the company i work for has me come in at 7am thinking i will leave on my trip soon there after. however every time i start a trip they dont have the papers ready or the load cant be picked up or something and i end up there until after lunch .
yet i am still to arrive at the places at the same time .
i am really falling asleep at the wheel the dispatchers have no idea . that they cant do this and have me be awake. dont say quit as that is just not an choice here please help.
2007-12-21 10:49:48 · 7 answers · asked by Anonymous in Cars & Transportation ➔ Safety
I have been where you and the other answerers are at. Stay up all day, wait for a load and have to be 16 hours away by the next morning. The reality is driving is a brutal position that not many people have an idea about. Most would assume that you can sleep whenever and wherever you want, but few also realize that there are deadlines too. For some companies who specialize in overload tractor service, this is how they make their money. By being dependable, reliable, on time and on temp they will be the first to be called. No-one stops to think that the driver is tired. The shipper doesn't care. Once the product is loaded it's out of his hands. The Receiver doesn't care as long as the load gets there safely and undamaged. The dispatcher doesn't care...it's his/her job to push you. The absolute guarantee is that if you log an accident or a violation...you will be the one to pay. That's when everyone will step up to the plate and say he should have told us or he should have declined the load or he knows the rules. It's a funny game, but thats all there is too it. In the end, it is up to you to set the game straight. In the past you might have done it a few times and now they see you as the go to guy. Unfortunately we are not all robots and you have to stand up and say whoa there. Enough is enough. I started at 7am...I've logged 5 hours of on duty time...I've got only a maximum of 9 hours available to drive. (In Canada it's 8 hours consecutive in the sleeper berth...2 hours in the sleeper during the day...2 hours on duty and 12 hours driving). Unfortunately, there are many companies who don't like this, but as long as you have logged it in your logbook then you are safe. If they push you to deliver then stop at the nearest scale and show them your logbook recording when you had your conversation and were "pushed". The fine will be the companies then and not yours.
2007-12-21 12:06:54 · answer #1 · answered by roger S 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You cannot make up lost time, and you shouldn't be held responsible for things being behind schedule if you didn't cause the problem. Dispatchers can say anything they want to a shipper or receiver, but you are the only "personal" contact that company has with your company. Lay the blame where it belongs.
Like voiced above.... Show things on your log. If you get to work at 0700, then log it as such. If you don't leave until noon, log it that way as well... Remember this.... The bottom line comes down to you. If you fall asleep and have an accident, that dispatcher is going to "disavow any knowledge" and you will be left holding the bag. Document, Document, Document!!! Do not run over hours. Run a legal book and truck. Maybe after they put you up in a motel once or twice, they might get the idea. If they put you in that situation, drop a quarter in a phone and call the local office of the Motor Carriers division of your state patrol and inform them that your company is threatening you with your job if you don't break the law. Trust me.... they don't want those people at the door requesting to do an audit.
If you need a nap, stop and take one. The load is better arriving late, than not at all.
Good luck and I hope this works out for you.
2007-12-21 11:14:48 · answer #2 · answered by Wired for Sound 5 · 4⤊ 0⤋
Quitting an unsafe company is always an option!
First, document all times, arrived on job, load ready at, departed at, arrived at (mark down the miles as well), and log it absolutely 100% legal, by the book to protect yourself. With documentation, you can present a case.
If you are in a day cab and run out of hours before getting back in, the company is responsible for your motel bill.
If you are interested in a good company that runs legal, email me @yahoo.com. Also, contact OOIDA for help.
2007-12-21 12:19:07 · answer #3 · answered by terrellfastball 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You need to contact dispatch as soon as you are delayed & ask if delivery can be rescheduled. If it can't, ask dispatch to get someone to pick it up when your 14hrs is up, remind them of the DOT regs. If the delays are common & you are home everyday, ask if you can come in closer to lunch. When you arrive at the yard, log it as it is if dispatch won't/can't do anything. Take a nap while waiting to get dispatched &/or loaded. When your 14hrs is up, find a place to hide & go to bed. The company cannot fire you for obeying DOT regs, but they will make life very difficult.
2007-12-22 15:45:09 · answer #4 · answered by Eskimo Mom 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Keep accurate records in your lie ah...I mean log book. If your comany is consistantly placing other motorists in harms way, maybe you need to contact CVSA.com which is a federal safety program designed to monitor commercial vehicle drivers & businesses. There are many other companies out there in need of good drivers that will put saftey first.
2007-12-21 14:56:03 · answer #5 · answered by areyouserious? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
when i was driving it was the same, i told them if they wanted the load to be on time, to have it ready when it was surpose top be.......note everything in ur log and go by then......if u get tired, stop and sleep......if they *****, they *****.....i told them once that when they bitched at me, "to either fire me, or let me get the load ther safely. that i was not going to take out a family in car because ther scheduling is not fissable"
2007-12-21 10:56:52 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
they should not be dispachers then. they can not mandate you to work over hours
2007-12-21 12:08:25 · answer #7 · answered by bungee 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋