Schneider National Schneider Doesn't back up their drivers, Internet

First driver I will not get dug-into a CB yelling fest via the internet, secondly I never denied that his accidents, incidents, collisions, fender-benders, etc (or whatever you wish to call it in your posts) was non-preventable.  We both agree they were preventable...you clearly miss understood my point when I told the original author that just because you had two minor (insert your word of choice) does not mean you will never work in trucking ever again.

Each company reviews the facts and determines what they see and feel is the level of risk, preventablity and ability to reform the driver so the same (insert your word of choice again driver) can be prevented.



I use to work for a company out of the Twin Cities, they hired a newbie from the local community college that also had a prior drug usage...personally that would have been a red flag to me but per the company they were willing to work with this driver.  Once he was in Irving, TX all of us felt this driver was not playing with a full deck...including our dedicated dispatcher agreed.  I mean how could a person use up all 70-hours in 3 days?  They have to take 4 days off to do a reset?  I mean come on....and then when they finally terminated him...he emassed a total of 15 incidents (as the company called them) with the last one when he made a u-turn in a shopping center parking lot and struck a parked car.  



My point here is yes they were preventable (insert your word of choice) and yes per Schneider's own company policies they chose to terminate the driver's employment but just because they terminated him doesn't mean he will never work in the industry again.  Shhish...if that was the case...the ATA would be screaming louder yet of a driver shortage.  The world isn't going to end for that driver...he will find employment somewhere else so relax driver; you got your point out...just read mine and you will see we are on the same page...just that I am talking while you are screaming and hyperventalating.

The driver in question was clearly involved in two preventable collisions...both were backing manuvers and in both the driver did not get out and look.  I'm sorry if you just don't like the fact someone pointed out the exact cause but it is what it is!  Its called cause and effect.  So exactly what is your point?  Just can't stand it when somebody has the guts to tell it like it is?  You want everything sugar coated?  Or is it in your mind, its always somebody elses fault? 

First Jim I am sorry to get your goat all worked up.  Wording means no thing to one person and something totally different to someone else.  Did you know that when the bridge collapsed in Minneapolis, MN that some of the drivers' that were on that bridge were terminated from the companies that they were working for due to a preventable accident?  So would ask how could this have been preventable...I mean gosh they didn't create the bridge to collapse for god-sakes.  No they are right, they didn't create the bridge collapse but they placed themselves in the exact time of the bridge collapsing.  Meaning if they would have driven faster (the speed limit) or slown down or would have let the shipper or receiver when they were dispatched, had gotten better directions and not gotten lost...etc, they wouldn't have been on that bridge when the whole thing collapsed. 

Life is full of what-if's...what if I had gotten-up 10 mins sooner I might have not been late to work and still have that job, said "I love you" to my other-half (didn't know they would die later) or had worked out more I might not have these medical issues I have today. 

Life is full of regret and second-guessing...you screaming out that he should have done or if he done this is like a living-room quarterback; you were not there..we only see the short and skinny.  Sure per the original posting both episodes he listed are preventable.  I did not deny that...so what backing into the dock to fast and jolting the truck and building.  What hidden damage was done?  or rubbing the curb when making that right hand turn.  Did you know that if you "run over" a curb twice in a CDL road test, you failed the road test immediately; but how many times do drivers after getting their CDL just rub or run over curbs?  Who is going to replace that curb when its stressed out after numerous times of being run over or the tires being damaged one time to many?

So less you live in a glass house Jim, you and I are both guilty of accidents or "collosions" with other objects.  No one is perfect out here.  Literally NO ONE.  Not that one million mile safe driver nor the newbie fresh out of driving school.  We are all human prone to make mistakes.  The object is to learn from your mistakes so you don't repeat them and go on to have a successful career. 

And, yes Virginia (Jim) you too make mistakes and there will be another sunrise, another carrier willing to take a chance on him and the world will continue to be spinning in this solar system for another day.

You hadt two "COLLISIONS"...not incidents...not 'accidents'.  They were COLLISIONS which happened for a reason.  Both were backing COLLISIONS.  Both were caused by your failure to GET OUT AND LOOK before backing!  OK, the first one could have been overlooked by SNC.  But you did exactly the same thing to cause the other collision.  I'd fire you too!  I wouldn't hire you either!  The point is to LEARN from every mistake WE make...including me!  You failed to do that.  End of story!

Your welcome...and sir..this is how you get your wings...LOL

See this will not be the first time someone pees in your cheerios (drivers' or the company).  You will find that you will need a thick skin, well versed in that green pocketbook (FMCSA rules and regulations) and the word "NO".  Repeat after me...NNNNNNOOOOOO....lol.  See you will have to use it alot now.  Something that should have been taught in trucking school or atleast in the CDL manual before you take your CDL temp test.

I know it sounds funny, but trust me as you get into this field more and more you will be pressured to do things that are not legal.  Trust me you will want to do it to get in good with the boss and the dispatcher...but in the end DON'T DO IT.  Lets say they want you to take this 200 mile load and deliver it tomorrow morning.  You only have one hour remaining on your log.  You agree to do it...and get to the destination fine but tomorrow when you are backed into the dock and unloading another driver backing inot the dock beside you hits your hood.  Sure its not preventable...or is it?  A general review would say..yes its not preventable.  You were legally parked in an assigned dock and the other driver stuck your vehicle.  But the other insurance carrier will see that you logs don't show you arriving for another 30 mins and if you were running "legal" their client would have never hit your vehicle thus the accident is preventable.  Apply this senario to other ideas...say speeding down the road and someone hits you as they were coming onto the roadway or you want to push that extra hour to the customer so you don't have to run tomorrow in morning traffic...another driver behind you is tired and hits you at a stop sign thus killing themselves.  If you weren't running illegal the other party wouldn't have hit you.  Hope that is understandable. 



My point is here...you are going to want to run illegal or turn a blind eye to defects, illegal activity, etc.  DON'T DO IT.  The company will alway hang you out to dry.  They will deny, deny, deny everything.  Just say NO if you can't legally do something.

Also FYI:  get a digital camera to photograph defects on the vehicle, the freight load/condition, record your qualcomm (if equipped) and a voice recorded to record telephone calls.  These are your best weapons for your defence in the future if and WHEN you are terminated and need to file an STAA claim with OSHA or a whistleblower STAA claim with FMCSA.

If and when in the future you do exactly what I just said (and trust me you need to do what I suggested since the motor carrier will spit you out like used chewing gum).  I suggest talking with a employment law attorney if you feel your rights were violated when you said "NO" and you have the digital and/or voice recordings to prove it.  My suggestion is Truckers Justice Center out of Burnsville, MN (Attorney Paul Taylor)....he is extremely knowledgable of trucking issues us driver's face and with good solid evidence you have recorded...he is your best man in your corner.

Good luck and if you need help in the future, please post and I will try to reply as quickly as I see them.

Thank you so much for the words of encouragement it really helps to know that there are people out there that understand my frustration. I really loved my job durring the short time that I did it , I just am fed up with the other Bullshit , like being promised I was going to make big bucks when in reality they had me running 60-65 hours a week sometimes I'd get back to the yard with only 7-10 minutes left of driving time , but if they dispatched me properly I could get 4 loads done in 7-8 hours this only hapened maybe twice. Because I ran nights mostly all my loads were drop and hook drop a load pick up an empty , drop that at raoil yard pick up another loaded trailer , no real specific drop times .  I have spoken to DAC fix and they assured me that if both these incidents are less than 500 in damage they can get them off my report and get me working again . Just waiting for the unemployment to kick in so I can get some money. Just got a letter from Schneider saying that they take Terminations seriously and that they reviewd every aspect of both incidents and are upholding the Termination . WEll , I talked to the driver that wittnessed the first one he said they still never contacted him . Every aspect , yeah right . At this point I wouldn't go back to work for them anyway , I'm better off without them .

First I know how stressful this is to you...since I have over 19 years of driving experience and "yes" my first few years I had my share of "incidents" as your accidents would be better off described.

As for the claim of being black-balled by Schneider, yes its true that they might list this incidents on your DAC report but trust me it isn't the end of the world.  Sure if may seem to be to someone that is new to the profession and all but us seasoned drivers' we have seen a hell of alot worse out here.  He to make you feel better...when I worked for a carrier based out of Minnesota they hired a black man fresh out of the community college that...well I think this was a warning sign...but had a past criminal record for using illegal drugs.  Anyway, he was assigned to a dedicated customer out of Irving, TX (such as I was) and in his 6 months of working there...racked up 15 incident accidents, including walking under my trailer as I was backing into the dock at the designated customer location.  BUT, we wasn't terminated till he finally made a illegal u-turn in a shopping center parking lot with the tandems slid-forward and struck a high-dollar convertable also parked legal in the lot. 

Now in hind-sight all of us older drivers's warned the company, including dispatch about his behavior, work 3 days and have to sleep nearly 4 days claiming he was out-of-hours...come on...who does that?  But the company kept him around till he had emassed a large incident record.

My point is...while one company can say one incident is terminal, another company reviews the facts, the behavior of the driver, the ability to teach the driver to prevent the same incident or future incident(s) occurring and still be employable.

My suggestion is take this as a learning experience, breath deeply and take what you learned and apply with other motor carriers.  Personally it doesn't have to be a major carrier, maybe look at some local driving jobs or an owner-operator in your area looking to hire a driver for his truck.  Most folks (companies) out here will review the facts and ask you what happened and apply their company rules, past experiences, future potential and understand that nothing is perfect and accident happen to even us 19+ year veterans.  And personally if anyone tells you that they have (insert a number) million safe driving miles, just remember that sure they might...or did they hit something and didn't report that incident to the company, did the company view that incident as an accident or just an incident?  The word accident means a whole lot to each company so don't get down, just smile and be honest with next application and don't get do...someone (carrier) will take you on and give you a second chance...trust me since I was in that boat too.