Was Let Go Today.

Marc, Sorry about your predicament. As far as Workmans Comp goes, my experience with the WC insurance company over the last 1 1/2 years has been a NIGHTMARE!!!!!! They have paid my medical bills, it has been like pulling teeth! I have not recieved a plug nickel in monetary compensation for the time I was off of work. I have had a Lawyer working on the situation for almost a year. I had a legitimate work place injury, 4 different Doctors verifying the injury. They will f$ you around until you are at your wits end. They will draw it out for years if they can get away with it. If you choose to pursue the claim, be prepared for lawyers, depositions, hearings, and a year or two of a complete runaround. Just my experience. Good luck to you.

I'd like to ask the moderators a question about paid CDL programs. I wanted to go with Schneider for various reasons not pertinent to my question. Schneider only trains those who ALREADY have their CDL. But I did get paid for my training with Schneider AFTER I got my CDL from a private school. I paid for my initial training to get the CDL out of pocket, but am now getting tuition reimburse ment from the company since I'm a driver now. My question is this: When TT recommends company paid CDL training, does it include the path I went through to become a driver?

When TT recommends company paid CDL training, does it include the path I went through to become a driver

No. You paid for your own "CDL" training, and was paid for "company" training.

In Paid CDL Training Programs the company puts up the money for your CDL training, thereby giving them a vested interest in your success.

I always feel like I am speaking out of turn and butting in when I reply but I am a female and a mom so I always have 2 cents to give...

I don't know all of the particulars of your accident Marc, but I feel that in any situation accepting your own blame is first priority. If you know in your heart that your accident was at all preventable, had you just slowed down and concentrated on your actions at that moment, then you know it may not have happened. Companies are made up of real people. Accepting your own blame and showing anyone you apply to in the future that you are owning your own mistakes might just mean saving your career. Is pursuing a worker's comp claim or lawsuit going to come back and bite you in the butt? Is it going to show everyone you apply to in the future that even though you did get hurt on the job, it was something that could have been avoided. Just because you are entitled by law does not mean that it is the right course of action. Every potential employer you apply to in the future is going to ask if you have ever had a workplace accident. If you were a potential employer for someone in your situation, would you rather hear them say "Yes and I sued for Worker's Comp because I was entitled to it" or would you feel better hearing " Yes I had an accident on the job. I made a mistake and though the consequences were extremely hard to deal with, I took it as a lesson learned and I know it will not happen again. I would like the chance to prove that this is the career for me."

Again, I do not know all of the details of your accident so please don't take my words as an attack. Maybe the company has really done you wrong but it is not their future that you need to worry about. It is yours. Don't make hasty decisions and make sure you are doing what is best for you in the long run. I wish you all the best!

I will second (or third) in encouraging all to slow down and use three points of contact.

Make a point of not carrying things in and out with you. Set it down, climb in/out, pick it up.

This is a reminder for me as well.

I am quite the climber, comfortable on ladders and in trees and at times on rock. Climbing in and out of the truck comes easy... but in that I catch myself not being as cautious as I might at times and I must rethink and redouble my effort to slow down.

During training I had an instructor from another group walk over and tell my instructor that he observed me NOT using all three points while climbing down. Initially I was challenged by this as I felt I was being careful. But after quite a bit of reflection I realized I was carrying note cards in and out with me. And I realized that while I was being careful I could be doing more.

This “incident” among others during training, all perhaps minor, came to be points of further reflection and points that constantly come to mind now with the result of my slowing down and taking more time for the sake of safety.

I eventually thanked that other instructor for making the effort to point out my mistake. I explained that it has resulted in my consideration of his point every time I climb in and out.

He then responded by telling me this is of particular concern for him because he once twisted his ankle climbing down. He said he was not being careful enough and didn’t have three points. As a result of his ankle he missed three weeks of work, all unpaid. As a result this is something he watches for in the students. He does not wish for us to have the challenge he once had.

This instructor and others became friends and guides always encouraging me during training.

As always... thanks for the great advice, inputs and for making use of my mistakes as teaching moments.

I admit I messed up... badly. I agree it is amazing how just a brief lapse in concentration can lead to disastrous results in trucking. This of course includes the fact that I could have been hurt much worse! FYI... still really sore! Combination of the EFA (range of motion) test 2 days after fall, wrenching on old nasty galvanized pipe fittings, helping drag new and old water heaters around, coughing (yes, it hurts when I cough!), snowblowing and shoveling and more!

No, I do not intend to sue my now former employer or their insurance carrier. Guess I had a silly notion my time off directly due to the injury might just be paid easily out of a different fund. Silly me!

I accept responsibility for what happened and the resulting consequences. I still have some hope of being able to return there. (Got a somewhat encouraging email reply on that one). I plan to send a card to the JB Hunt group at the Target DC where I was training and at the Amazon DC (from where I was "managed"). In that card I will simply thank them for their help and support, apologize for messing up and express my hope that I will be able to return and recover from my mistake. Just seems like the right thing to do.

Marc, you're handling this with the utmost integrity and professionalism. There isn't enough of that in this industry. It's very encouraging to see that.

You're the kind of guy we all love to help. We certainly hope and expect you'll get past this soon enough and you'll be back out there getting after it like nothing ever happened. We look forward to following along as you work through this situation and get back out there.

Marc, you're handling this with the utmost integrity and professionalism. There isn't enough of that in this industry. It's very encouraging to see that.

You're the kind of guy we all love to help. We certainly hope and expect you'll get past this soon enough and you'll be back out there getting after it like nothing ever happened. We look forward to following along as you work through this situation and get back out there.

I was thinking the same and was just about to post this.

This whole scenario reminding me of something that happened when I first got to Prime. A woman driver fell whole getting out of the truck at a shipper. Prime paid the bills immediately, paid her for time off, and even gave her an in-house classroom teaching job. Then someone prompted her with the "get a lawyer" line. She did, and it turned out the customer had a video of her going forward out of the truck rather than backwards with the 3 points of contact. Automatic termination. Failure to follow company policy and insurance fraud are now on her DAC. Im sure she never got another driving job.

Many times the "I'm suing" can backfire. Im really glad Marc is being cool. Good luck!

Marc, you're handling this with the utmost integrity and professionalism. There isn't enough of that in this industry. It's very encouraging to see that.

You're the kind of guy we all love to help. We certainly hope and expect you'll get past this soon enough and you'll be back out there getting after it like nothing ever happened. We look forward to following along as you work through this situation and get back out there.

Thanks Brett! Guess that's progress!

Marc, you're handling this with the utmost integrity and professionalism. There isn't enough of that in this industry. It's very encouraging to see that.

You're the kind of guy we all love to help. We certainly hope and expect you'll get past this soon enough and you'll be back out there getting after it like nothing ever happened. We look forward to following along as you work through this situation and get back out there.

I was thinking the same and was just about to post this.

This whole scenario reminding me of something that happened when I first got to Prime. A woman driver fell whole getting out of the truck at a shipper. Prime paid the bills immediately, paid her for time off, and even gave her an in-house classroom teaching job. Then someone prompted her with the "get a lawyer" line. She did, and it turned out the customer had a video of her going forward out of the truck rather than backwards with the 3 points of contact. Automatic termination. Failure to follow company policy and insurance fraud are now on her DAC. Im sure she never got another driving job.

Many times the "I'm suing" can backfire. Im really glad Marc is being cool. Good luck!

Thanks Rainy!

Wow! You have some of the best stories!