Question:
Hi,,,
Well guys,bad news
My B?F is still stuck in Minnesota,since Wed.
His first solo as a newbie,,,,and its bad!!!
He had his truck in the frightliner repair shop, for same problem it had in Omaha(they suppossed have fixed it) ,Anyways,he got to minnesota(almost),it broke down,wrecker towed it to repairshop,he spend the night in a motel.Next day he was told another truck was avail.BUT he had to find a way to get it
He tried,but no bus goes there,rental car will not go one way(if out of that state)After calling back to omaha and waiting around most of the day,they told him the truck was fixed,he told dispatch he was ready for load,,,after a longg wait,finally he got split loads
Being new it was a lil confussing,but he started out and tried to get load so he could make his way home!!!
And,,,,yesssssssssss,,,,,,,,,,,,,the truck broke down again!!!!
He drove it back to repairshop(they r now closed) and called breakdown dept,and dispatch,,,
no responds,,waited,waited,sent more messages,,,,,,,,breakdown finally responded,and told him,,,,go into motel(he don't know if he gets it payed),,,dispatcher took foreverrrrrrrrrr to respond,he finally called superviser,and was told it had been ONE OF THOSE DAYS,,,,,,YEAHHHHHHHH NO SH$% ,,,,,,
He is very frustrated and ready to walk
It seems like they just forgot about him.No answers from anybody,he is new so he don't know.
He called and i try to help,but i can't really do anything,but listen to him.I feel so bad for him.After all the hard work and training he did,,he now feels like just giving up!
He told me he will wait till morning,but if he don't get some answers,he will walk.
Dispatcher keeps telling him,he has to find his own way to the another truck,,,can they(werner) do that???
Will this be abbandonment if he would just leave(if he gets nowwhere tomorow morning)
He does not want to do anything wrong,but one can ONLY take so much.
Any advise???,,,
thanks for letting me vent,guess i needed that.
Be safe out there,,,,
sandy

Answer:
and just goes home. Yes that is abandonment.
As far as the motel goes. If breakdown told him to go stay in a motel it will be paid. If it all possible though he should get the NAME of the person who told him to get the motel room in case there is some confusion down the road.
Tell your boyfriend to remain calm. On Monday he needs to start working the phones and start talking to his dispatcher, then the breakdown supervisor, then move on up the ladder if need be. He needs to ask questions as to why he keeps being told to find his own way to where this other truck is. I have been in this situation before with other companies and have never been told to find my own way anywhere. It could be a misunderstanding and they are just telling him to make the arrangements since he is in the area and have easier access to the info/services there. I dont know since I am not there and have not heard everything said.
As far as it seeming to take forever to get a response. Sounds like he got into dealing with night/weekend dispatch and breakdown. For the most part these guys are there just to hold down the fort and dont have the sense or the authority to change out empty roll of toilet paper. This is an issue at virtually every trucking company out there.
I can certainly understand his frustration, but it would be a shame for him to quit Werner now after surviving the training there. If he would quit and goes to another OTR company he is going to have to go through training all over again.
I will always be a mutter trucker at heart.
Answer:
http://realdrivers.com/scgi-bin/reports.cgi?category=CRWERNRB&item=1269229038
http://www.angelfire.com/rebellion/wernerscrews/
I'v read here that a positive attitude will make it work,tell him to keep his chin up.
Shuffler drives for werner(so he says) and never ever has a problem,well if he does,he don't post them,thats if he is a driver.
Do not leave the truck and make things worse,he can be without a truck to drive in MN,just the same as without a truck to drive in FL.Work your way out of the problem,running away is just going to make it worse.
Alexandria, VA, June 8, 2003 - Robert Hirsch, president of the Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) today expressed disappointment that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) rejected a pilot program aimed at the trucking industry's critical and growing driver shortage.
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Answer:

• My B?F is still stuck in Minnesota, since Wed.
  
• His first solo as a newbie,,,,and its bad!!!
  
• He had his truck in the frightliner repair shop, for same problem it had in Omaha(they suppossed have fixed it) ,
  
• Anyways,he got to minnesota(almost),it broke down,wrecker towed it to repairshop,he spend the night in a motel.
  
• Next day he was told another truck was avail.BUT he had to find a way to get it
  
• He tried,but no bus goes there,rental car will not go one way(if out of that state)
  
• After calling back to omaha and waiting around most of the day,they told him the truck was fixed,
  
• he told dispatch he was ready for load,,,after a longg wait,finally he got split loads
  
• Being new it was a lil confussing,but he started out and tried to get load so he could make his way home!!!
  
• And,,,,yesssssssssss,,,,,,,,,,,,,the truck broke down again!!!!
  
• He drove it back to repairshop(they r now closed) and called breakdown dept,and dispatch,,,
  no responds,,waited,waited,sent more messages,,,,,,,,breakdown finally responded,and told him,,,,go into motel(he don't know if he gets it payed),,,
  
• dispatcher took foreverrrrrrrrrr to respond,
  
• he finally called superviser,and was told it had been ONE OF THOSE DAYS,,,,,,YEAHHHHHHHH NO SH$% ,,,,,,
  
• He is very frustrated and ready to walk
  It seems like they just forgot about him.No answers from anybody,he is new so he don't know.
  
• After all the hard work and training he did,,he now feels like just giving up!
  He told me he will wait till morning,but if he don't get some answers,he will walk.

Guess he hasn't got that It's A Lifestyle part down pat yet...
Regardless, he needs to give notice if he decides to quit and allow them to route him through for a turn-in. But chances are, the next carrier is going to be as bad (or worse) then WORMER.
Not quite what it is cracked up to be, is it?
___________________________
-The Revised HOS Regulations-
-Motor Carrier Whistle Blower Protection-
-NYC Commercial Traffic Info-
-CHI Viaduct Clearance Info-
-MEMORIES-
Mexican regulations neither require drivers to keep logbooks of their hours, nor do they limit the number of hours Mexican truck drivers can be on duty.

Answer:
Originally posted by dave's woman:
Dispatcher keeps telling him,he has to find his own way to the another truck,,,can they(werner) do that???
They probably can if they can get away with it. I don't think there are any laws preventing this. I bet it's a way to "save a dime here and there". Your husband is a new driver and they are probably hoping that he will take what they say and just do it. A rental car or a bus ticket doesn't sound like a big expense to a big company like Werner, but added up over the course of a year it can be.
ZigZag, why question Shuffler's credibility? Judging by what and how he posts I doubt he's a bulls*****r.

Answer:
ZigZag, why question Shuffler's credibility? Judging by what and how he posts I doubt he's a bulls*****r.
------------------------------
Nobody has ever met him,he never complains or had anything bad happen,he sent in a picture to trucknet and you can't tell much by it,beside's it some guy next to a werner truck.
Not one of his students has dropped into trucknet.
and beside's even if he is a driver,he is fun to bust nuts on,he can take it and don't get mad
Alexandria, VA, June 8, 2003 - Robert Hirsch, president of the Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) today expressed disappointment that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) rejected a pilot program aimed at the trucking industry's critical and growing driver shortage.
--------------------------
Answer:
Dispatcher keeps telling him,he has to find his own way to the another truck,,,can they(werner) do that???
Werner has 10,000 truck, plus or minus a few, and they can't find a truck going by his location to shuttle him to another truck? Something rotten in Denmark here .... and it may not be with your bf ...
You had a choice, and you chose TruckNet. Thank you!
You can wear them to your new job!

Answer:
Good enough for me Zig. The thing is there are a lot of "trolls" that come through here and some that will misrepresent themselves. The lady that Andy (TNDriver) was interested in comes to mind. I just don't think Shuff is one of them.
he never complains
Just on that statement there is NO WAY he could be a truck driver.

Answer:
In my humble opinion it is time for hubby to go over the dispatchers head. He does not have to get nasty; but, he has to assert himself. Dispatchers are not God; but, sometimes they think they are. Second shift and weekend dispatchers have a notoriously bad reputation for their lousy decisions. It is vital that hubby use the Qualcomm not a phone so there is a documented record of what is going on.
.
DO NOT JUST WALK AWAY FROM THE TRUCK. That is the single worse thing he could do. If he does, it is abondonment and he is through as a truck driver. Period.
.
He needs to get the higher ups involved. Remember, with less than a year of driving experience, he has limited options. Every driver has a right to a serviceable truck. Lets face facts **(stuff)** happens. Hubby got an unlucky break, it has turned into a comedy of errors and the dispatcher is totally out of line expecting hubby to provide his own transportation to another truck. I bet that dispatchers rearend is going to be in a real bind if hubby has the Qualcomm records to show the supervisor of that dispatcher what has been going on.

Answer:
"Werner has 10,000 truck, plus or minus a few, and they can't find a truck going by his location to shuttle him to another truck?"
They picked me up after summer vacation, 10 miles from my house and the driver dropped me off at the Ohio terminal.
I let a new first seat driver they hired,drive the truck most of the way from CA to Omahaha so he could get a truck,took another driver from CO to NE, forget if it was werner or crete.
They may have had to change the policy after somebody killed someone or something.
Alexandria, VA, June 8, 2003 - Robert Hirsch, president of the Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) today expressed disappointment that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) rejected a pilot program aimed at the trucking industry's critical and growing driver shortage.
--------------------------
Answer:
1. Horrible service.
Last week I pulled into the TA truck stop in Albuquerque, New Mexico. My plan was to fuel, take a shower, eat and sleep before delivering a couple miles away in the morning.
As soon as I pulled up to the fuel pump, a skanky hooker started pestering me as I tried to use the card reader. She wouldn't take "no" for an answer, so I finally gave her something stronger to contemplate. She cursed me out and stomped off.
The card reader didn't work, so I used the push-button intercom. I couldn't hear the clerk and politely asked her to speak a little louder. Still couldn't hear her so I went to the fuel desk to get the pump turned on.
While pumping fuel and doing a quick walk around, another prostitute started hassling me. Just as I got rid of her, a couple barefoot filthy kids came over begging spare change. I declined. "Well how about just a quarter?" No extra money, sorry. "How about a nickel?" No extra money. "How about a penny, you got a spare penny?" No. "You don't even have a spare penny you can give us man?" They finally walked away.
I finished fueling, pulled forward and went into the fuel desk to get my receipt. Another truck had pulled in behind me and was trying to talk to the clerk on the intercom. I noticed she was standing over the counter-mounted microphone talking very softly to him. Same problem I had. She couldn't bother herself to lean into the unit and speak loud enough to be heard on the other end.
A finally got my receipt, parked, packed my shower bag and went inside.
The Road King card reader (for shower credits) was out of order, so I had to talk to the fuel clerk again.
I finally got my shower receipt, found the shower, punched in my code and walked into a shower that hadn't been cleaned. So I went back to the fuel counter again and explained the situation. The next shower didn't look much better -- toenail clippings in the corner, no soap and no wash cloth. But I carry extra wash cloths and soap, so I made do. The air conditioning wasn't working well in this shower, and by the time I got dressed and opened the door I was drenched with sweat.
Determined to maintain my up-beat "that's truckng" attitude, I went down to the restaurant looking forward to a hot meal. After waiting 20 minutes for a waitress, one finally came over and grudgingly took my order for eggs, bacon, hashbrowns and wheat toast. Thirty minutes later I saw her go by again and asked about my order. "I'm very busy," she said and walked off. She finally returned with my order, now cold, and slapped it down in front of me. Not only were the eggs cold, the hash browns were green. I tasted them and had to spit them out -- sour. I managed to get her attention again and she scooped up my plate and said she'd have the cook re-do it. Thirty minutes later I finally got a new plate, but the potatoes were still green. I ate around them. The waitress came by with my ticket and before I could explain the situation, she hands me a little flyer and asked me to call the 800# to commend her and possibly win a prize myself. I just kept my mouth shut and paid the bill.
Before returning to the truck, I went into the c-store to buy a new gallon of drinking water. The coolers were almost empty and the only water was 16oz bottles.
Stepping outside I was immediately hit up for spare change again. Another prostitute tried to get friendly as I walked back to the truck. As I got into my truck, I noticed the plastic bag I'd almost stepped on next to my step box was oozing human excrement.
The next morning I went back in at 4:00 to wash my face and get some coffee. The soap dispenser in the men's room squirted soap all over my shirt instead of in my hand. The hot water didn't work on the first two sinks. The third and finaly sink had hot water, but no cold. There were no paper towels in the dispenser.
Hands dripping, I went back to the c-store -- still no gallon water bottles - and poured some coffee. It barely leaked out the spiget and smelled like it was from yesterday (I'm sure it was). I told the guy behind the counter he needed to make some new cofee and he said, "I don't do that, I'm going home soon." He slapped my change on the counter next to my outstretched hand and went back to reading the paper.
Returning to my truck, I realized I was finally losing my attitude at this hell hole of a truck stop. Wouldn't you know it -- I was getting so steamed I didn't watch where I was stepping, and stepped on that bag next to my truck....
I finally got out of there, but the point is:
It's not just driving and four-wheelers and dispatchers. The truck stops themselves (some of them, sometimes) can be a major hassle. A good driver tries to take all this in stride and float through it, but it's very difficult. You go through something like this, then deal with a nasty dock manager, then get yelled-at unfairly by your dispatcher, then have a four-wheler give you the finger....it goes on and on sometimes. The accumulated effect over time can sure make your blood boil.
The ability to stay detached and professional is much more difficult than most folks can imagine.
Are you a hothead?
Do you get angry easily?
Do you tend to take things personally?
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Posts: 2719 | From: Seattle WA, USA | Registered: November 19, 2000
he's a trucker,with alot of patience...lol
I've smoked d___ and chewed rope
Fought, f___, farted, shot the moon and drove big trucks
I've been to Janesville Maine, Blain, Spain and Spokane
Been around the world twice, seen three world fairs
Seen man shot into space and goats screwing in the market place
BUT I ain't never seen anything like the stuff that goes on around this
place ......
Answer:
Well guys,bad news
My B?F is still stuck in Minnesota,since Wed.
His first solo as a newbie,,,,and its bad!!!
He had his truck in the frightliner repair shop, for same problem it had in Omaha(they suppossed have fixed it) ,Anyways,he got to minnesota(almost),it broke down,wrecker towed it to repairshop,he spend the night in a motel.Next day he was told another truck was avail.BUT he had to find a way to get it
like uturn said,find a way to get it,then
call dispatcher back with youre findings.
Well guys,bad news
My B?F is still stuck in Minnesota,since Wed.
His first solo as a newbie,,,,and its bad!!!
He had his truck in the frightliner repair shop, for same problem it had in Omaha(they suppossed have fixed it) ,Anyways,he got to minnesota(almost),it broke down,wrecker towed it to repairshop,he spend the night in a motel.Next day he was told another truck was avail.BUT he had to find a way to get it
what was that breakdown,he couldn't wait for
the repair,it was done the next day???
He is very frustrated and ready to walk
what... walk on the first breakdown...lmao
It seems like they just forgot about him.No answers from anybody,he is new so he don't know.
they did not forget about him,if he is dealing
with night or weekend dispatch,this guy cannot
take the responsabilityand say go ahead take a motel.
that dispatcher is overworked he does not
only have youre 1 driver to respond to???
He told me he will wait till morning,but if he don't get some answers,he will walk.
Dispatcher keeps telling him,he has to find his own way to the another truck,,,can they(werner) do that???
find is own way to the truck,,why not,does
he need you or the dispatch to hold is hand,
he's gonna get paid for it,and is way is
probably gonna be better then what the dispatch
would find.....
if he walks for this he's gonna walk a long
time.
what was the breakdown,if he can turn back for the shop???????
I've smoked d___ and chewed rope
Fought, f___, farted, shot the moon and drove big trucks
I've been to Janesville Maine, Blain, Spain and Spokane
Been around the world twice, seen three world fairs
Seen man shot into space and goats screwing in the market place
BUT I ain't never seen anything like the stuff that goes on around this
place ......
Answer:
the one and only /pacman/
oh yeh he is human or at least heard some driver telling his tale to somebody and thought it would sound good to make a negitive post for a change
Alexandria, VA, June 8, 2003 - Robert Hirsch, president of the Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) today expressed disappointment that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) rejected a pilot program aimed at the trucking industry's critical and growing driver shortage.
--------------------------
Answer:
Don't you get breakdown pay for this? Couldn't he just wait on the truck? If he is in such an out of the way place that he can't even get a rental car, it would make sense for the company to keep a driver there in order to retrieve their repaired equipment.
I'd probably try to wait it out.

Answer:
To Dave's Woman:
Tell him to calm down and we all wish him luck. Now for the facts:
1. If he abandons the truck and heads home, it will go on his DAC record which basically means that every company he applies with will see it and WILL NOT hire him. So if he abandons a piece of equipment, tell him he may as well never work as a truck driver again anywhere. And even if he is really mad at Werner, at least he could quit properly and perhaps use his license to get a job somewhere else if he ever wants to.
2. As a driver with so little experience, if he goes to another company and they hire him, he will have to complete a whole training program again.
3. I would say make the best of a horrible situation. Look at the positive here. He is learning how to deal with dispatch, road breakdown, and how to handle the type of difficult problem situations that come up frequently in trucking. If he can't handle the stress of this without quitting, he may be in the wrong profession. Understand that no equipment is perfect, and no company is perfect either.
4. As a company driver, you do not have to pay for anything and this includes repairs, transportation, motels for when the truck breaks down, or anything else relating to the equipment. He needs to get firm with the company. Weekend people usually know nothing and don't communicate well with anyone else. On Monday, he needs to get a hold of his dispatcher and be straightforward yet respectful. Do not threaten to quit. Just tell this dispatcher exactly what is going on and if he does not get it resolved, the dispatcher's boss will be contacted. Explain that the truck must be repaired by a qualified repair facility, towed if needed, and that the driver will need hotel vouchers and transportation vouchers. Also contact road breakdown and driver relations if necessary. Get people's direct lines if possible so that you will not have to wait through the usual Werner call system.
5. Now this is important. If the company tells him to do something, get them to send it through the QualComm, that way it is in writing and they cannot go against what they said. But it is easier to talk straight and express initial concern over the phone.
6. If he does decide to quit, wait until a load takes him to his home terminal. There, he can check the truck in, say he's going on hometime, clean the truck out, and then notify the company that he will not be returning. That way they cannot say that the equipment was damaged or abandoned.
Good luck. I have worked for Werner and have been in several situations that were similar to what you are describing. It is just Murphy's Law that when anything important happens, it will happen on the weekend. And the weekend people know nothing. All they can do is basically answer the phone and assign loads. Here's my advice for problems of this nature:
If the truck breaks down, contact road breakdown. Do whatever they say to do. If the truck runs, run the engine and be comfortable. If it does not, demand that you get a hotel voucher and transportation to one if necessary ASAP. Then just make yourself at home and wait it out, either in the truck or in the motel. Once fixed, go down the road and hope for the best. Just follow instructions, and relay the story to your dispatch. If someone demands you do something unsafe, call safety.
Hope this helps