Question:
Hello trucknet. You guys helped me become a Driver. So now I am back again with questions. I have a few situations that I went through with my company, and I would like to know, are all the companies like this, and should I just be a driver stop complaining and keep on trucking. Or do I have a legitimte beef.
Situation 1: Left rear brake chamber breaks off and gets repaired on trailer. Two weeks later left rear tires on trailer lock up and drags tires until metal shows through tires. turns out brakes got adjusted wrong after work done. Company does not want to buy new tires. So Get axle chained up and drive 120 miles to nearest terminal.
Situation 2: Left rear airbag missing on trailer. Company tell me to drive 550 miles to terminal from Meridian, MS to Irving, TX. When I refuse. I end up sitting for two days, until I just get tired and take load on to Texas
Situation 3: Dispatcher plans me and dispatches me on a load while I am sleep in the truck, without me saying yes or no. When I wake, I tell dispatch I have only 4 1/2 hours left for the day. To let me sit in Brunswick, Ga until 11:30 am the next day. Then I will get my full 70 back. They say no, go to Jacksonville and sit and next morning they will try to get me from that load onto another. Next morning(0930 hrs) I am told to go get that load. Halfway through loading I get a qualcom message that load has been voided. Call dispatch and am told to finish loading and bring load back to Brunswick, Ga to trade trailers with another driver, that the driver is waiting in Brunswick. Get to Brunswick and driveris not there so wait four hours, then am told to go drop trailer in yard and p/u another trailer(the one in situation 2)get trailer, load up and trailer won't air up wait 5 hours for T/A to come fix and finally get trucking 0300 hrs. I drove a total of 150 miles and all the company wanted to pay me was $30 for loading six cars.
I am not trying to be one of those drivers that complain a lot, but I would like to know. Should I just suck it up and drive on because all companies are like this. Or do I have a legitimate beef with my company. I need two more months to be at six months. Should I start looking or is it the same all over.

Answer:
IMHO the answer is simple. The driver is ultimately responsible and basically has the final say if a vehicle is safe to operate or not. If the driver does not feel the vehicle (and this includes trailers) are not safe then he/she should not do so. After all it is your life, your CDL, your money that is on the line, not the companies.
If you have not done so already I suggest that you contact safety over these type of matters and see if you can get their help and opinions. If this continues you can always report them and/or quit and go find a company that cares about safety.
As far as dealing with dispatch on matters of loads. It is your job to inform dispatch any time you are unable to complete or do a run for ANY reason. You should be willing to work with dispatch to find alternatives that will be within the regs, and sometimes this can become aggravating and interesting. A lot of companies/dispathcers will see just how hard they can push a driver. They will push and push until you give in, and once you do it becomes harder to say No the next time around. You need to decide what it is you are and are not willing to do and stick up for yourself.
I will always be a mutter trucker at heart.
Answer:
and safety dept. wont do a thing for him.
If it is Swift,I say find another carrier to drive for and then give your notice.
Then have your DAC report pulled because they are sure to put something derogatory on it as soon as you turn in your keys.
Heed this warning!!!!
The Governor.
Arguing with a truck driver is like wrestling with a pig in the mud;Sooner or later you figure out the pig enjoys it.
Answer:
Easy way to get the vehicle repaired: Pull into an open weigh station and request a level 1 inspection. Then point out the problem and explain the situation.
I've always been crazy, but it's kept me from going insane.
Waylon Jennings

Answer:
Well I guess since you are driving now all went well with your school..
I agree with U-Turn call saftey
I also agree with Flyboy if things continue the same way..
So do tell.. What company did you go with ?
Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away

Answer:
Hey Little Red. I love driving and enjoy the road, but the company is giving be bad vibes. Yes it is Swift, I thought goig with there car haul would be good, but they are so unorganized. Its bad enough what we go through on the road, but to get just as worse from your company gets irritating. Right now i am looking at Melton and Celadon. Celadon has a little outfit right here in Virginia that they brought out(Highway). So thats who I a looking at. Two weeks ago I gave Swift there to weeks notice. So I think my disatch knows that it is coming soon. Hey guys, thanks again for the advice. It was very helpful s usual and I will let you guys know what the outcome was.

Answer:
When and if you call Safety dont bother with your local terminal. Call Phoenix and talk to them. I went though a few similar situations when I was at Swift and that was the ONLY way they were ever resolved.
I will always be a mutter trucker at heart.
Answer:
I am glad you got results but when I called safety in Phoenix all they did was blow me off.
Guess I interupted the poker game or the topless dancers.
I guess they just left a real bad taste in my mouth but Swift and their entire operation is a joke.
I think someone posted it here----What do you call 365 Swift drivers in one place;A years experience!!
Would'nt drive for em' again if they paid $3.00 a mile and let me spec out my own truck.
Arguing with a truck driver is like wrestling with a pig in the mud;Sooner or later you figure out the pig enjoys it.
Answer:
About day 10 of your two weeks notice, watch out, they'll dispatch you on a load that will take 3 1/2 days to do to get you as far from home as they can and then pull you off the truck say 'see ya' and leave you stranded.
My suggestion to you is to pull all of your sheet out of the truck and when they try to send you to the terminal 3 1/2 days away you can take a hike. Go to the new job and keep your eye on DAC, Swift can and will use DAC to punish you for your non-team attitude.
Dave Wadsworth
wombat
dwew@montana.com
I may be getting older but I refuse to grow up

Answer:
Heed wombats advice.They put a preventable accident on my DAC that my co-driver had while we were in training.
I would try and find a way to get back through your home terminal before your notice is up and clean out your truck and turn in the keys.
Take pictures of the truck both exterior/interior.
Use one of their little cameras from the accident kit.Then keep those photos on hand just in case they decide that the damage someone else does to the truck does'nt come back to haunt you.
Arguing with a truck driver is like wrestling with a pig in the mud;Sooner or later you figure out the pig enjoys it.
Answer:
I know what your going through. here's just a suggestion. If you know that there's issues with the equipment you've been given and you have given that three weeks notice ten days ago. Puller round the scale house, tell the officer the problems and that swift wont fix it and that they are threatening you if you dont haul the load. tell the officer you can no longer work with such unsafe equipment and have a ride standing by. This will get swift attention and alot of other folks by the way. Then if swift reports you to DAC you have them right where we all would like to have them.