After driving for K&B for a few months, I grew to realize that this company was a lot more about themselves then they are about their drivers. THey coherse their drivers into running super extra hours and backing their log books up, just to make runs on time, whether it is company related errors or shipper/receiver errors or driver errors.
Time and time again I would call into my dispatcher and let him know the problems on the route, and problems that I would come across while making the trip, and his reposnse was always the same. "Do the best you can, if you have any problems call in to dispatch let us know the situation and we will cover for you, no matter what the circumstance." Ok, so I do this, everytime it's "We need you to keep rolling to make it on time, can't be late on this load, do what you have to do to make the trip and get their on-time" Kinda hard to do when your out of hours, tired as hell and need sleep isnt it?
Well many times my logs were all screwed up, I'd be at home when i been driving, or would have had a week off Just to have the hours needed. When does a man get to sleep? As a K&B driver, not as often as you should. Six times in two weeks they called law enforcement or the truck stop I was staying at and had someone come wake me up, because they thought it was time for me to get rolling. But they tell the cops or the truck stop personnel they are worried about me, because I haven't called in. Now, how would they know when it's time for me to get rolling? Especially if a man's only been parked for 4 hours and can't legally drive, and can't even keep his eyes open to talk to dispatch?
They drew the last straw in late october when they called a towing company to find me in the truck stop, authorized him to break into my truck and wake me up. All because they thought I had been sleeping for too long. I been asleep for 4 hours! Well turns out, I didn't notice anything missing right off hand, but isn't the point is it? At anytime should a company have the authority to athourize someone else to break into your personal "home" to wake you up? Or to see if you are in there? Even if they knock on the door once or twice and walk away? I can see someone pounding on the door, or on the sleeper, but having him break into your truck.
That's taking things far isn't it? Is this the same thing as breaking and entering? Cold the man not have shot me or something while he was in there? Would the company know about it right away? No, not until they called the law to come check on me. The same day, I sent in the required check call, letting them know my hours, where I was, and when I would be rolling out, yet they claim not to have it on their records. I was smart enough to take pictures of Qual-Comm so they don't lie very well. So I roll out of there, after tweaking my logs for them, and I roll straight to my house in Iowa, call my dispatcher and let him know I am cleaning out my truck, and will deliver his load in the morning, then will drop his truck off at the terminal, to have me a way home when I get in. He said "Ok."
An hour later he calls and tells me someone is leaving the terminal in a few minutes and will be there around 7:00PM to pick the truck up, have it cleaned out and ready to roll. So I did. Cleaned the truck out, took it to the truck wash here in town, washed it real good, vaccuumed it, then took it to the rinky dink truck stop and left the keys with the clerk, as requested. They come get the truck that nite, an hour later the cops show up searching my house for stolen equipment (stereo, and CB) found nothing but my CB (not (same brand as the one they are supposedly missing, not the same model, and I had a box with matching serial numbers) and my CD player which i removed from the truck (had reciepts for, so that through the cops off big time).
Two days later, I call the local police department asking them where my stuff is, they tell me that the company can't claim the CB, because it doesn't match theirs (after accusing me of stealing) and that they have no idea where the stereo or the CB is at if I do not have them. Well when i got the truck, picked it up in Dallas, I picked up load going to the yard in Sioux City, IA where they installed me CB and My CD player in the truck. They to this day claim that I Stole their crap stereo and CB. For one, I don't mind having a mistake made, but calling me a liar, and accusing me of stealing your company crap, is beyond the limits. Someone did a lot of damage to that truck the nite that I left it at the truck stop for them to pick up.
They claimed that I bashed in the doors, bashed in the dash, broke all of the guages, broke things in the sleeper. Which is bullshit considering the number of drivers that watched me drop the truck off at the truck stop in Broad daylight. Am I that stupid? I Do have some pictures of the truck as left that same very day. If a driver is going to go look for a nother job with another company, is he going to destroy company equipment like this? I don't think so, I may be a younger driver, but am far from stupid.
The company tested my intelligence when I called them asking where my checks were that they never sent me. They claimed that the $4,300 in damages was covered by my paychecks (yes they cut me a check for $4,300 and cashed it for me, this also showed up on my taxes). Isn't that illegal? Doesn't that mean, that as of now, they should pay me the $4,300 that they claim that I did in damages to their truck on that night? If they took taxes out on that $4,300 shouldn't I have seen that money in some way, shape, sort or manner? Now, I have not tried to get into any other company at this time, because it's almost going to be impossible, with the fraudulant things that they put on my DAC report (and I have no idea what they are), and then I have to show them as an employer on the applications that I fill out.
If a new company was to call K&B and ask why I quit, and if I was rehirable (why or why not?), thats going to turn their heads anyways. I grew up in trucks, was practically born in one, and I know my life as a human being is being behind the wheel of a truck, but with bad comments and reports from K&B towards me, how would I ever be able to get back into a truck with another company? If anyone would like to comment or make suggestions to me, please feel free to email me. Want to check out their website, and give them a call? You'll get a real laugh when you talk to their "recruiters" www.kbtransportation.com
Barry
Marshalltown, Iowa
U.S.A.
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