Decided To Shut Down

Well for the first time since I started with Schneider, I decided to shut down 72miles short of my delivery. I left PA early this morning going to Rochester New York, drove for 200 miles in this bad weather before deciding to shutdown.

During the last two hours or so, I lost traction to the road 5 times and almost went into a full blown skid twice. Already let Schneider know, and they just said thanks for the update and your inform them if anything changes.

I find it funny, I hear all the time how these big carriers make you drive in unsafe weather to make appointment times and what not. This will put me back about 20 hours assuming the weather is fine to leave in tomorrow.

Well for the first time since I started with Schneider, I decided to shut down 72miles short of my delivery. I left PA early this morning going to Rochester New York, drove for 200 miles in this bad weather before deciding to shutdown.

During the last two hours or so, I lost traction to the road 5 times and almost went into a full blown skid twice. Already let Schneider know, and they just said thanks for the update and your inform them if anything changes.

I find it funny, I hear all the time how these big carriers make you drive in unsafe weather to make appointment times and what not. This will put me back about 20 hours assuming the weather is fine to leave in tomorrow.

Be safe...

I find it funny, I hear all the time how these big carriers make you drive in unsafe weather to make appointment times

It's amazing isn't it Jamie? We battle these falsehoods and misconceptions daily in here. I don't suppose it will ever stop. Rookie truck drivers will just about believe anything an experienced truck driver tells them, and the rumors run amok in driver's lounges. It's a crying shame how this stuff just gets regurgitated by everyone.

You'd expect to be able to learn something valuable from other truckers online, but people seem to enjoy believing unfounded horror stories. We have people occasionally jumping down our throats just for keeping it real. Go figure!

Well for the first time since I started with Schneider, I decided to shut down 72miles short of my delivery. I left PA early this morning going to Rochester New York, drove for 200 miles in this bad weather before deciding to shutdown.

During the last two hours or so, I lost traction to the road 5 times and almost went into a full blown skid twice. Already let Schneider know, and they just said thanks for the update and your inform them if anything changes.

I find it funny, I hear all the time how these big carriers make you drive in unsafe weather to make appointment times and what not. This will put me back about 20 hours assuming the weather is fine to leave in tomorrow.

Be safe...

Thanks, I'm try too! Took so long due to not many parking spots available with the route I took otherwise I would have done it sooner.

Jamie, you did the right thing. Schneider has given ALL drivers the "Authority to Stop Work" when they deem the conditions unsafe. Your DBL will be proud of you for exercising good judgment. My DBL in Green Bay has sent out numerous messages to her drivers to do what you just did. I'm on home time now and the timing is good. I'm glad you found a place to park. Keep driving safe!

The drivers complaining of being "forced to drive"in unsafe conditions are full of crap. As a professional driver it's our job to deliver our loads and sometimes drive during inclement weather. The drivers claiming they're forced to drive have probably taken advantage of it by saying they cant drive because it snowed an inch! The company would rather inform the shipper/receiver the load will be late than be spending easily $100k+ on a totaled rig and cargo. With the new company I drive for we receive text messages from the VP of transportation encouraging us to push our departure time back if we don't feel safe going at a certain time and want to travel more in daylight. Even with the brutal cold we had over the last couple weeks all they asked was we let them know. Every snowfall he messages us, even on weekends when hes with his family at home, and tells us it's our call, be safe and thank you for the great job. There have even been times in the past due to extreme weather they shut down ALL drivers for the day. I know Susan as well as others have mentioned their companies have put mandatory shut down orders out for certain areas when storms roll in.

Prospective and/or rookie drivers don't think for one minute that you'll be forced to drive when it isn't safe to do so. All companies just need to know so they can inform customer. Most times that's the excuse those who fail at this give to make themselves look better.

I myself just shut down on the PA Turnpike at Somerset. 33 degrees, sleet/snow mix and 40 mph wind gusts. Restrictions were already in place: 45 mph reduced speed, no empty trailers and no doubles. The load can wait! Time for some lunch.

The drivers complaining of being "forced to drive"in unsafe conditions are full of crap. As a professional driver it's our job to deliver our loads and sometimes drive during inclement weather. The drivers claiming they're forced to drive have probably taken advantage of it by saying they cant drive because it snowed an inch! The company would rather inform the shipper/receiver the load will be late than be spending easily $100k+ on a totaled rig and cargo. With the new company I drive for we receive text messages from the VP of transportation encouraging us to push our departure time back if we don't feel safe going at a certain time and want to travel more in daylight. Even with the brutal cold we had over the last couple weeks all they asked was we let them know. Every snowfall he messages us, even on weekends when hes with his family at home, and tells us it's our call, be safe and thank you for the great job. There have even been times in the past due to extreme weather they shut down ALL drivers for the day. I know Susan as well as others have mentioned their companies have put mandatory shut down orders out for certain areas when storms roll in.

Prospective and/or rookie drivers don't think for one minute that you'll be forced to drive when it isn't safe to do so. All companies just need to know so they can inform customer. Most times that's the excuse those who fail at this give to make themselves look better.

My company had a shutdown order a year ago due to Ice storm, one driver ignored it, they no longer work for the conpany..

I've never been given any grief over shutting down do to adverse conditions. Wind, snow, ice or simply having to chain up. Nothing, nada, zip. Just a "stay safe and warm. Let us know when you roll again." message.

In the past two weeks I've had to shut down early a half dozen times. Wind, chains, road closures and fog so thick ya needed a chain saw to cut through it.

You all are correct. Never drive when you feel it's unsafe. Whether it's weather related, you're sick, extremely sleepy, or whatever. All you do is notify your dispatcher , DBL, or whatever you call them so they can get with customer service, who'll contact the customer and keep them informed or reschedule as necessary.

It's a safety issue and I don't know of a single reputable carrier that will give you grief for shutting down due to an unsafe situation.

What you may not know, when you pick up a load from a customer and sign that bill of lading accepting the load, YOU have just acted as a legal representative of your company and that freight is now owned by your company, until it is delivered and signed for by the receiving customer/consignee. So what that means, is if that load is lost, damaged, stolen, whatever during transit, your company (or their insurance) is the one paying for that freight. Throw a truck and a trailer in with that and you're easily looking at over $200k plus whatever the freight was worth. Absolutely your company wants you, their equipment, and that freight to be safe. There is no load worth your life or that of anyone else who could possibly be injured as the result of an accident.

That.. "they made me drive when I felt unsafe" stuff is a bunch of baloney.

My last trainee, we were in Cedar Rapids, dropping a load at our lot where our new terminal is going to be built. It was snowing like crazy and the roads were crap. She was driving. She said "I can't believe they are making us drive in this!". I just laughed and said, they aren't. Do YOU want to spend the night here? I know I sure don't. It's literally a drop lot south of town.. no restroom, no nothing. She said she absolutely didn't want to take our break there, and so I told her to drive across town to our terminal and once there, sent in our macro that we were shut down due to bad weather.

You are the captain of your ship. You have the responsibility to make sound decisions, so do it and protect yourself.