>I hired on with a local co. here in Wi. It often happened
>that as a second shift local driver, I would run a co. cargo
>van from 3pm-midnight and then start logging "D" unit time
>for my 11/14.
>Often I was exhausted driving in AM rush hour after 15 or so
>hour shifts. Sometimes it worked the other way around, "D"
>unit first then cargo van. It's a common co. practice. Some
>drivers work first shift "D" units and then get into their
>own vans and run. The record shift for a company van driver
>was 32 hours straight running.
>The last straw came for me when they dispatched me in a "D"
>unit at midnight after driving a van all second shift. Start
>time: 3pm. I was told not to scale the truck(take the
>backroads). The truck was so heavy when I let out the clutch
>as usual in second gear, it just died. It would barely stop.
>Thank God it was late at night. As frosting on the cake a
>second pick-up was added at Chicago's Midway. But I was
>happy driving down the 294 after dropping that load. Home at
>8:00 AM.
>I quit after 90 days even though I'd just started getting
>health insurance which ain't no good if you dead!
I guess I am kinda’ confused with this one and don’t mean to be insulting but why did you even stay one day? Even after a week, there really is no excuse to stay.
I am not going to comment about the company and what I think; it has been said.
But being kind of selfish with my life and wanting to make sure I am around for a long time, I really don’t care about you and the reason you choose to work like this, I care about me and others that have to drive around people like you. I think others agree with me but are too polite to say so. By no means am I trying to insult you, but this is really frustrating for many of us who call ourselves professional drivers.
I am worried that younger people think this is normal and it is just about driving and the miles you put behind you, I have to say it ain’t! It is about safety, courtesy and on time delivery. Anyone can accomplish all three of these without endangering anyone around you but the first and most important is safety. Remember the responsibility for everyone’s safety is yours, not the companies. You are in control when you are behind the wheel, not the company you work for.
A lot of companies are out there only to make money and just don’t care if you live or die or for that matter who dies because of you. Their insurance will cover a lot of the expenses and most of the time the responsibility falls on your shoulders, not theirs. I know a lot about the company’s end of things being a manager of a transportation department with over 200 vehicles. I know most of you don’t care but with 200 vehicles and 450 employees in five states to deal with everyday, you get a good picture of how insignificant s driver can be to the bigger picture and how it is easy to push someone to do something that endangers lives.
I am harsh for two reasons, one is I witnessed and ended up helping at an accident scene where a whole family of 6 was killed by a driver of a straight truck who worked 16 hours behind a wheel and cheated on his logs. The driver walked away with a broken arm but no one else did. It was a horrible scene and I was full of blood from moving the victims away from the burning car. The second happened to a coworker of mine. Everyone stopped on the freeway because of President Clinton making a visit to Flint and the state police closed the freeway. He was the last car in the center lane. A car hauling truck ran into the back of him at 50 miles an hour, almost killed him. A few the cars on the hauler ripped their chains and went sailing onto a family in a van and another car in front of the van. The driver was fatigued and didn’t even stop until he was a few car lengths away from the stopped cars and HE also cheated on his logs.
