What are they thinking?!

[cheri1122]

One of my driver "phone friends" just called, and one of the subjects of conversation was how the carrier she runs for has been sending a lot of messages over the QualComm lately, from Safety. The messages are just reminders to be "safe", (ie: signal before changing lanes), but here's the thing: how safe is distracting the driver with the frequent attention-getting beeps?!
I can't help but wonder about a Safety Department that promotes 'safety' by distracting the drivers unnecessarily. Maybe that's because I know a driver who rolled her truck, while distracted by a request for numbers on the BOL, from Dispatch, and was promptly fired, for an "at fault" accident!
Any driver who agrees that this is a really boneheaded idea ought to read the messages only after pulling off the road, to be safe. Because you know who will take the blame, if you do have an accident......

 

[Doggie Daddy]

And that's why companies have to put those little stickers or messages on just about everything made,because people are too stupid to realize that what they are doing may be dangerous.
On a Qaulcom unit :do not operate this unit while driving
On a cup of coffee: contents are extremely hot.DUH.

 

[cheri1122]

Is what I'm saying: the message on the unit says "do not operate while driving", and the Safety Department sends messages that you won't get, until you operate the unit - kind of at cross purposes, no?
Seems that a Safety Department would find a safer way to remind you to use your turn signals! Because we all know that when the QC beeps, you're going to want to read it - if only because it will continue beeping until you do.

 

[dhalltoyo]

Agreed!

Personally, I believe that not only a nationwide cell phone should be required, but also a working headset should also be included in that requirement.

When everyone is wired, any company can set up an auto dialer system that will call the driver's cellular phone and upon answering a pre-recorded message can then activate and update the driver in safe manner.

QC's are very expensive items to own and operate. With the advent of Blackberry devices, and increase cellular coverage, it should not very much longer before carriers realize how cost effective cellular devices will improve everyone's bottom line.

Moreover, who wants to spend big money on a nice truck and then have somebody drill holes in it. Additionally, those holes markedly decrease the resale value of the truck!

 

[LDB]

This is one of those tough calls. The only way to reach 100% of vehicles is via qc. Dealing with BOL information via qc while driving is pretty involved. It could be argued the driver is lucky to have only been fired and not killed when rolling the vehicle. Ideally we would all stop every time we communicated with the company whether by qc or cell. The real world obviously doesn't work that way. Until one can stop to deal with it, pushing the read next button will silence the annoyance without requiring as much distraction as reading/responding to it.

 

[dieseldiva]

Until one can stop to deal with it, pushing the read next button will silence the annoyance without requiring as much distraction as reading/responding to it.

Exactly. What happened to common sense and driver responsibility?

 

[LDB]

David, when the company is making a nice profit every month on every qc unit installed in their trucks it's pretty unlikely they are going to drop them in favor of cellular on which they make nothing. It would be great if that's how it went since we have to have a cell phone and pay for it anyway. Reducing annual expenses by over $1800 per truck would be excellent.

 

[Crazynuff]

Some OTR companies have switched to using Blackberries rather than Qualcomm . One advantage is drivers can stay in contact while out of the truck . The companies could charge rentals on the Blackberries just as they do the Qualcomm . Blackberries used would have to have company software on them downloaded only on Blackberries rented from the company . It could be a good recruiting tool although I doubt many carriers are concerned about that since none of them really have a shortage of trucks .

 

[Falligator]

I think common sense and driver responsibility has been taking a backseat recently. Whenever the qc beeps and I'm driving I pull over. This is why they made shoulders and rest stops. Then I turn my four ways on if I'm on the shoulder and respond to the beep. If they company starts complaining b/c I've slowed down....Oh well, safety is a lot more important in my opinion. Now if someone (in Maine) decides to complain b/c I am swerving a little...and who doesn't from time to time. But that's another story. By the way, if that driver reads this I spilled coffee on my lap, so I bet it's never happened to you; Right?!

 

[Tennesseahawk]

Exactly. What happened to common sense and driver responsibility?

I totally agree. But common sense also tells that driver that any delay in response to the qualcomm might initiate a series of beeps asking why there's no response. I'm sure safety doesn't EXPECT drivers to get off the road before responding. As Leo said, they'd never get any work done. Those common sense stickers are like the cups at McD's warning that contents are hot. They're there to protect qualcomm and the leasing company from liability.

Solution: get yourself a co-driver. Or... don't put a qualcomm on your truck.

 

[CharlesD]

The first carrier I drove for, Rush out of Dayton Ohio, used Nextel. We had those bulky Motorola phones with two way push to talk and all the load information came over as a text. You could use those things while out of the vehicle as well, which was nice. That was just local courier work, so when I decided to go OTR, I specifically looked for a carrier that didn't use QC because I was buying a new vehicle and didn't want holes drilled in it. I was leased to Prestige exclusively for a while (still run a lot of their loads, but under my authority now) and they just communicate via cell phone. I have never used QC, and the more I see of it, the more I'm glad I don't have it. I have a bluetooth and if anyone needs to reach me I can talk that way and if I need to write anything down then I just take the next exit. I've also decided that when I expand and start trying to lease on more vehicles (holding off for now because of freight being slow) that I'm not going to put QC on those vehicles. Phones work just fine for sharing information and I can always find out a driver's location over the phone without having to track him via satellite.

 

[Falligator]

The first carrier I drove for, Rush out of Dayton Ohio, used Nextel. We had those bulky Motorola phones with two way push to talk and all the load information came over as a text. You could use those things while out of the vehicle as well, which was nice. That was just local courier work, so when I decided to go OTR, I specifically looked for a carrier that didn't use QC because I was buying a new vehicle and didn't want holes drilled in it. I was leased to Prestige exclusively for a while (still run a lot of their loads, but under my authority now) and they just communicate via cell phone. I have never used QC, and the more I see of it, the more I'm glad I don't have it. I have a bluetooth and if anyone needs to reach me I can talk that way and if I need to write anything down then I just take the next exit. I've also decided that when I expand and start trying to lease on more vehicles (holding off for now because of freight being slow) that I'm not going to put QC on those vehicles. Phones work just fine for sharing information and I can always find out a driver's location over the phone without having to track him via satellite.

You don't want a babysitter?!! lol

 

[pelicn]

There are times when the QC goes off often enough that if you pulled over each time you'd never make the run.

It never fails, the co-driver heads to the bunk, just falls into that twilight sleep and the QC goes off. Grrrrrrrrr

 

[Moot]

I seem to remember a new safety director at Con-Way that thought 09:00 was an excellent and convenient time to send out safety tips. The best one was about being well rested.

 

[Falligator]

It never fails, the co-driver heads to the bunk, just falls into that twilight sleep and the QC goes off. Grrrrrrrrr

Dispatch called my cell last Saturday morning at 0530. "Hi Shawn, we were calling to see when you were going to get rolling on that load you were on."
I reply, "What load, the one picking up tomorrow?(Sunday)"
Dispatch; "No it p/u today and you need to get rolling on this load"
Me; "Could you please check the day the load picks up?"
Dispatch; "We're showing it picks up on the 24th"
Me; "What day is today then?"
Dispatch;"Today is the 23rd"
Dispatch; "Please disregard this call"
Me; "no problem" off the phone....thanks for waking me up at 0530 in the morning for nothing. Agggghhh!
This happens a lot w/ Panther.

 

[dabluzman1]

I have often wondered about this as well.
Wouldn't it be great if a dispatch offer came across in say, maybe three beeps, a general
message such as safety in one beep. You'd be able to tell audibly if it was necessary to
read the message immediately.
I like the blackberry idea or cell phone way better than a hard wired c-link.

 

[ebsprintin]

One of the items on my list of why I left Schneider Bulk Carriers was the qc nanny business. Every day the safety rep was at work there was a safety message. If it was so important to have a daily safety message then why were there no messages on the days he wasn't at work? For a company that thinks they have to remind me on a daily basis of things like keeping my hands on the steering wheel in the 10 and 2 o'clock position, it's rather ironic that they chose to send that message while I'm driving. The qc is a valuable tool, but it needs to be saved for operations. If it's not about a load and it's important enough I have to know something about it then write it down on company letterhead and mail it.
Are u rolling?

 

[CharlesD]

You don't want a babysitter?!! lol

I don't want a babysitter, and when I have other drivers leased on, I won't be one either. I expect drivers to be adults. If you need a babysitter, you're in the wrong business.

 

[Paul56]

We don't have a Qualcomm, but we do have a BlackBerry and sat phone.

There is a bottleneck with the RIM BlackBerry system in that all communications must pass through their facility in Waterloo, Ontario (Canada). If something goes wrong at that facility the BlackBerry is down and out until the problem is fixed. Better to have a backup method to communicate that sole reliance on the BlackBerry when on the road.

 

[dieseldiva]

We don't have a Qualcomm, but we do have a BlackBerry and sat phone.

There is a bottleneck with the RIM BlackBerry system in that all communications must pass through their facility in Waterloo, Ontario (Canada). If something goes wrong at that facility the BlackBerry is down and out until the problem is fixed. Better to have a backup method to communicate that sole reliance on the BlackBerry when on the road.

Sounds like a lot of hassle for a device that STILL requires your full concentration to use.

Call me old fashioned or whatever but I still believe the best way is to pull over, whether it be clink or phone (unless you're using a hands free device). I've seen far too many "drifting" vehicles and near misses while the driver is electronically involved!