasting background. Instead, try jumpin' out of that Big truck you're drivin' and go apply for training at Swift, or Werner, or shoot for the very bottom and sign on with the Sons-0-Chester. Lie to 'em about your experience, they're gonna lie to you. Give it a whirl, --- drive a mile in a wannaBee's drivin' shoes, --- see how far you can make it. I'd bet Big bucks you won't make it as far as the real wannaBees do.

If you've found a good gig count your blessings. Compared to what today's wannaBees have to contend with, you had it easy. The proof is that you'll stay right where you are 'cause deep down you're afraid they're right about the mega bottom feedin' Big truck truckin' companies.
Go ahead,...........
Tell the wannaBees and newBees that they're wrong.
Then prove it.
So easy, --- even a caveman could do that.
Right?

By the way, in your opinion, has the Big truck truckin' industry gotten better, or worse
since you started drivin' Big trucks 24 years ago?

 

Hey Aftershock long time no see. Are you still on Layover.com?

 

YuP! :smt045
I pop in there daily to check the pulse.
Now Layover is like a ghost town. Empty most of the time.
Usually days betwixt posts are posted.
Kinda spooky.
And sorta sad.
I was born there 'bout 14 years ago.
I was so much older then,
But I'm younger than that now. :smt108
Best advice I got from a Layover poster was,
"Why don't you go to The Truckers' Report"?
I did.
Where'd they go? :smt017

Good seein' your words, amigo.

 

Well Bone, doesn't say whether you drive a truck, so I don't know if you can relate to this experience. But try this on:

You're unemployed and you've been that way for a while, and the tea leaves tell you that you will be that way for a while longer.....then

LEARN TO DRIVE THE BIG RIG AND MAKE BIG, BIG MONEY!!!!

That's right! You can make $45,000 a YEAR and get PAID to SEE AMERICA!!!!

No Experience? NO PROBLEM!!!!!! We'll pay YOU to learn how to drive one of these late model, hott dammm fancy trucks!!

Need to be home regularly?? NO PROBLEM!!!!!! We promise to get you home every Friday by 5:00 and you'll enjoy the comfort and companionship of your family till 8:00 Monday morning!!!

Tired of working for others???? We can help!!! We offer a program where you can.....wait for it.......
BE YOUR OWN BOSS!!!!
We got trucks, and at the ripe old age of 24, we know you have the skill set and maturity to run your own company!!!!

So, after you go through all the b.s.
After you take all the tests.
After you explain to so many people why you haven't worked and why truck driving is the career you've "wanted to do all your life since Uncle Jimmy gave me a ride in that big Pete".
After you've spent 2 days in orientation hearing crap that you're 99% is B.S. yet you don't want to admit it to yourself.
After you've spent untold WEEKS UNPAID in a skanky motel room.
After you've been through 3 trainers, (one of which told you were too fat to drive) and were paid less than slave wages to do so.
After you've promised you're family, "hey, it's gonna be alright.....I can make this work".
And, finally, after you've used up every bit of savings you could put together and you're down to your last $100 or so......

When someone hands you a set of keys, you roll. And that's pretty much how it shakes out.

Patty J is right, trucking companies, every dang one of 'em, are some of the worst of humanity.