Averitt Express Terminated for protecting my Health and Safety Cookeville Tennessee

 Averitt Express was supposed to be the Dream Truck Company to work for. And at first it seemed like they were indeed a great company. They promised to get me home every weekend, and even though it was sometimes mid-Saturday, I was home on Sunday with the family.

Everything seemed to be going great, and I planned all my trips to be able to fuel at all Averitt Terminals which saved the company money. I was never late for a delivery, and was thanked often for doing a good job. Until PETCO.

I had taken three (3) Petco assignments and suffered each time. I would pick up the pre-loaded trailer, but had to off load pallets that weighed up to and exceeding 1000 lbs. with a hydraulic pump fork lift. Petco employees were not allowed to assist, for insurance reasons, so this was done by driver alone. So after doing three previous loads, which lead to excessive sweating, shortness of breath, and fatigue, I requested on the forth load to be excused from doing Petco loads. I am 60 years old, and I can still lift the 70 lbs required in our physical, but had a very hard time with those 1000 lb pallets.

They did remove me from the forth load in November, but assigned me to another load the Friday before Christmas 2012. I asked again, to be removed, for the same health and safety reasons, but this time I was sent home and suspended due to refusal of a load. (But they did ask me to pick up the pre-loaded trailer, and drop it at the Averitt yard in Duncan, SC which I did.)

I called the day after Christmas, as requested, and was immediately terminated for refusing a load. They cared nothing of my health or safety, and cared nothing of my record with Averitt. They cared nothing of my service to my country, (20 year Navy and Vietnam Vet) or a perfect CDL history. They accused me of insubordination. How insulting is that to a 20 year military veteran.

Safety department mentioned, during orientation, that driver safety was "Paramount" and you would not be punished for refusal of a load.....Lie

I have never been so insulted in my life, and if you really want to be disappointed working for a company who claim to be the best, then Averitt Express is for you.