Typed on mobile sorry in advance.
Well, been driving for Penske on a sprouts account for 6 months now. But the thing is, this account is so broken and poorly managed that it’s taken 3 months for one of our trucks to have a pm done on it, plus we have to report pre/post trip violations repeatedly to get anything done about them (yay for not being allowed to work on the trucks ourselves). I’m talking like another truck was out of service for 3 weeks over a lightbulb. Now here’s me, relatively new to trucking with 3 years under my belt, doing my best to not give DOT anything to use on me, and I’m the thorn in these useless managers sides. I’m reminding them that xyz needs to be done or truck 13 can’t be used legally and things like that. Had one, just one fatigue issue when I first started on the account after working a 70 hour 6 day week and then being sent on a 14 hour day immediately after returning to work while still getting used to the night shift schedule. But these asswipes have been trying to use fatigue to shit can me ever since. The trucks have the tattletale cams in them and every time mine was set off I’d get a lecture on fatigue.
Jolt sensor cause the roads in Colorado suck? Fatigue training.
Hard brake after being cut off and brake checked in traffic? Fatigue training.
Over the company speed limit? Fatigue training.
And just other dumb shit like that.
Well yesterday, I just happened to yawn at 7 in the morning after starting my shift at 1, some asshole immediately decided to cut me off and come to a total stop on the freeway to which I reacted and avoided pancaking his car. Within 15 minutes of me getting backed into the next store to unload I get a phone call that I just had a fatigue event on camera and that I need to return the truck and trailer to the dc and head home for the day. I then have to explain to the store why they need to get out of the trailer and let me leave before I can go. Returned the truck to the dc and was told to meet with them this morning at 9.
Get there this morning and here’s these two useless idiots with the biggest grin on their faces. Get lectured about how how the event scares the crap out of them and how I’m just a total piece of shit for driving in this condition and what a disgrace I am to the company etc. then they show me the video. Video shows me at 10 under the speed limit, having a quick yawn and then having both hands on the wheel for a full 3 seconds before this dickhead stopped traffic. They then proceeded to lecture me about how tired driving kills and that we’re about to have a conference call with the safety team. Safety team FaceTimes in and didn’t even know about this video until these two sent it in today. Despite disagreement over the video safety tells these ding dongs to handle their crew the way they see fit. I just got up and walked out at that point. Told them thanks for wasting my time, thanks for making yourselves look like total trash to the customer, and thanks for proving how stupid you are. They told me to head home and they’ll “discuss disciplinary actions”.
Called me before I was even out of the parking lot to tell me I was being let go and “please call us if you need a reference we have just SOOOOOO much respect for you that it pains us to do this.” And all the usual kiss ass bullshit. Best part is that they had to call again when I got home and ask me to return all their uniforms as well as access badge when I come get my final check. My biggest question is do I finally tell these idiots what I truly think of them? Or do I try to smile and wave to have the last laugh?
