Comments By Anttjuan R.

Okay thanks. That answers my question. I still find it crazy though how you can technically be on-duty forever. So if they want to work you to death, then they can as long as you're not driving. That part I never understood. But it is what it is I guess.

I'm confident I'll pass so I'm not worried about that. What I'm pretty sure of though is that you must log yourself on-duty when doing a drug test. So let's say I've used up all my on-duty hours and they want me to do a drug test. I must therefore go on-duty with no HOS left. If later on during an inpection they want to look at my logs and they see I was on-duty when I had no on-duty hours left, won't that count as an HOS violation?

Hello, I'm just wondering if the company is allowed to ask you for a drug test while you still don't have on-duty hours left. I was in the sleeper for less than 8 hours when they called me and said I must go to such and such a place for a drug test now. I have a codriver, so it was he who was to take me directly. I understand that by the time we would get there, I would have gotten 8 hours on sleeper already. But my question is if they can just call about work related stuff like this while you're technically not suppose to be working. My phone was on silent so they called my codriver instead and had him awake me about this to have me call them. It obviously bothered me a bit because I always like to get my full rest before my next shift. Can they really interrupt your sleep like this that you're legally entitled to? Or am I wrong about the "legally entitled" to part? Thanks.

This is a great country. You are free to leave at anytime and go work somewhere else if you don't like what your employer is doing.

Of course. Nobody is arguing that.

Complaining about things doesn't help though.

Since when is having a difference of opinion complaining? And history has shown that protesting actually makes a difference at times so to say "doesn't help" is just your opinion entirely as well. You'd be on the sideline while people try to make a difference which there is nothing wrong at all about that either.

I have been working for Swift Transportation for about a year and a half and have been happy.

There are write-ups of drivers not using seat belts in terminals. If you touch your phone, you will be written up and need to come into the office to speak with a safety coordinator. If you are eating a sandwich while driving, grounds for dismissal.

Have you considered staying with the company and simply driving the truck safely and responsibly? Just a thought.

I agree with the original poster that it's a little overboard if a company wants to write someone up for eating a sandwich and driving. With the route I run, there is no time to stop and eat so I must eat while driving if I want to be on time. I also agree with him on the invasion of privacy topic despite having read opposing view points.

So I just got word today that they will let me stay but I'll have to complete some safety videos and then be on 180 day probation. Thanks everyone for your input.

@Susan D. Conditions weren't that bad in my opinion. Many trucks were still on the road. Apparently, I happened to finally shut down towards the end of it, so they say, so I pretty much drove it all and did not feel like it was hazardous. I hear what you're saying though and will definitely pay closer attention to that from now on whether with that company or the next.

If you are hauling something explosive that requires a "safe haven" then in no way should you pull off on any old exit for the duration of the company mandated shutdown period, safety should understand that and will likely work with you.

Though if you are not hazmat and are just referring to a truckstop as a safe haven then be honest. Tell them you did not read or understand the message and that you were just trying to do the safest thing possible in an already bad situation.

If you have no accidents on your record then you will be able to get another job. If they waited this long to do anything about it though then I would think they are going to give you another chance. Just be sure to pay attention now.

I was not carrying hazmat so that probably won't help my case but I did talk to them on the phone while driving, telling them of my plans to stop some miles ahead and they gave me the okay. Not sure if that'll help my case either but yes, I was honest when I spoke to him today and said I couldn't really remember since it was 2 months ago but if that's what the timeline says on their computer (that I read the messages and continued driving anyway) then I have no excuse.

We'll see what happens but I just want to be able to do trucking elsewhere if they do decide to terminate me.

Company shutdown? Does that mean you kept driving when out of hours? Please explain.

Yeah sorry I should've clarified. The company made us stop driving due to weather conditions only.

Hello, so basically I am at the point of possibly being terminated by my company for driving through a mandatory company shut down which was a for a stretch of 48 miles before I finally shut down. I was brought in to talk to a safety guy today and told him that I was looking for the nearest safe haven once I realized I was driving through the shut down but that safe haven wasn't for another 20 plus miles. I even told the dispatcher on the phone if I should pull off any random exit and wait or get to that safe haven and they said to keep going til I get there. However, it now turns out this was too long of a drive for their liking. This was in Novemeber and it has barely been brought to my attention 2 months later so the timeline is not all that fresh in my head. Regardless, the safety person to whom I explained these things today said that the committee will review my case and decide whether to terminate me on those grounds or not.

If they decide to terminate over that, how hard will it be to find another trucking job? I'm hoping I'll still have options because it's not like I got into an accident or anything. Im hoping to know the decision by tomorrow but I may have to wait til next week they said.