Put YOURSELF Out Of Service....

[dieseldiva]

This is something that we were told at orientation over 8 years ago...that there is a difference between putting your truck out of service and putting yourself out of service.

In the past, when we've tried to distinguish between the two with dispatch, we were always assured that if the truck was out of service, so were we. After a while we gave up and stopped asking.

Today we found out different. Hubs went to get his fingerprinting for his hazmat endorsement renewal and they actually called Fed Ex to see if he was up for a "random" drug test. Well, yes he was!! (someone needs to explain random in this case) So they sent him to a clinic that was close. Now, he was clean, of course, but what if he'd been drinking the night before and that showed up on his test? We're out of service....or so we thought.

After talking to safety, he was assured that there is indeed the option of putting yourself out of service in addition to your truck. He was told that not all dispatchers are aware of this and they would try to rectify that problem. He was also told to be persistent with dispatch if they refuse to do this for you.

I'm hoping they will add an option to the c-link for this one, it would sure be better than calling in each time, especially if the reaction we get is the same one we've gotten for the past 8 years!

I have to question what the legal implications of this mistake would be....for all of us AND for FECC if something were to go wrong when we thought we were "out of service".

 

[ATeam]

I have to question what the legal implications of this mistake would be....for all of us AND for FECC if something were to go wrong when we thought we were "out of service".

It's spelled out in the contract that a positive test is grounds for termination. A driver's mistake of not putting one's self out of service, and then getting drunk at say a wedding reception, and then getting called in for a random screening, would leave the driver with little hope beyond the mercy of whatever safety person would make the decision.

If the driver tried to make an issue of it, FDCC would likely defend itself with a fleet message sent out long ago about the difference between truck and driver out of service. They would also likely point out the C-Link dispaly that drivers look at every day. It shows truck in or out of service and drivers in or out of service. When the driver is out of service, it is so indicated on the screen.

It is good of you to bring this up and it is important for all drivers to understand the different kinds of out-of-service there are (truck out of service, driver out of service).

 

[dieseldiva]

It's spelled out in the contract that a positive test is grounds for termination. A driver's mistake of not putting one's self out of service, and then getting drunk at say a wedding reception, and then getting called in for a random screening, would leave the driver with little hope beyond the mercy of whatever safety person would make the decision.

If the driver tried to make an issue of it, FDCC would likely defend itself with a fleet message sent out long ago about the difference between truck and driver out of service. They would also likely point out the C-Link dispaly that drivers look at every day. It shows truck in or out of service and drivers in or out of service. When the driver is out of service, it is so indicated on the screen.

It is good of you to bring this up and it is important for all drivers to understand the different kinds of out-of-service there are (truck out of service, driver out of service).

You must be seeing something that I am not....we're showing truck out of service....drivers "off duty". Granted we're working with the new unit and I'm not sure you've changed over yet but I don't remember that option on the old unit as well. Please advise...

PS...I wasn't thinking about a positive test result when I was pondering consequences...I was thinking more about accidents and such. You know how technical things can get.

 

[dieseldiva]

If the driver tried to make an issue of it, FDCC would likely defend itself with a fleet message sent out long ago about the difference between truck and driver out of service. They would also likely point out the C-Link dispaly that drivers look at every day. It shows truck in or out of service and drivers in or out of service. When the driver is out of service, it is so indicated on the screen.

Forgot this part too. If the option isn't made available to the driver to take himself out of service from the qualcomm, and when he calls dispatch to do it for him and is told that no such thing exists......

 

[layoutshooter]

We always take ourselves out of service when we take the truck out. I always wondered something. Let's say I have a weekend off, pre dispatched for Mon. NOT out of service. I am now 50 miles off shore fishing and my phone rings, Mrs. Layoutshooter is told that I have to go for a random in 45 minutes. What now? No way to get in touch with me and even if she could it would take 3 or 4 hours to come in from 50 miles out. What happens? I am allowed to go fishing. No law against that. (yet) What would happen?

 

[dieseldiva]

Layout....how do you take yourselves out of service, do you call in and do that or is there an option on the c-link that I'm missing???

 

[layoutshooter]

Layout....how do you take yourselves out of service, do you call in and do that or is there an option on the c-link that I'm missing???

We call in. IF the dispatcher says there is no such thing we inform them that there is. Never had a problem. DID have a problem once when we came back in service. The truck was in and we were not. Now we call in to make sure that WE are in service.

 

[dieseldiva]

We call in. IF the dispatcher says there is no such thing we inform them that there is. Never had a problem. DID have a problem once when we came back in service. The truck was in and we were not. Now we call in to make sure that WE are in service.

K...so my next question is this....when you are "out of service", does your status on your c-link show you as out of service or off duty....do you have the new or the old unit?

 

[layoutshooter]

K...so my next question is this....when you are "out of service", does your status on your c-link show you as out of service or off duty....do you have the new or the old unit?

Old unit, can't say we ever checked the clink since we always call it in.

 

[dieseldiva]

Old unit, can't say we ever checked the clink since we always call it in.

Phil is claiming that the driver can see it on the screen and I'm not seeing what he's seeing. Even with the new c-link where you have to login on the unit AND change your status on another screen, it shows you as off duty. Recently they added that 5th line to read off duty driving (the 45 minute exception), maybe they need to add an out of service line there to simplify things. Safety is saying that some dispatchers don't seem to know about it and I'm going to guess that many drivers don't know there's a different status that they should be on when they're home and such.

Ok....something else just came to mind (I'm more than a little slow)....what about DOT?? If I'm off duty with DOT, I don't think they would consider me still in service...why am I not off duty AND out of service with FECC?? Are we making something confusing when it doesn't have to be?

 

[MYGIA]

Phil is claiming that the driver can see it on the screen and I'm not seeing what he's seeing. Even with the new c-link where you have to login on the unit AND change your status on another screen, it shows you as off duty. Recently they added that 5th line to read off duty driving (the 45 minute exception), maybe they need to add an out of service line there to simplify things. Safety is saying that some dispatchers don't seem to know about it and I'm going to guess that many drivers don't know there's a different status that they should be on when they're home and such.

Ok....something else just came to mind (I'm more than a little slow)....what about DOT?? If I'm off duty with DOT, I don't think they would consider me still in service...why am I not off duty AND out of service with FECC?? Are we making something confusing when it doesn't have to be?

I still have the old QC unit. I can put my truck OOS by either using the QC or the VRU. Then I either send a free form message or call in and have myself also placed OOS. I then send in an 09 to verifiy that it has been done. The screen reads: Truck Out of Service - Persoanl. DRV: My Name - Out of Service - Personal.

It also shows the date and time you went OOS and the date and time you are coming back into service. If I come back early, I can do so using the VRU, but this only puts the truck back in service. A follow up call is needed to have them place me as the driver back in service.

I do this almost everytime I go OOS, just or the peace of mind knowing I will not be bothered.

 

[dieseldiva]

I still have the old QC unit. I can put my truck OOS by either using the QC or the VRU. Then I either send a free form message or call in and have myself also placed OOS. I then send in an 09 to verifiy that it has been done. The screen reads: Truck Out of Service - Persoanl. DRV: My Name - Out of Service - Personal.

It also shows the date and time you went OOS and the date and time you are coming back into service. If I come back early, I can do so using the VRU, but this only puts the truck back in service. A follow up call is needed to have them place me as the driver back in service.

I do this almost everytime I go OOS, just or the peace of mind knowing I will not be bothered.

Ok...now that makes sense....we've never seen this part of the screen because we've always been told that the option didn't exist.....hmm.

 

[BigRed32771]

After reading this thread I thought I'd check my status since I'm at home with the truck OOS. I called in and asked a dispatcher what she was showing for me. Truck out of service, me and the missus in service. She immediately offered to take us out of service, too, so that we weren't subject to random test calls, and made it so with a back in service matching the truck. In the future I will send a C-Link free form message requesting both that this be done and that I get a confirming message via C-Link from a dispatcher. The idea that I could be called for a random while sitting hundreds of miles from my truck having a beer because I'm still in service even though the truck is OOS blows me away.

 

[iceroadtrucker]

Totaly Support it.

I don't Drink!!! I dont Smoke!!! I dont Dip!! I dont do Drugs!!!

However I do Work out!!!!!! Stay in Shape!!!!!

While I was in the Military 23 years , I Was on the PRP (Personal Reliability Program. Did once a week or more.)

I think all Company Personal should follow under the same criteria not just the drivers.

BTW the last time I was OOS was EASTER when I was at Home.

Oh ya its been that Long.

Enough said The trash can is full.