Posted: 1 month, 2 weeks ago
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Fired today for something I wasn’t guilty of
Hello Paul, and welcome to our forum!
I'm not sure I can be a lot of help, but I do want to address some of what you say here. I have a gut feeling my comments may be more helpful to others who learn from your experience, but I am hoping that maybe some of it will resonate with you too.
First off there is a lot here. It is challenging to unpack it all, but I want to take a stab at some of the parts of your story that stand out to me.
Maybe it's because I don't actually have any experience with you and am not familiar with how you express yourself, but you sound over the top with anxiety. You even referred to this affecting you like an "out of body" experience. That is odd - really odd!
Look, I get that you are anxious about your family and their financial needs. Typically that type of anxiety should drive a person to action rather than despair. When I was raising children, I wanted to make sure they were provided for, so I did things like save money whenever I could. I knew that I might need that money to help us get through a disaster like you are experiencing. I hope you have prepared somewhat for a catastrophe like you are going through, but I certainly don't know why you would be having "out of body" like anxiety if you had.
Do you generally have high anxiety? Are you taking any medications for it? Has it affected any of your relationships at work? Are you normally easy to get along with and function well within the confines and relationships you have at this job? Is it possible they wanted to get rid of you for some reason you are not sharing with us?
The story you share sounds implausible to me, but only for the reason that you say they fired you with no discussion about the matter. I have a lot of experience with trucking jobs and have seldom ever heard when a safety manager is not willing to hear your side of the story and discuss it with you. That is what is bizarre to me about your experience.
Let's talk about your seat belt. I don't know what really happened here, but it sounds to me like the officer was very careful with his choice of words when he told you why he pulled you over. According to your post he never really said you weren't wearing your seat belt. You tell us this...
he pulled me over for me not having my seatbelt visible.
Let me stress something about getting pulled over in a big rig. You should never take your seat belt off. You leave it on the whole time you are talking with the officer. The only time I am going to remove my seatbelt is if the officer requests that I get out of the truck. Then I am going to announce something like this to him, "Yes officer, I'm going to take my seatbelt off now and exit the truck."
Make sure he is paying attention to you and that he sees you removing the belt. That is just common practice that truck drivers know and do in a situation like this. It avoids things like this causing such undue stress.
What this officer said is that you didn't have your seatbelt "visible." That is usually language implying you weren't wearing it properly. You cannot take that shoulder strap and tuck it up under your armpit so that it is not making your shoulder uncomfortable. That is typically what this type language refers to. Could you have been driving like that? If so, you got caught.
I don't have any knowledge of how your company operates, but I can tell you that I would have not even bothered my DM with this. My first call would be with the safety manager at my terminal. He would have been more than happy to discuss it, and we would probably have gotten it settled in a few minutes. Maybe he would want me to stop by and talk further, but we would have some sort of resolution established so that I could keep taking care of my business.
Having no discussion is really bizarre, and it seems so odd that it makes me think they had multiple other issues with you, but there is no way for us to know that. After all, you tell us...
I have been driving for 10 years with a perfect driving record with zero, and I do mean zero, infractions to speak of. Again, this was a normal work day. I did everything right and legal.
This is what is so puzzling about your story. Drivers like that don't just get canned without some discussion. I don't know what it is, and I can only assume you don't either. There is something missing here. If you don't know what it is, or if you aren't willing to share it, we probably can't really get to the real problem. Without knowing what really is the problem, we aren't psychic enough to provide a solution.
You are obviously very upset, I get that, but I'm not sure you can refer to this as a DOT "money grab." You said there was no citation and no fine. So it was hardly a money grab that we need to be watching out for.
This came about because of your seatbelt. You weren't wearing it properly, or you removed it before the officer came to your truck window. I would take this as a lesson in learning how to deal with officers. There is a proper way to encounter them and protect your rights while doing so. You can also learn how to deal with them in a manner that will help you avoid action on their part.
I hope you can find employment. I see no reason why you wouldn't be able to do so. It may take some extra effort right now, but if your record is as perfect as you claim, you already have a leg up on most applicants. Relax and move forward.
Posted: 1 month, 2 weeks ago
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Raymond, there's no hard and fast rules about things being listed on a driver's DAC. The company can list violations if they want, but they aren't required. Oftentimes they don't ever put things on a driver's DAC until the driver decides to quit.
Others already pointed it out, but this will be listed as points on the CSA. He has a legal obligation to get that inspection form to his employer. The DAC is not what he needs to be concerned with.
Posted: 1 month, 2 weeks ago
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within those 6 years I was straight up with the employers stating to them: “ I don’t want to waste your time so what I need is 3000 miles per week. I don’t need to get home but 3-4 days every six weeks. If you can accommodate that then let go to work.
AI T, you are a classic example of a person who doesn't understand how to make it in this career. Listen to yourself when you say things like...
From 2015-2021 I bounced around every 3to 6months cause the pay wasn’t sustainable.
Are you serious? You couldn't keep a trucking job for six months during a time when most truckers were making great money easily. I want to tell you something I'm sure you won't believe, but it is true. I have never said anything even similar to what you claim you told potential employers. I've never told them how many miles I need because I have bills to pay.
I took the job they offered and then I began showing them how well I could manage my clock, my customers, and my loads. I have over a million miles without ever being late to an appointment. I never tell my employer what I need. I show them how much they get from me.
A successful truck driver creates their own value. It's a simple formula. You are productive, safe, and easy to work with. Somewhere along the way you missed the fundamental things that make for success at this. You've got that mentality that assumes there's a conflict between the company and the drivers. You wrongly assume they want to keep you broke and sitting at truck stops. Then you assume they give their friends, relatives, and brown-nosers all the good loads.
You are so blind to the realities of this career you think you just need some school hours, like a notch in your gun, so you can procure a job. You cannot even see how you messed up your own work history. It's a patched together disaster with nothing in it to speak well of your abilities to be productive or helpful in any way.
That's your problem. You have nothing to show for yourself. That is not your dispatcher's fault. I'm hoping you can figure out who wrote your job history, because that's the one guy you should kick in the butt.
I know you came here for something else, but we do our best here to be honest. You need some trucking truth.
Posted: 1 month, 3 weeks ago
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Finally! I'm able to get a Class A CDL with Monocular Vision.
Maggs, Congratulations - I know this feels good!
I just wanted to clarify a few things just in case your comments may be confusing to anyone. There is no longer a vision "waiver." The old system used a waiver, and it often limited the driver to intrastate driving. The new rules use an "Alternate Vision Standard."
Under this system a driver, or potential driver, takes the alternate vision paperwork to their eye doctor and gets them to fill out the questions as required. Then the filled form is taken to the medical examiner. The form overrides the standard vision exam, but the driver must test properly with their good eye and must have a specified amount of peripheral vision with that same eye.
I've been driving OTR for two years now under this new system. It was a real blessing for me.
I wish you all the best Maggs! I hope to see you out here someday.
Posted: 1 month, 3 weeks ago
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Will mandatory remote class interfere with getting CDL?
How long are you committed to the class? It seems like you should get this behind you first. Then you'll be unencumbered for your training.
Posted: 1 month, 3 weeks ago
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Here it is...
There's a lot of information here that you can read, but I think you'll find the video most helpful. You can scroll down until you see the video, then watch it.
Posted: 1 month, 3 weeks ago
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BK, it is actually designed to be on at all times. It isn't harming anything. You can't think of it as a set of brakes on a wheel. It's a total different type of braking system. Even though you have it on, it's not doing anything until you start to decelerate. Then it's activated. We have some great information somewhere showing how a Jake-brake works. I'll see if I can find it and post a link to it.
Posted: 1 month, 3 weeks ago
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I'll keep you posted as my journey in to trucking continues.
Thanks Jason! We really enjoy hearing from those who are just getting started. It all seems so challenging, but you are in control. Don't let the peanut gallery internet wannabes keep you anxious.
Bring us all your questions or fears. We will do our best to be helpful.
Posted: 1 month, 3 weeks ago
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Hey Jason, let me give you a few general guidelines about getting started in trucking...
First, don't allow yourself to think your age is a problem. The trucking career is something many of us pursue as a second career. I started at 53, and am still going strong now. I achieved my "Million Miler" status in December. I have driven a flat-bed truck at Knight Transportation as a dedicated driver to the Hydro Corporation for one million miles. I hope to go for another million. You can drive a truck for as long as you like as long as you are safe, productive, and able to pass the physical when required. I have met flat-bed drivers out here like Eugene, who are in their eighties.
Second, don't get all caught up in the idea that you have to talk to somebody who is currently working at a company you are interested in. The reality is that trucking has changed very little in a couple of decades. Technologies come and go, and management changes strategies, but being successful at driving a truck still remains the same. You have got to be safe, productive, and easy to work with. The folks who follow that formula are killing it out here. They do not spend a lot of time on the internet whining and complaining about their employer and advising newbies to avoid such and such a company. Let me give you an example of what I am talking about.
I have been at Knight Transportation long enough to drive a million miles. I don't notice anything different than I did when I started. The company has gone through a lot of changes and purchased several different trucking operations during my tenure here. Nothing about any of that has changed or affected my job or career.
I am a driver. I keep a tight relationship with my driver manager. There are tens of thousands of employees here. I only really need a relationship with a select few. A driver takes care of his job and he gets rewarded for it. There is no drama here in my truck. When you look on the internet, it seems that drivers have nothing but drama and problems. Those are the poor folks who never seem to understand this career. Don't be like them. Take your job seriously and handle it. You will have no problems if you can do that.
Third, that name on your truck's doors is not very important at all. Don't be fooled by the clowns on the internet who think the only way you will succeed at trucking is if you get on with just the right company. It's all bogus nonsense coming from people who are still looking for that perfect trucking company. I started at Western Express. I excelled there while most everyone I ever came in contact with was either just starting there or just leaving. It was a revolving door of dissatisfied drivers. The truth is they were incompetent and disgruntled no matter where they went. Trucking attracts a lot of these types. Don't be one of them and don't listen to their nonsense.
No one holds your hand in trucking. No one can fake it in trucking. You either get this and make it happen or you go home. You can certainly do well at either of the companies you mentioned. They are run well and have some great drivers. But, guess what? So do companies like Swift and C.R. England. Don't be fooled by the knuckle heads who think the company has to treat you like family and know your name and your Aunt Suzy's middle initial. I am with a huge company. Anybody who needs to know my name knows it.
There are a lot of great flat-bed companies out here. Find one who will hire you and make sure you are the best driver they have ever seen. That formula works today just as well as it did ten or twenty years ago.
Posted: 1 month, 2 weeks ago
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What is the DAC report and how does it affect my ability to get hired
Hey Krick, welcome to our forum!
Do you have reason to be concerned with this, or are you just curious? I doubt you even have a DAC report. It sounds like you've never held a class A position, and I don't think you need to be concerned until you screw up something in a class A driving position.
You make it sound as if you may have failed a drug test. That's going to be a huge hurdle to overcome. Your DAC report will be the last thing to be concerned with if I'm understanding you correctly.
Give us some more details. We're not going to flame you. We just can't be helpful without good information to base our advice on.