I have a muscular problem that limits my ability to move around on foot. When I try to exceed that limit, my muscles contract and tighten up in my back, hips, thighs, and chest area so bad that I will collapse if I don't find a place to sit down, which relieves the muscle contractions. This is from a MUSCLE STRAIN, that I have had for 4 years now. It's so bad I can't even have sex, which has all but destroyed my marraige. Anyways, I made Celadon aware of this at Orientation. They were also made aware of my other med problems, i.E. High blood pressure, diabetes, ect.
So, I'm able to get along ok for first 6-7 months without having to say that I can't do something because of my medical condition. I get sent to a refinery in Louisiana, and I have to park a ways away from the guard shack and walk in to get clearance to enter. The walk is right at the limits of my ability to walk that distance, about 45-50 yards. But I do it, and barely make it there.
After loading my truck and heading to the exit, I have to park the truck a good 100 yards away from the guard shack and walk in to turn in my pass and hardhat. I get on the cb and let the guard know that I cannot walk that far due to medical condition. She says I have to, no exceptions allowed. I tried explaining to her that I have medical condition that does not allow me to walk that distance, and she started getting angry, and shut the gate on me so I could'nt try to leave anyway (which I would not have tried to do in any case)
I told her I was calling my dispatcher and letting my company handle the situation. I never raised my voice to her or used foul language, and the entire conversation happened over the cb, not face to face. I sent in a msg to dispatch, and got a reply back in about 30 minutes, telling me to call in by telephone in the next 10 minutes. I sent back that I don't have a cell phone, and that nearest landline was the guard shack, and I could not walk that distance for medical reasons.
Got immediate reply that I should call in immediatly, I again said I couldn't walk that distance, and this time I added that to even attempt that, could cause me to have a heart attack. I am at a highrisk for heart attack due to highblood pressure and diabetes, and the muscle strain aggravates my med. Condition if I overexert myself. Didn't hear anything more from them. About an hr. Later, a refinery employee comes by the truck and takes my stuff to the guard shack, and I am released.
So I deliver the load to Laredo, Tx., to Celadon yard for delivery to Mexico, and report in to dispatcher with bills and looking for load out. Don't get anything out, and camp in the truck till monday. Monday I call my dispatcher for a load, get told I'm on hold, but he doesn't know why. Tuesday I am told by operations manager that I'm supposed to park the truck, hop a bus for my home, and see my doctor for a med. Release that says I'm cleared for driving.
I tell him I don't have money for the bus or to see my doctor, and besides, its a thousand or 1200 miles to home and a 2 day bus ride, and I wasn't going to do it. He said I had to because I said the magic word, "HEART ATTACK", and their rules required me to see a doctor and get a medical release before I could drive their truck again. I asked him how come I was allowed to drive from Louisiana to laredo if the mention of that word was so critical, but he didn't say why. We went back and forth for an hour argueing, then he got the human relations dept on the phone, and they said I didn't need to go to kansas to see a doctor, I could go to one in laredo, but I had to pay for it myself. If I refused, it would be considered an automatic resignation.
I agree, and locate a dot doctor, and tell her what tests the company wants me to take. I have to take back xrays, dot physical, and a ERI or something like that. It cost me over $300. I send these results to Celadon, and they make me wait for 2 days while they "study" the results. The dot doc says I do have medical issues like I told them, but that it does not restrict my ability to drive, and she found me qualified to operate truck equipment.
Celadon however, says they want me to hop a bus to Indy, and see their doctor to determine if I can drive for them or not. I'm flat broke by this time, have been sitting for a week with no miles, so I refuse to do that. So they say I have voluntarily quit. I have no choice in the matter, so I clean out the truck and hop a bus back home. I was immediatly hired by a company back home, had to take another dot exam though. They were informed of my med. Condition.
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