Ever feel like a target?

[cheri1122]

last week, I was driving from Waterloo to Davenport, no rush, when I saw everyone moving into the left lane - clearly an accident ahead, as you could see the police flashers. So I move over, & crawl forward, stopping to let in a big rig. When we were almost to the accident site, one of those jerks who pass the mile of crawling cars, put on the turn signal, & tried to edge in front of me. I stuck quite close to the ICC bumper, refusing to let him in - drivers like that don't deserve a break, in my book. Just minutes after we were up to speed again, I got a call from my carrier's safety department, because a "concerned citizen" reported that I was seriously speeding. They reported that they were driving 70, which is the limit, & they could't catch up to me! It didn't occur to me to ask how they could read the carrier's phone number on the back of my van, lol, but I told them why I thought that "concerned citizen" had really called, and since the claim was pretty hard to believe - I wouldn't drive that fast under ANY circumstances, I think they believed me. Had the troublemaker reported that I'd cut them off, it might have been harder to defend my innocence, I'm sure.
Is the phone number a magnet for people who like to cause trouble for others? I'm wondering if anyone's ever determined whether it results in actual new business for the carrier - or just headaches?

 

[mrgoodtude]

I probably get called on from time to time too. Mr get to the front of the line has to get around my radio and my slow moving butt to earn his space...The nice thing about the Q-comm is you can poll avg speed info.
As for my personal feelings, They can call all day long my record says I'm in a cool way:7

 

[raceman]

First of all, you done right ya did. Well, I think you did. I hate those who run up there like that.

I would not worry about the call. He just hated that you got him. AS stated above you can prove your case with QCM if need be.

Keep on hold em back. Sooned or later they may learn

Raceman
OTR O/O

 

[RichM]

I covered up the phone numbers on my truck after a incident in San Antonio a couple of years ago. It was about a 100 degrees out and we had spent the night in a motel. At about 0900 the next morning the phone rang and it was Fededx safety wanting me to take a random test. Someone had called and said I was sitting in the cab drinking beer.
I said "how could I be in the truck when I just answered the motel phone". After much discussion I agreed to take the test but I would not pay for it. I guess agreeing to take the test alleviated their concern as then they said"Forget it". I got poed and said"Well who made this statement"?. They said"he wouldn't give his name". So based on this unsubstaniated allegation ,I have to leave a motel and take a test from someone who wouldn't give his name.

There are 4 reason to take a drug test. Pre Employment,Random when you name comes up, Reasonable suspicion based on a QUALIFIED Law enforcement official and post accident. I once had an irate customer call FEDEX and accuse me of being high on mariuana at 0200. They wanted me to take test and I refused and beat it due to the above reasons.

I have seen other trucks with phone numbers covered up or removed. I have a friend out of Cleveland that was charged a minor nuisance claim. Someone claimed he scraped their car,they called in and he was charged with a damage claim. Turned out he wasn't anywhere near the location but he was presumed guilty.

 

[terryandrene]

I received signage for my new van and no FedEx phone number was included. Perhaps it became more of a hassle fielding complaints to the company than the advertising dollar was worth.

 

[greg334]

Cherri,

You did the right thing, screw them - if they can't get in line when they know they should, they should have to wait.

I was getting on I 20 in Atlanta going into a construction zone. there was a huge sign on the shoulder and traffic was stopped. the people on the on ramp just sped up as normal and drove on the shoulder like nothing was wrong, dodging the sign. one dirver didn't do a good job dodging the sign and hit it hard but kept going. others hit it, ran over it like it was nothing to do so.

When I managed a transportation department, the CFO wanted to use 1-800-hows my driving service for the fleet, all 200 cars and trucks at the time.

What a mess.

It was (is) a pay per call service, something like $2 per call.

We used the service for 3 months (the minumal contract time) and dropped it as fast as possible. During that three months we removed most of the phone numbers off the cars (cound not do that to the trucks for contract reasons).

The highest amount of complaints we got was 350 a week but averaged 150 a week and in one day we recieved 15 calls on one driver who did nothing wrong parking in a pickup zone at a doctor's office. They would call for stupid reasons and never left their names. No name, no complaint was the policy simply because if we were going to accuse a driver, I wanted to know who was accusing them and do follow up calls. I think that should be the policy for all carriers, no unconfirmable complaints.

 

[teacel]

How about so called concerned citizen (liar) calling to report you the owner of the company. Ha Ha HA. Happened to me about three times.

Concerned person called the office to tell our dispatcher a car with our companies logo and number was driving south on Rt 19 fast and cutting off others. Our dispatch batched me in and I was talking to the driver as I drove down the road next to him. He was the one DRIVING FAST AND CUTTING OFF OTHERS till he reached me. I ALMOST RAN HIM INTO THE GUARD RAIL. All I did was ##### him off causing him to perform some mild road rage. Needless to say once he realized it was me he was talking to he made an unexpected right and was gone.

 

[cheri1122]

I like to see the signs that say " Use both lanes to merge point" because it takes all the fun out of it for those jerks who love driving past everyone! Without the sign, they always bully thier way in at the front of the line x(

 

[geo]

few year's ago had same problem someone called roberts express at the time and said i force them off the road into a guard rail on 64 e in newport news, va they called my wife to call me and tell me to call in to safety , and i did , they told me they had a call on me and they were going to charge me with, i ask did they have a police report and how many people were in truck and they said two, well i'm not a team so it couldn't be me and they said we show you in area so were going to charge you, i said wait i was at the shipyard picking up and what time was this and they said about 1400, i will call you back, at that time i had highway master unit and called them and ask them where i was at 1400, they gave me long/lat and call my wife and check it out and show me at the shipyard and fax that to them
at time they couldn't figure out where i was qcom
so i was able to prove it wasn't me

 

[Moot]

Cheri,
The phone numbers on your door should be individual decals. A little patience, a finger nail and some Goo Gone should end the calls. Only someone with a legitimate complaint would bother to look up the company number and call.

Yeah, I got called on once by a trucker who was talking trash on the CB. I told everyone in ear shot who he was and what he was driving. Five minutes later dispatch called to tell they got a complaint about my driving. The phone numbers came off the next day.