ATTN: New Drivers and lawyers of injured motorist. MUST READ.
After ten years of driving I am afraid to drive on our highways for a living. Due to new regulations pushing older experienced drivers out, and whats replacing them, you should fear for your life.
I work (ed) for a very good trucking company who has hired a bunch of dorks.in thier infinite wisdom, I have came to the conclusdion they do not want good drivers. The trucks are worth more on thier sides as they arent getting any miles out of them. This has nothing to do with the economy, there is more freight than trucks right now. This company cannot meet its customers demands.
If you are a new driver here is what you can expect, as i believe this is an industry wide problem.
After 45 plus days of driving, living in a 5' by 7' fart box. I needed a break. These breaks are regulated by FMCR and Department of Transportation. These are not optional breaks.
I informed my Fleet Manager I needed a 34 hour restart as I had only 3 hours left on my 70 hour rule. My back was all knotted up and I needed rest for it to get better. I had no buisness driving at all.
I was told I had three hours to drive and if I did not drive I would be DAC'd out, charge a recovery fee of truck, and charged with truck abandonment. I was in the process of serving out notice anyway. There is no freight that hot. This is how your driving record gets ruined, and you dont work for anyone one else. There is a way to fix this I will include later in this complaint.
I did notify the owner of the company, safety, and my fleet managers superior by phone, and all I got was voice mail. My calls were not returned. But I was threatened again by fleet manager for doing so. So now everyone in the chain of communication is aware of the problem.
So I drive, a day earleir than I wanted. I now had to decline the option of going to another fleet to work, as I have lost all confidence in this company to provide me with safe and steady employment. There is a range of gripes I'll leave out of here most drivers do have.
So if your thinking about driving a truck, or you or someone you know has a family member injured or killed by a truck driver, you should lnow the following. You will never get the truth out of these people who set in cubicles and force these poor steering wheel holders to making bad mistakes. Every form of coerecion and harrassment you can think of is employed.
You will as a driver make. 25 cents a mile, and get around 2500 miles a week. There is cola, cost of living, and per diem, but the company gets that back at the end of the year, you make. 25 cent a mile, or about $18 dollars and hour, upwards to 10 hours a day, if you can get the miles... Not. You actually work up to 16 hours a day average, which comes to about $7 bucks an hour, to risk life and limb, and make this company 3-4 thousand dollars a week per truck...
You will be put in dangerous situations a seasoned driver would know better not to do. You will be asked to take your truck on restricted and discouraged roads, as thats the way the company gets paid. You will never get paid for all miles driven. You will ask permision to go home (and be denied). You will live in a box, with a computer telling what and when to do it. So if you have no brain, this jobs for you.
You will hit things, and be hit. Murphys law is in effect. You will be unable to comply with company and dot regulations. Everything that goes wrong, like poor planning, customers holding you up making you late, traffic, weather, and a dork at the company IS YOU FAULT AUTOMATICALLY. You are expected to perform miracles and fix this.
For the unfortunate crowd who has lost a family member, or had one injured. You and your lawyer will have to fight for any recourse. My condolences goes out to those who have been hurt by these bad trucking practices practiced by most if not every company.
In the end you will be DAC'd out, left broke along side the road to find your own way home. You will not get a good job recommendation. You will loose several thousand dollars worth of tools and electronics you need to do you job. You will see your home and car insurance go up, and your credit rating go down. As long as you work for. 25 a mile, they will keep paying that.
Your dac can be fixed, along with most tickets through companys like TVC. Its a very small fee, but I am not selling anything here. Its a process so enjoy the time off. You need to be very choosy where you work.
If you have suffered at the hands of one of these companies, always get a lawyer.
You can also check with Qualcom of San Diego, California. You will see how long a driver really was in truck without a break. If he was forced dispatched. Dont go by company records, they can be erased or altered.
Do not lease a truck, do not join a LLC program. You will starve. Pay thier taxes, and suck up thier depreciation. You loose your deductable as soon as you sign for truck.
If you really want to drive a truck, do not work for a company that has so many trucks they cant keep track of them. When you see thier drivers, you are looking in the mirror a year down the road. Do not fall for the new flavor and always Government dictated (usually not) program.
I have lost years of family time, and now my health. I did do some good things, like pay off my house. But it is not worth it. You will be lied to hire on, lied to stay, and lied about when you quit.
When you have to pay someone to work for them, you need to find other work.
If any lawyer needs a stand up guy to say, yes this company kills people... Im you man. Im tired of the industry not regulating the right people. I am making a career of that starting now.
I have drove ten years safely and effeciently. The new rules dont bother me, and they shouldnt you. But dont be bullied by these large companies, freight is up and they need drivers. Go where you are known by first name. Dont be afraid to team for awhile.
Anybody know a good choirpracter?
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