Sorry, but you don't get your own way

[boringscreenname]

The other night I had a trucker pull partially onto the scale, so he could get his axle weights. I put a clipboard over the digital readout.

The trucker stomps up to my window and demands I give him his axle weights. I pointed to the large sign that says "This scale does NOT give axle weights, NO exceptions!"

The trucker grumbles for a few minutes, and I give him the locations of 3 other scales that DO provide axle weights. He tells me that before he leaves the state he has to get his weights. I pointed out to him that TWO of the scales I told him about were in the state, and ONE was just a few miles down the road.

So he complains that he doesn't even know why his company accepts loads from our company since we treat them so badly. I told him no one was forcing him to take the load, and he was more than welcome to drop it off at our drop yard.

He finally stopped bitching, pulled onto the scale properly, and thrust his paperwork at me, and demanded it be time stamped. Again I pointed to the sign in the window that says "We do NOT time stamp paperwork and we do NOT sign any paperwork regarding times."

He didn't say anything but glared at me while I was doing his paperwork. After I finished I sent him on his merry way. Instead of leaving he decided to go into the warehouse, and demanded to speak with a Supervisor, and complained mightily about me. The supervisor agreed with me, and told the guy he needed to just deal with it and move on because I hadn't done anything wrong.

[rerant]

Out of curiosity, and because I know nothing about this line of work and the rules around it, why don't you guys do those things?

[bunnyboy]

Out of curiosity, and because I know nothing about this line of work and the rules around it, why don't you guys do those things?

If he is what I think he is it's for a variety of reasons, the axle weights and time stamps are pretty much because we aren't the DOT, and well probably complants on the time stamp thing once one too many truckers got in trouble for time stamps not jibing with their logs.


I know we had those problems when I worked security for a distro.

[CrazedClerkthe2nd]

I like how you have signs for every contigency that you can just point to as needed, I wish I had that where I work.

[bunnyboy]

I like how you have signs for every contigency that you can just point to as needed, I wish I had that where I work.

*snerks* never worked for us, we'd often have people thinking that somehow 2 am meant 1 am, or would slide their axles on the scale, like all SCs truckers don't read.

[boringscreenname]

If he is what I think he is it's for a variety of reasons, the axle weights and time stamps are pretty much because we aren't the DOT, and well probably complants on the time stamp thing once one too many truckers got in trouble for time stamps not jibing with their logs.


I know we had those problems when I worked security for a distro.

Yeah that's pretty much the reason we don't give axle weights or time stamp paperwork or have anything to do with it. The company just doesn't want the hassle and the potential liability.

The yard drivers also aren't allowed to do anything with a live load or live unload trailer. Last year this guy couldn't get into one of the dock doors properly, so he asked the yard driver to help. The yard driver did, then the driver turned around and said our yard driver had damaged his trailer and sued the company. The yard driver was fired, and now we have that policy in place.

We get people showing up hours early or hours later, all the time too. Most of the time they say their dispatch told them they could show up whenever they wanted. I had one guy who showed up two days early once. I always inform them of our policy but I call into the warehouse to see if they'll accept the load early or late. It still causes a lot of drama though, when truckers don't get their own way.

[Crosshair]

If he is what I think he is it's for a variety of reasons, the axle weights and time stamps are pretty much because we aren't the DOT, and well probably complants on the time stamp thing once one too many truckers got in trouble for time stamps not jibing with their logs.

Of course, how can you maintain two log books if everything is time stamped.

My co-workers husband called the training on how to maintain a log book as "creative writing". The regulations are too rigid and nothing would get delivered in a timely manner if people actually followed them.

Example: Should a trucker nearing a large metropolitan area, like Minneapolis, at midnight, the end of his drive time, stop and take his rest period. Then get back on the road during morning rush hour? Or should he drive another hour and a half, get through the metropolitan area while traffic is light, then rest?

Another example: A driver has been driving all day, but has one of those "wound up" nights where you just can't sleep even though you've been up working all day. Should the driver stop anyway, get in his bunk, toss and turn and get no sleep, or should he keep going until he starts to get sleepy, then pull over and rest?

A trucker is coming upon a stretch of mountain road that he knows is very dangerous to drive at night in an 18 wheeler. He is only about halfway through his driving hours. Should he keep going or should he pull over and sleep a couple hours until the sun comes up?

All are real world examples that truckers have shared when talking to them about the logbook issue. There are plenty of times where following the rules is less safe than breaking them. It may not be legal, but that is what happens.

[bunnyboy]

All are real world examples that truckers have shared when talking to them about the logbook issue. There are plenty of times where following the rules is less safe than breaking them. It may not be legal, but that is what happens.

These examples weren't the kind of things they were doing really, it was more along the lines of I don't want my boss knowing that it took me 9 hours to get from Portland to here, not the I've done a little fudging to actually be safer (I can't blame anyone coming from 90 in the middle of winter for wanting to keep going, place is dangeroud for everyone once you hit Snoqualmie Pass) But half the guys who complained were the same ones who used the out of hours excuse if our lot was full (we had VERY strict times due to union regulations on hours) for going right around the block.

i.e. can't win for losing, hell my dad was long haul, but oddly he never gave any guard crap like most of the ones I had to deal with did. Eh maybe it was because I look 17 when I shave.

[boringscreenname]

I get crap all the time, seriously some of these guys are some of the rudest people I've ever encountered. 99% of the time it's the same crap we won't give axle weights, time stamp or sign paperwork, we won't accept them when they show up ridiculously early or late, or they want to bitch about the time that they spent waiting to get loaded or unloaded.

The other 1% of the rude people are just flat out bizarre.

I get grief all the time, I think it's because I'm a female, and I look young.

[Lurking Sockpuppet]

I get crap all the time, seriously some of these guys are some of the rudest people I've ever encountered. 99% of the time it's the same crap we won't give axle weights, time stamp or sign paperwork, we won't accept them when they show up ridiculously early or late, or they want to bitch about the time that they spent waiting to get loaded or unloaded.

The other 1% of the rude people are just flat out bizarre.

I get grief all the time, I think it's because I'm a female, and I look young.

I understand some of the issue with arriving early. My brother is a driver. He has gotten loads that he has had to sit on for 24 hour at the street waiting for a delivery time to come with no access to bathrooms, food or any other conveniences. All because his company will not approve him to drive to the nearest truck stop. The company he works for should have planned better. Instead of giving him 3 days to drive 200 miles and not allowing him to drop the load or drive out of route to somewhere he can park legally and have access to basic facilities.

(I'm not excusing rude drivers but just so you know there is another side to the story)

[bunnyboy]

I understand some of the issue with arriving early. My brother is a driver. He has gotten loads that he has had to sit on for 24 hour at the street waiting for a delivery time to come with no access to bathrooms, food or any other conveniences. All because his company will not approve him to drive to the nearest truck stop. The company he works for should have planned better. Instead of giving him 3 days to drive 200 miles and not allowing him to drop the load or drive out of route to somewhere he can park legally and have access to basic facilities.

(I'm not excusing rude drivers but just so you know there is another side to the story)

I know, thing was we had quite a few places they could go since we were 40+ miles in any direction from a truck stop, plus, well lets just say we saved quite a few asses both in cabs, and in cars when we'd tow....mmmm still long for those days back.

And truthfully, I loved saying this to some, especially when they'd get to my site about 24 hours early (or heaven forbid we had a soft strike *shudders), and actually seemed to be in a good mood, "they never seem to plan on something going wrong, must be run by morons." half the time they'd laugh, half the time they'd agree, of course that was only said to BIG company drivers.

and oddly it was usually the big ones who complained, most of the owner-op one were basically really cool with waiting since we had a bar (as a general rule we weren't supposed to point them in that direction), a 24 hour diner thing with good food, and convenience stores about a block away.

[boringscreenname]

We don't have any truck stops in the city, so they'd have to hit the highway to find one. But we do have a bathroom, vending machines, there are a couple fast food places nearby, and there are restaurants that will deliver to us.

The thing that bugs me about drivers arriving early, is they always claim their dispatcher told them they can just show up whenever they want and that we'll deal with them immediately. Or the driver will somehow wind up being told the wrong appointment time.

I had a guy last night show up at midnight, and his appointment wasn't until 4 or 6 p.m. today. I asked the guys in the warehouse if they would load him, and they said no. So the guy flips out on me, and says that another driver from his company was able to get loaded, so he should too and then rants about having to find a truck stop and how ridiculous it is and our company is horrible etc...

I understand the guy's frustration, but it's a little ridiculous to be taking it out on the person, who is just passing along the message. I told him I don't have anything to do with who gets loaded and who doesn't I just enter them into the system, process their paperwork and then check them out, that's all. If you have complaints take them up with the people inside not the person who is just passing on the message.