Con-way Truckload Abusive termination / Lying about circumstances of my departure Joplin, Missouri

My name is David. Here is my unfortunate report on Con-way Truckload:

 

This last May, I got a call from my ex-wife in France. It seems my youngest daughter (20) was going through a crisis. Like any concerned father, I realized that my presence was required to help her through the crisis.

 

Therefore, I let Con-way know about it via qualcomm, and that I was going on an emergency leave of absence in a week for a period of three months. More precisely, from June 8th to September 3rd. I told them I was leaving the truck at their terminal in Portland, Oregon. This is where I live. I got no answer back, so I assumed the communiqué had been kicked up to the appropriate people by my dispatcher. I also informed the local dispatcher in Portland that I was doing this. He simply said to put the truck in an out-of-the-way parking space, which I did.

 

Important: The Portland Con-way terminal is fenced & gated, and has a night & weekend guard service.

 

When I was in France, I sent updates to Con-way via email, as a way of keeping contact with them. Once I was back in Portland, Oregon, I called them to see about going back to work. I was sent from one department to the next, and ended up at Rehire (?).

 

After I confirmed my identity, I was told in frosty tones that I was not eligible for rehire, and of course I wanted to know why. I was told that once I put in an application at another company, I would find out why I was ineligible. Very cryptic.

 

Of course that made me worried, and when I did put in an application at K & B Transportation, I effectively got the story from them: K & B asked me about the circumstances of my departure from Con-way. I related to them everything which you have already read. K & B informed me that Con-way had filed a report with DAC services that I had quit, and abandoned the truck!

 

Of course that made me ineligible for hire at K & B. It has also made me ineligible for hire at every trucking company I have applied to ever since. My next step was to contact DAC services to find out how I might contest Con-way's report. I was told the procedure to follow, and I have set things in motion. However, this will take a certain amount of time (a few weeks at the least), and there's no guarantee that the outcome will be favorable to me.

 

Ever since I've been working as a Truck Driver over the past fourteen years, I've never been out of work. I find this degrading. I had to apply for foodstamps, something which I find extremely distasteful. My account balance is under zero, and there's a very strong chance my unpaid car will be repossessed. In the meantime, I'm staying with friends.

 

Honestly, I think an employer has entirely too much power over individual workers, and too much room for abuse. Power over people's lives; treating us like common criminals, setting up a procedure which blacklists us. In fact, trucking companies will hire ex-felons, but not someone who has been reported as abandoning a truck. The employer's word is taken over the worker's each and every time, without any chance of redemption.

 

Summary: I went on an emergency leave of absence, leaving the truck at one of the company's terminals. I duly informed them of this. The company subsequently lied by stating on my DAC report that I quit, and abandoned the truck. If I can't leave the truck at one of their own terminals, where then, should I leave it?

confirm that Con-Way got the message, and that they understood the need to leave suddenly?

Did your ex-wife, daughter, or a doctor request your presence in France?

Did Con-Way reply to your emails?

If you answered no to any of these questions, then you are guilty of quitting and abandoning your vehicle.  You made no effort to get another driver to deliver your load, you just left it in the parking lot.  Even if the dispatcher told you to, you should have confirmed that someone higher knew the exact situation and that the load would be taken care of.  You assumed it had been kicked higher, but you didn't make sure they knew.

No sympathy...It's your mistake, and it cost you.

You've been driving 14 years, so you're no newbie.

Yet when you left the truck in Portland, even though it was a secure location, you didn't wait for someone to confirm your departure over the QC.  This was a mistake.  You've got to CYA with these companies (I've been driving since '96). 

I know, because I went through a similar situation with a major truckload carrier back in 2001.  I left the unit at my home terminal and let the night dispatcher know (in person, I might add).  I still had some explaining to do when I was being hired by my next company.

I wish you luck.  The job market is tough right now, even for veteran drivers with clean records.  I sincerely hope you land a good gig soon.

1) I had no load, I was already on home time.

2) Both my ex-wife and my daughter requested my presence.

The equipment was not abandoned, it was left at one of their terminals.  Therefore CWTL is making a false claim on his DAC and if he lost an opportunity with another company, CWTL can be sued for defamation or libel as I understand it.