Hi everyone , newbie here. Been driving truck just about 5 months now. Recently I had a unpleasant event with my company. And I really don’t know how to deal with it. I need your advice.
So, I become a company driver for a truck company based in Chicago area, I myself live in nevada. Now this company has about 130 trucks. So not a big company compared to Swift or Knights et cetre. And the way they do things is strange. They have office in Chicago and Philadelphia. But their dispatch are hired from overseas. They also have ELD department that were also a third company overseas. What this ELD does is to allow truck drivers to request for more time on their HOS clock. For example, if I got stuck in traffic or couldn’t make the delivery on time. I would contact them and request for more time for my clock. Then they would alter my clock by adding more hours. Which I’m not entirely sure if it’s legal or not. But it just doesn’t feel right. When I ask my company they just sugar coat it and say something like it’s to help the drivers, make more money et cetra. And the thing is, I’ve picked up bunch of Amazon loads, where the dispatch would book team loads although I’m a solo driver. Some team loads are fine, short distance i can handle it. But more often their not, and they still book it. Along the way to deliver, I had to rest, but amazone will call me a lot and ask why I’m stopping, first time I told the Amazon the truth, Amazon would say but this is a team load where is your other driver and so on. My dispatch told me to ignore the phone call and let them handle it, by basically lying, saying stuff like mechanical issue or weather is bad and so on. And I have to request more from this ELD department for more time because I won’t make it on time even without resting. I look it up online about relevant law, but basically it’s not entirely illegal to book team load so long it can be deliverer on time. On the other hand, it’s a violation against DOT to alter HOS clock. Maybe it’s legal on some very particular occasions, but like what I did. I think it’s just cheating the system. I feel like the owner allows it in order to make more profit off of the drivers. Also lying to their costumers. And with the profit the company made, they pay tax as well. I think it’s fraudulent or profiteering. I’m not entirely sure.
Now the second issue I had which cause my termination from the company. It includes 2 incidences. First one was about a month ago, I had a load from Nevada to Illinois. As I driving through the mountains of Colorado, there was a stretch of road highway 70 where the 2 lane road left side was under construction, there were cones in the middle. So all traffic driving on the right side. It was lots of traffic, as I was driving I drive through some metal debris that slice through 5 tire on driver side and 1 on the passenger side. 6 in total. The thing is I didn’t see any debris or metal, but felt something went under my tires. There was no tire explosion or any strong shake that would indicate me something is wrong. It was when I way pass that spot 5 or 6 miles later, I began to feel the driving is weird. So I stop the truck and go out and check. I find out my 2 trailer tires first are flat. So my fleet called me a mechanic that showed up hours later. When he came he find out my driver side steering tire is also flat. I didn’t notice it. He did. At the time it was dark. Plus it began to snow very harshly. So the mechanic doesn’t feel safe and said he’ll come back the next day when the weather is calm. I had not choice but to wait a night. Next day another mechanic from the same shop came. When he came he notice both of my outer 5th wheels are also flat, and he notice the one on the inside of rear trailer tire was also flat. So 6 tires in total. I assume because the debris I went through cut very small holes and the air leaked very slowly so I didn’t see it right on the bat,plus it was snowing and it’s dark outside. So fast forward, my fleet took care of and paid all the fees. Now due to the nature of this accident, it was kinda tricky to handle, so they didn’t charge me anything at the moment.
Now comes to 2 accident, just about 2 or 3 weeks after Colorado, I picked up a load from st George Utah to San Francisco. So my route I need to drive on highway 93 nevada. The weather was absolutely awful, there was a blizzard and very strong wind. I was loaded. At the time I was driving about 50 mph in this road conditions, and then this cayote jump out of nowhere on the road i was in shock and act it out of instinct trying to avoid hitting it. My truck began to loose traction but thankfully I mange to pull it on the shoulder, thing is, this should is soft shoulder, and it’s kind of a ditch. And it’s covered in snow so it made it look like flat surface. My passenger side got stuck in the ditch, I couldn’t get out. And worst of it, I don’t have phone signal. I had to borrow phone from good people driving by that stopped and ask if I’m ok .to contact my fleet. About 3 pick up truck on the road stopped and help me, I had a old strap I don’t use, tied that on stranger’s truck to pull me out. (Not 3 pick up truck at same time. Just 3 people driving stop at 3 times offered to help me) which it didn’t work, because my truck is loaded and it’s just too heavy for pick up truck. Eventually run out of idea, I told one of the guy helping me to driving down the road and when he have reception on his phone to call the highway patrol, and the office came eventually after 3 hours. This officer was also driving a pickup truck, and he did the same thing trying to pull me out with my strap. Obviously it didn’t work. So he called a tow truck for me. Now because the tow truck was dispatched by police so the rate was much higher. It cost 4300 Dollard. The tow truck pulled me out. But they were arguing about thr price with my fleet. It was very late at the time so I just offered to pay half out of my pocket and let the fleet cover the rest, which they did.
I contact then the next day, trying to settle the payment, as in are they going to reimburse me or how we going to work on this. I personally don’t think I should be fully responsible for this. I tried to reach out to my fleet and owners and safety. They all ignore me. They do that all the time when it comes to money. I spent the next few days trying to contact anyone in the company but I was ignored. I was furious, like at least communicate with me. And then they deduct the service for the tow truck, which is the other half that they paid. And they also wants me to be fully responsible for the Colorado incident. But without any notice or communication they just took it out of my paycheck. I had to ask for statement myself to see how much they took. If I didn’t ask they wouldn’t tell me. I was so angry, when I saw it. I just stop the truck and demanded the owner of the company to contact me otherwise I’m not driving. They did. Told me to come their office and talk face to face. I complied. I think what they did is illegal, given their company is registered in Ohio(their office is in chicago, but company is registered in ohio), and according to Ohio department of labor, employers can not deduct employees wage under any circumstances.
So I take the truck to their office to talk to their owner. They just pushing all the responsibility to me and me alone. Because to me. Both incident wasn’t intentional, it was inevitable, I can’t control the weather , or animals nor was i who put debris on the highway. I don’t think I should be charge for this. At least not be charge the full amount. You’re a trucker you know some accident you just can’t avoid. But the company push everything on me, expect me to pay everything and they fired me right on the spot. I felt humiliated. The truck they gave had 600000 miles already, bunch lights is on dashboard. Had poor traction, tire tread depth was bad. And they book team loads for me and I have no choice but alter HOS tike in order to be on time. And so many other problems communication wise. And now I’m jobless.
I don’t know what to do. I’m thinking reporting them to DOT and department of labor and federal trade commissions for lying to their costumers. I feel very unfair. I get I was the one behind the wheel, but I feel just because accident happened to me doesn’t necessarily mean I’m the reason it happened. I’m frustrated, honestly I felt I’m beijg bullied.
I really need anyone’s help, I don’t have money for an attorney since they already charged me for the tow truck, the full amount. And for the flat tires in Colorado is yet to be charged.
I don’t know what to do. I’m angry and frustrated. Just like that they through me out like trash. I felt disrespected and humiliated. Pm me if you need, I can give you more detail, but I think it’s not that deep. I’m worked for a company that’s cheating the system for profit, lying to their costumers also put drivers in danger. 2 accident happened, I think it’s inevitable accidents, I don’t think it happend because of my negligence or mishandling the truck. And it cost a lot. Now they want me to pay everything, and I was fired.
I’m a new trucker, and I need your help
Published:
Related articles
Recent articles
