I signed on to a company that shall go unnamed (initials are K&B) and went through orientation where I was told to "log it as you drive it" My first day out I was sent about 3 hours north to pick up a load (drop n hook) and deliver it to Rochelle, IL where another load would be ready for me to take to Stevens Point, WI for delivery the next day at 0600. My day began at 0700 and by the time I had dropped and hooked it was after 11 and I prepared for the drive to IL. I arrived at around 1530 having logged just enough to get to my destination and sleep before making my delivery the next day.
Unbeknownst to me the receiver did not allow parking in their yard so I had to go 20 miles back down the road to a truckstop, which by the time I got there it was after 2300. Being a team player, I backdated my log to allow me a legal 10 hour break before getting unloaded. Rising at 0500 the next day, I finally got a dock around 0715. I then spent the next 3 plus hours on the dock counting right along with the lumper and freezing my a$ off. As I was instructed I logged this time in the sleeper even though I knew this was wrong. After disposing of the damaged goods and sweeping out the trailer, it was past 11 and I began the trek back to the yard in Rochelle, IL to pick up another load back to the same place in Stevens Point WI for delivery the next day at 0500. I arrived back in Rochelle at 1400 and my load was not ready. Being ever mindful of my log book and the legalities involved, I inquired as to the possibility of laying down and picking my load up at 2200, I was told no. Killing the next 4 hours in various ways and logging it off duty, I finally left Rochelle at 1830. Having begun logging that day at 0800, I had just enough time to get to the truck stop in Plover WI and sleep before my delivery, knowing full well I would have to backdate my log once again to allow a legal 8 hour break. Rising the next day at 0330 exhausted from lack of sleep the previous 2 nights, I decided i was going to "log it as I drove it" and entered my pre-trip at 0415.
Arriving at 0430, the next 2 hours were spent the on the dock counting right along with the lumper and freezing my a$ off. I logged the time on line 4, and after disposing of the damaged goods and sweeping out the trailer, headed back to Rochelle for my next pick-up which was a 5 stop drop in IN over the next 2 days. As I began driving, I started to do the math and realized I didn't have enough hours to do drive the 495 miles, take a 10 hour break and do the first drop at 0600 the next day. I phoned the boss as I was getting fuel about 45 minutes away and asked to speak with him. I got to Rochelle at 12:15 and finished with paperwork etc... Around 12:30. I was then told to meet my boss at the truck stop where I proceeded to. I made my concerns about fixing logs and lack of sleep and was told "that's the way it is in dedicated freight" I was told a number of scenarios that "justified" fixing logs and basically my concerns were ignored or brushed aside with a "that's the way it is" My boss then made arrangements for a load swap, which would necessitate my leaving the next morning by 0300.
It was past 1600 by the time I swapped loads and I laid down in the bunk to sleep. After trying to no avail to sleep, I kept flopping around like a hooked fish, I called my boss around 1900 and left a message on his cell phone telling him I had been trying to sleep, couldn't and would not be moving until I had slept. My message was not returned and I again laid down to sleep. I couldn't I laid in the bunk all night and was messaged over the qualcomm at 0310 by dispatch inquiring if I was "rolling" I responded no that I had not slept (by then I had been awake for 24 hours) and did not feel safe driving, not only for myself but for the public sharing the road. I was then told to get in touch with my boss ASAP at 0700.
At 0700, I called the office and was confronted with a very upset boss on the other end of the line. When I told him I had not slept for 28 hours, he replied "that's not my problem". I then told him i didn't feel safe driving in such a drowsy state and another driver was sent to get my load. Then after not having slept for 30 hours, I was given ANOTHER load, not giving one thought to the fact that I had not slept and did not know when I would. I then, rather than have to go through this all again in the event I couldn't get any sleep, told dispatch that I was quitting. I was told to bring the truck back to the yard, even though I hadn't slept they wanted me to get behind the wheel of a Class 8 vehicle and drive two miles back to the yard. I did and was met by the boss as i was unloading my vehicle. He showed up to get the big things locks, etc... That were company property, when he told me "maybe it's time for you to get out of trucking" and I was basically told it was "unbelievable" that I had not slept in 30 hours.
After I called my wife and waited for her to drive the 2 hours to pick me up, I became so distraught that I called my wife and told her I was going to walk out on the highway and step in front of a truck. Maybe it was the lack of sleep, I don't know, but I began walking to the freeway and stepped out on to the shoulder.in a more lucid moment, I decided I could not do that to a fellow innocent trucker and crawled off the freeway and under the bridge.
In the interim, my wife got to my truck and discovered my absence and called the police. 2 hours later, I was found under the freeway bridge by the local law and taken back to the truck and my wife.By this time i had gone sleepless for 34 hours. It has now been 8 days since this happened and i have yet to be compensated for the 5 days I worked and the expenses i incurred, tolls, fuel to orientation, etc... I emailed the top 3 execs of K&B Transportation and none of them returned my note. I attempted to phone the 3 and was rebuked at every turn. Do I have legal recourse? I was lied to and forced to run illegal, can DOT do anything? If you prefer to keep your advice private PM me. Sorry for the length, but i was accused in an earlier post of lying, I wanted you, my jury, to have all of it, the good, the bad, and the ugly. Thanks
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