Company Does You Wrong

You did abandon the vehicle. You should've finished the load after the truck was repaired and made arrangements to return it to their yard before quitting.

I don't know his situation, but I thought maybe he was driving local and the owner knew it would be an overnight repair so he just figured he would have the truck towed and the driver would just be going home for the night anyhow. But I have no idea what the situation was. That's why I said that request sounded kind of unusual.

Patrick states:

You did abandon the vehicle. You should of finished the load after the truck was repaired and made arrangements to return it to their yard before quitting.

Jeffery's story is

(The Owner) said to get it off the road and go home

They're may be the other shoe to drop: go home then come back tomorrow? Or something like that. But according to Jeffry's statement he was following the owner's instructions. It's really hard to get fired for following what the owner says to do.

Now Jeffery, if you're up to it, and the DAC thing can get straightened out, start looking for a larger company, one that will maintain the equipment and get your breakdown handled 24/7.

This is a strange situation, and I think there is probably still some history between the driver and the employer missing from the story.

Jeffrey, most of us work for large companies and many of us would never have any contact with the owner of the company. I agree with Brett that it is strange what he told you, but he did not tell you to quit! That is where you messed this thing up. In that situation I would have done as he said, and then when he had resolved the truck issue I would have completed the load, turned the truck into the terminal and then quit. It is never a good idea to leave a loaded truck on the side of the road and then tell your employer that you quit. I can't think of a more complete definition of abandonment - it doesn't matter who told you park the truck like that. Once you did that and then told them you quit, you abandoned the truck and the load.

I would do exactly what Brett advised, but you will have a very difficult time defending yourself if the company challenges your claims.

Funny story actually. A year ago one of my wifes drivers went to his delivery about 2 hours from Sacramento. He got there a day early and parked the truck in their parking lot. He went home never to come back. The next day during the appointment time the receiver informed my wife that the truck is there but they cant find the driver.

My wife tried contacting the driver with no answer, her boss tried desperately to get ahold of him.

A few hours pass by and the boss made the call, according to him, this driver is a trouble maker anyways and this was his last strike. If he ever does come back, he's fired.

I help him a lot with his business, so he knows he can depend on me. He calls me in a panic on my day off and tells me the situation and asks me to help. We speed to the reciever and find his truck completely cleaned out and abandoned. I deliver the load and drive it back to his yard in Sacramento.

So realize this, dealing with an abandoned truck is a mega PITA especially for a small company. Always get the load delivered first. He spent hours apologizing to the broker and reciever that day.