Fired For Arriving Early!
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- čas přidán 8. 11. 2017
- I was fired from my trucking job for arriving early! How crazy is that, right? This was a company I had worked at for five years! It was a really unusual situation with a lot of important lessons for new truck drivers.
Visit us at www.truckingtruth.com - Auta a dopravní prostředky
Trucking....Early, you're wrong. Late, you're wrong. On time? Go over there and wait for us to let you know when we can load you. And yes, I'm a trucker
I totally know what you're saying, and it's true - entirely too many customers just set you aside until it's convenient for them. Not to mention, a 15 minute window is not nearly enough. You have to give more leeway to account for traffic and weather delays.
Not to mention the ticking clock counting down to when we have to stop working/driving for the day.
Then be on time and wait, case closed.
That's often the way it is.
....i'm union...set my own time and rules...
I've never been fired in American Truck Simulator.
Lmao
💀💀💀😂😂😂me niether
@pizzafrenzyman: Complain to the maker that the simulator does not match reality. Also, they should add getting stuck in grid locks in full length. 😠 Regarding the video: refusing an unsafe or potentially illegal tour may be difficult if you can be fired without giving a reason.
I'm always a day early on delivery in that game (while following the speed limits).
Halberdin Out of your trucking experience, what state / city is the most "hellish" to work in?
I got fired for obeying the electrical code and telling my boss that I wasn't going to be the cause of a building burning down. I climbed down the ladder and told him if he wanted to do it the ladder was empty and he could climb up there and pull the wrong wire to the entrance heater and cause an exit to catch fire in a public building. I was fired immediately. Later when the building caught fire I got a chuckle. The company closed and had to settle several lawsuits. They had to settle because my testimony would have destroyed them even more.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHRAH!
I did a lot of wiring mods at a small company a few years ago. I answered directly to the CEO.
I explained to him the reason for my methods, as a properly trained electrician... He didn't like it because it was expensive... but he listened... and his facility didn't burn to the ground... The National Electrical Code really is the ultimate authority for fire prevention...
It goes to show that you are NOTHING to them, but a number and a slave.
Karma!!!!! Hope no-one was injured.
Can we say instant karma..
Does anyone else think there are too many bosses involved here?
Sounds like old dominion
Yep - Too many Chiefs... Not enough Indians
You ain't shittin'
.......a lot of people afraid to act on their own integrity.......a case of "shoot first, ask questions later."
There’s always too many bosses. Everyone is a boss nowadays. But in reality 99% of them don’t know the meaning of word boss, let alone the responsibility to be one. That’s why a few of them gather around because one isn’t capable of making a decision. Dumb and dumber or like the 3 stooges.
I think this company you worked for.....has about 7 managers that are NOT necessary.
No kidding. I'll over rule any "order" if it doesn't make sense. I'm not a mindless drone.
Managers? How did the boss ever get to hear about this customer’s problems? If the line manager can’t sort out a problem like illegal parking what can thy do?
yea i agree having to answer to 7 managers is unheard of ive never heard of a company that has 7 managers to re-higher someone
that's usually how companies with 10,000 employees operate; kinda hard to run day-to-day business with just 1 manager overseeing 10,000 people lol
lol
Losing your temper and screaming and yelling is only going to get you high blood pressure. You did awesome.
This guy's "golly gee whiz" attitude towards this situation is why these companies continue to treat drivers like this.
You are correct. His positive attitude ensured that multiple levels of leadership went to bat for him. They all know who he is now, and are on record with senior leadership as being supportive of him as an employee. If he worked for me (and the guys like him who do work for me) are my favorites, and they get favorable treatment.
The owner is clearly incapable of empowering his management team.
there's empowering the team, and there's from-the-top-down decisions... the owners made a top-down decision. Very few people are in the position to argue with the one(s) who sign their paycheck and expect to remain employed there.
I thought this was going to end with the owner of the company asking his mom if you could keep your job......
LoL! It almost got to that point. Geez. I have to admit, I expected to tell my boss what happened and they would fix it. I didn't expect a series of interviews lasting most of the day.
TruckingTruth
All afraid of taking charge. No one with any sense of authority or responsibility, just pass the buck up stairs. yikes!
Just a FYI, your company had no problem letting the TOP performer go. The problem with this Owner is he is so discconnected from his Drivers he has 6 managers wanking off doing nothing all day so he never hears about anything. The owner knowingly had a problem with 1 customer and chose to let any driver go for not following 1 customers orders. He should of told the customer to find another delivery company, not fire his employees anytime the customer doesn't get his pudding pack.
Your advice applies to ANY job. Not just trucking. Good advice!
Some get it most don't but u do. Very refreshing positive attitude in this day and age. Which actually if u think about it is old school. Old school never gets old. Attitude in life is the key to being successful in life. Like he said knowing when & how to interact with anybody is part of being humble & (here's the big one) respect. It takes giving respect to get it. Plain & simple. Keep up the good work. Your helping a lot of people understand to have a better full rounded life from the road that some of us dearly love because that white line fever is in our blood. Handed down from generation to generation for some. Over time for others.
bull shit.
Usually you receive a warning or two before being fired, at least in my country (unless it's really serious like theft). It sounded like they wanted to let go of a couple of members and this was a golden opportunity to them to come up with an excuse.
Thomas Kent I
Couldn't agree more!
I accidentally clicked on this video but I literally listened to the entire 17 minutes. You're a great commentator and this was also a really interesting and insightful story. Great vid :D
you're a natural public speaker, I clicked on this by accident and I couldn't stop listing :)
As a non-trucker, I have found over my 71 years that truckers are mostly great guys. They are the first people to offer help to strangers on the road. That, coupled with a tough job to begin with, makes them the angels of the highways. Godspeed to them all.
encrypter46 - well said! We wish everybody knew what you know! Thanks from a truck driver
encrypter46 Thanks from another trucker.
Not anymore :(
When I was in the military we were coming back from a 30 day field exercise. We stopped at a truck stop before heading back to base 6 truck drivers told us not to worry about traffic that no one would cut into our convoy. We had 6 trucks making sure that no one got into our convoy and got back to base without incident. For those that think truckers don’t think about others this is a group of truck drivers I will never forget.
Woah... your 71?!
5 managers?? No wonder there is a miscommunication in that company, Like the old saying goes, too many chiefs and not enough Indians.
Andre Landry There were plenty of indians my friend
+Andre Landry, Exactly because everyone is scared to give suggestions because if the owners get pissed, the people lose their job. They can't pay bills etc. In many areas of life where communication about up to date knowledge that means the difference between life or death it just isn't there we have to accept some people were meant to have problems that could easily be solved with knowing a few things but that would eliminate some jobs in the world but also create new ones. Considering the amount of employees.. I think the company structure is right. Amazon works people hard but the people who remain are meant to be there. Having problems due to miscommunication all the way to the end means it was meant to be for reasons known but unknown to us either through karma or a better life future aligned with the God will world development. As long as jobs get done right it's all that should matter.
Yes, OBVIOU3_ninja, there are plenty of indians, but they're all on the road, and not hanging around the yard then you have 5 managers all in one office, and no one knows what the others are doing, ? lol I don't know how many times i used to catch crap from a couple of my managers when I was running gravel, one guy wanted me here and the other guy wanted me there and at the same time. They were always trying to outrank each other, but I was the one caught in the middle.
I read that as "too many CHEFS and not enough Indians" and I was very confused for a few seconds. "I-Is that supposed to be a 'too many cooks spoil the broth' kinda metaphor? What?"
Yep, you got it, lol
I wouldn't stay with a company that will fire you at the drop of a hat.
Agree, I would have said thank you for my time here politely and I understand your rules.Then, tell them I was never informed about the 15 minutes however and gone and got all my stuff out of the truck and left on good terms. Then let them ponder over their decision they made without hearing your side of the story-make them now feel like jerks no matter how nice they are. You may not have any authority, but after 34 years OTR, I feel I have plenty-its a two-way street; you need me, I don't need you.
JHVN Herrmann shoot. That's still even too much to explain to them. Before I got into trucking.... I got fired from my last job as a correctional officer last year. I was off of probation, I had a mobile home on a property that the state prison owned. After I got canned, I had to explain to my wife why we had 30 days to move out. Costed us $6300 to relocate the whole Damn mobile home. I could have gotten my job back after fighting, but it would have Damn near took a year and it wasn't worth it. I got canned at the drop of the hat because the people that ganged up with me were friends with the right people. Now why the hell hell I wanna get my job back at a place like that. Im an owner operator, and i can take my truck to a lot of places.
It seems that trucking is the last job in America where u can get a job anywhere almost instantly. This guy will be alright
I would have rung the owner and told him/her to stuff their job up their ASSHOLE, driven the load about 50 miles outta town and dumped it.
Most owners don't list numbers, and if the employee had disobeyed direct orders firing would have been a reasonable response.
Come on, dst, the wussy, purgey, was just acting tough because in real life, he’s a coward.
Internet tough guys!! Good grief.
Bottom line ... never trust an Employer ... they don't trust you ..... Everyone can be replaced ....
Purple Rain9017 ouch.. that was your take away? 🤔
damn skippy there's always 10 more truckers to take your place even though there is not lol
5 years and they treat you like that. I say ok, then i would find another job.
Operations Manager, Fleet Manager, Terminal Manager, Assistant Terminal Manager. Head of East Coast Operations. Sounds like they have to many managers. It's like McDonalds: everyone their is a manager.
Yeah, there are a lot of different levels involved, that's for sure. It's a pretty huge company. At the time they had over 5,000 drivers and probably 10,000 employees.
To be fair, at fast food you have to have someone in charge there at all times and nobody wants to allow their employees to earn overtime, so you need at least enough managers to cover all hours of the day separated into 7 hour shifts, and one or two extra to cover in case one gets sick or something.
Ark Yoder there *
Forgot to add, I respect all you fellows on the rode, you provide a very important service.
Truck drivers are essential everywhere. I maybe one of the few people who respect and honor our truck driving industry.
Thanks for your service making sure "Loads" get to where they need to get to for us.
I've been put here for a long time, and I can attest to the chain of command that is stacked above us.
You handled that very well.
This was one of the most well produced YT videos about trucking that I've seen.
A lesson for young guys is at hand... save your messages.
Be punctual, be polite, be clean, be respectful.
Most of us old timers practice this and it has served us well.
Thanks. Well said! Be punctual, polite, clean, and respectful - the basics. Do the basics well and it's amazing how much easier your life will be.
Sam I Am. And women;)
Trucking: This is beautiful; but, you are a good man and an excellent worker also with the need to be respected. They should not take advantage of you. This has to be reciprocal.
Welcome to corporate america where people are treated like crap no matter performance or loyalty.
Lol no Fuck the workers
its called a "Union"
micglobal Story of my life!! I have bent over backwards for companies working twice as hard as others and it literally gets you nowhere. You’re not considered any more valuable than the lazy, hungover, tardy, and drug addicted con artist who does just enough to draw a check. It truly is demoralizing and leads to burnout. Some will say I’m whining and/or bragging. No, just merely exposing the utter hypocrisy of companies who “claim” they’re looking for hard and devoted employees and when you prove you’re that model worker, exploit and use you up to the point of losing heart(for lack of incentive and raises) and moving on. That old adage “work hard and you’ll go far” is the biggest bunch of bs I’ve ever heard! At least in my experiences. Thanks for letting me vent.
@Gray Sinclair, Amen. My experience is the same. Thanks for your post.
micglobal You bet.
Nice story driver, I totally agree that staying humble and professional as a truck driver is very important in this trucking industry. 5 STARS
Should've filed a wrongful termination suit and started your own company.
Maybe
I’m guessing this isn’t a Unionized carrier. His ‘termination’ would’ve been an open and shut case without all the runaround. He could’ve left his truck running while the Union guys straightened it all out in a matter of minutes.
Reminds of the story regarding the inventor who invented the windshield wiper interrupter mechanism, and sued GM for stealing it....eventually won @ 10 yrs. X-wife, who could not take the stress & divorced him, was happy for him....Pyrric victory.
He broke a rule, truckers showing up early is annoying
I stumbled upon this video randomly and I'm glad I watched.it. I'm not a truck driver but this is a great life lesson.
CrAzYnAdEz I
I like your style you handled this like a champ.
There are so many trucking companies that treat drivers like crap then wonder why they cannot keep or attract other drivers ...duh
I agree.
Swift Haha. Poor drivers poor Dispatch and horrible pay.
You gave a lot of wise words, useful for those of us that aren't drivers too. Thanks lots for sharing.
Doing this can take a crappy situation and really turn it in your favor because now you've strengthened your reputation at the company and are no longer just a name on a board to the higher ups. This is something I learned early on in the Army and it has really made me successful in every other area of my life
Very well said Adam!
Personally I didn’t mean to watch this, it was on auto play, I have suffered with mental illness for over 10 years and think this video is excellent, the words you speak could help many of people, respect and thanks, I actually went out halfway through, which I hadn’t done in just under 2 years, so thanks for your help even though it was meant for truckers.
Thanks so much for this post. I truly love your way of thinking. I've tried to perform in the same manner for 24yrs now. Sometimes it works...mostly not lol. But I thoroughly enjoyed this! Thanks again and be safe!
This is outstanding advice for any industry sir! Thanks for putting it out there and congratulations on your perseverance.
It was good hearing this because people need to make that choose humble N respect will get you everywhere in life... Thank for sharing that bit of info......fellow trucker...
That's is the sad truth of truck driving job,,,, but hey this was a good lesson for every one of us out here even veterans. Great job buddy
Thanks man. Yeah, for a short time when they first told me I thought, "Screw these guys. I'll just walk and I'll have 10 jobs by lunchtime." I guess anyone would think that after working somewhere for years and then being told you're being fired for something stupid like that. But I immediately realized that leaving wasn't going to help me, nor was it going to hurt them. It made sense to stick around and work it out and I'm glad I did.
CISCO kID TRUCKER true
Glad it worked out for you.
Stupid rules. You are dealing with truckers who have variables that determine their arrival and departure times. Expecting a trucker to show up at a specific time is ridiculous.
stripedtigress exactly, as long as they eventually show up and not at closing time I'm a-ok! I understand things happen and we are all human. Wish other people would pet the sweaty and not sweat the petty.
replys may be stupid and the rules may be as well. but Timing in the trucking industry is key. Most drivers can manager thier time well and including myself I was always able to manage to be somewhere with the window I was given
Not really all that difficult... in this example, one just pulls to the side of some street or exit for ten minutes... had the concern about not pulling in until 15 minutes prior been properly communicated, any decent Driver could have paused for 10-15 minutes to not piss off a customer and not complicated his life upon return to the yard.
S Boz eventually show up? ... LOL ... ya, you have 10-15 Trucks roll in “eventually” or “just before closing” and see how screwed up your day gets.... lol
While your point makes eminent sense, Ms. "s"-it sounds, as if those in charge, aren't "with the program." Interesting, sad story. Thank-you, sir, for sharing, this post, btw!(No, I'm not a trucker...just, a guy, whose favourite movie-since it aired, on ABC when I was 11-always, has been, "Duel." Further, on the set, of, "Lonesome Dove: The Series", I got to tell Mr. Weaver(r.i.p.)just, that. He hugged me and, said, "yes, that was a lot of fun! That kid was a pretty good director, too!")
What a great personality this man is. I’ve learned a lifetime lesson from your story. I don’t work in trucking but I love American trucking. Your demeanour deserves a global award.
Been driving CDL 36 years and the bottom line is,TRUCKING SUCKS!!!
Everybody wants to screw a driver.
From lot lizards to terminal managers.
The driver does take the heat for almost everything. I wouldn't go so far as to say everyone is trying to screw the driver, and I definitely don't think trucking sucks, but from a responsibility standpoint almost everything falls on the driver's shoulders, no question about it.
SCHY MARK 😂😂😂😂😂
SCHY MARK RIGHT ON
EVERY job is that way.
In a factory, the lowly operator is blamed for any problems or issues while the higher ups in mgt or engineering take the credit when an operator does well.
Blame always runs downhill.
Pretty much the same in all industries, its always the workers who get punished for the failure of the boses.
Someone once told me "Say what you mean, and mean what you say, but don't say it mean"
Having responded in the wrong way to other situations, I can appreciate your point about keeping a cool head. I would hope to have the same tactfulness and grace should I find myself in a similar situation.
Grants Pass TV Repair that is some gangster for philosophical s*** man I'm going to use that😀👍
AA meetings huh
I know right
Great video with a great message... not just for trucking but for all other aspects of life as well. I wish more people would value respect, humility, and patience like you do.
I respect you truck drivers out there. Without you guys people wouldn't have anything. From hauling the trusses to a house to all the furniture and stuff inside of them we wouldn't have them without you guys.
Your story is actually a testament to how impersonal the relationship often is between the company and driver, when you drive for a Mega. It is a testament to the notion that you really are not much more than a driver number at one these giant companies, and easily replaced at the drop of a hat.
This sort of situation would never happen at a small trucking company where everybody knows each other.
Without question you're going to have more complexity in a larger company. But in the end the company got it right. They did take the time to listen to me. They did value my opinion and they valued me as an employee. So when they realized I wasn't to blame because I wasn't given the information I needed, they sent me back to work and the whole thing was forgotten, just like it should have been.
It was an extraordinary situation. This wasn't something that typically happens which is why I shared the story. It also shows that these mega companies do care about their employees, they don't treat you like a number, and if you'll act like a professional you'll be treated like a professional.
Nice talk you got your stuff together
Now the industry is short 90,001 drivers.
Yeah, there's been a shortage for decades it seems. Trucking is a tough gig. Not very many people can handle it. I think there's going to be a lot of turnover and a lot of demand for many years to come.
TruckingTruth consistent shortage is driving the technology towards the autonomous truck
+TruckingTruth I hope all those jobs aren’t taken by self driving trucks...
Should mean competitive wages correct?
sam torres good
Very very good advice, my late husband kept his cool, and even made a stop pleasant by being light and friendly with the DOT officer.... I will never forget that one......
Love this. Glad I found this. I really hope people learn to respect truckers. We wouldn't have anything without you guys! Have a great year man!
You should seek a job for reading for audiobooks.
He should get a job for all the robo voiced youtube videos.
Ikr
Here in UK, we can sue the company for this type of stuff.
Because UK truck drivers are bigger crybabies than North American drivers.
Centurion Coles
They may have those but, a driver should not cry over crap like this.
Because only crybabies would complain about being fired unfairly and North Americans drivers don't care about getting fired......logic thinking.
Yea doesn't make sense that defending an unjust decision makes someone a cry baby. This is a messed up situation and legal action should be a potential pathway one can take.
Zygimantas Ragauskas Gotta get that extra compensation money for the valuable time that was lost
I do not drive a truck but i know some amazing drivers and your words were very well spoken and work for all walks of life. Thank you for a great video.
You need to walk away from that company fast.
Good message!! Thank you for sharing!!
The lowest man on the totem pole is the most important man. He is the one that keeps everyone up. So you really are the most important man. You are the foundation that keeps a business running. You are number one. The boss is on top and has a long fall if the others leave.
I agree completely. Very well said. The workers should be making the bulk of the money while managers get a small share for basically watching us do our jobs most of of time.
I like your style. I'm exactly like you in a completely different industry, always cool, honest and conscientious. It works. Glad you got your job back.
I'm not a trucker, but I have mad respect for all of you, without you the world would not be very nice.
No job is guaranteed, that is life.
Brother, preach on!
Staying cool and removing yourself personally from situations like you did was golden. You are crazy lucky to have rational leaders to hear you out. I'd give anything to be able to speak that rationally in the same room like that. Lucky for me, i work for a company 2x larger so its all phone or email. Which I do well with. Anyway, +1 and forwarded..
The perfect driving record and your hard work saved your job on top of keeping calm and collected. Bravo true man right here.
You are driving for the wrong company. Good video though!
The owner is a dick but the people he had to deal with were good guys to work for. They all backed him up.
WOW!! I, for one, have the utmost respect for truckers. I always try and leave the room you guys need. There are the drivers that do cut other drivers off and they're the drivers that I have issues.
Michael Hall thank you.
30min early is pretty standard.
30 minutes early is on time 15 minutes early is late to me
er so Fifteen minutes Tops for several tanker cos. I'm familiar.
I actually ended up here on a fluke, but I have a friend who drives and gonna tell him about your channel. Good luck and stay safe out there!
wish I had watched this video 30 years ago,but I did learn the hard way how to navigate thru all the B/S that makes our trucking world so wonderful. Thanks for posting,hoping others watch and learn as well.
You're damned if you do and you're damned if you don't, in my 29 years of trucking I have learned that communication is everything, however I've never heard of a situation like this one your explaining.
Yeah, communication really is everything. I wish more drivers understood that. This was definitely one of the strangest situations I have ever been in, no question about it. It worked out well, but it wasn't a fun process I can tell you that.
Nice job on this video, I just started a channel and I realize how much time you put into making this, thank you so much.
Thanks Chookie!
One more piece of advice I can add to this is always be respectful even if you have zero respect for the person you’re dealing with.
I use to love showing up right on minute and have to wait 2/4/6 hours for load
Well said. A gentleman gets listen too, where a screaming is actually never heard!
Hey I like that! Screaming is never actually heard. That's so true. Once you start acting like an idiot people will just tune you out.
Its funny, I've been to over 5 rehabs for drug addiction. The last one I was at had a class called "relationship advice" and I'm kind of a class clown (since 1st grade). I decided enough of this shit and I actually started keeping my witty jokes to myself.
Any way the counselor of the group wrote on the board in big letters "THE MOMENT SOMEBODY RAISES THEIR VOICE, THE CONVERSATION IS OVER." I'm not saying it's the only reason, but I'm still clean 5 years and a few months later, and this little quote sticks in my head and I don't remember the last time I got into a heated argument.
Yep, that's why no one takes antifa seriously.
A screaming idiot is in charge of the country right now. #exception to the rules.
Unfortunately a lot of companies still think drivers are a dime a dozen. You can keep getting mad and quitting companies but a good company won't hire you for your bad work history.
That was a great story. You don't have to be a truck driver to follow your lead. Thanks for sharing.
I'm not a trucker, but had to watch after reading the title. The lessons learned can be(and should be) applied to anyone in any vocation in any situation. Kuddos for keeping your cool and going about it in a calm and logical manner. Glad you were able to keep your job. God bless
I found this to be very applicable across all industries. Also, very much enjoyed hearing your story. Thanks for sharing!
Great explanation in wisdom, great pics
I agree with what you have said. Getting angry does not help one bit. Now it is to bad people work for companies that do not care to get the whole story before jumping to conclusions and a good worker loses a job then. No matter where you work at you are just a number to upper management. Good thing you had people behind you and yes keeping calm helped.
I agree with everything you've said. In the end I'm really glad I handled it the way I did. I learned some really important lessons from this situation that I've always kept with me.
great job, and liked your explanation! Keep on trucking! I had 8 yrs at driving and you did the right thing! .
This message applies beyond trucking. Thank you for sharing your story. I hope it inspires others.
This should be shown to every single person who tries for any job, anywhere. I am 80 years old and had to enlist in the army as a private, was put on KP and not relieved for twelve hours, until the mess sergeant came back, and I explained the situation. He listened, and told me no more KP, for me. Then I was selected for Officer's Candidate School, and retired, twenty-four years later as a colonel. And I learned to listen to the person in the situation. Hard and fast rules are only a guideline. Listen to the person.
I wouldn't have cussed them out, but I would've consulted a lawyer.
That wouldn't have gotten me anywhere. If all we had to do was hire a lawyer and get rich every time someone wronged us we'd all be rich, wouldn't we? The smart thing to do was just talk through the situation and work it out.
You are the most wonderful professional truck driver and I'm so grateful for you. All your videos are so informative. Thank you.
I'm not a big rig driver but always fascinated to do so. Instead I drive a transit school bus which has it's own challenges dealing with high liability of kids, watching out for cars cutting you off and following the dispatches commands all at same time. This video with the way Eric explains his story in calm narration helped build my patients even more. Thank you. Oh and there are many class A drivers who are very happy with driving transit school bus and ther's always demand for it due to great responsibility but keep extra cool and you'll enjoy it and make descent living.
Now we know why truck drivers are in big demand.
You got to love the McTrucking companies these days, treating drivers and their general employees like a fast food joint.
That's what truckers are. It's a low skill job with millions of employees
Trucking truth, please continue to make videos! The people need them.
Thank you for sharing your experience and wisdom! There are many valuable lessons you taught in this video. Awesome.
Great story that is so applicable to every person, in every station in life.
Very helpful, thanks.
BTW the narration was really good, it sounded just like an audiobook.
You handled that well most drivers would have went nuts including me but you were calm and simply explained yourself and you didn’t take it personally understanding that it was simply a miscommunication.
Good job! God bless!
I am not a truck driver, but I did watch and listen to what you had to say. What you just did was give narrative to almost every job there is. For the most part, you make it as good or as bad as you like, but in the end, a good healthy attitude such as yours makes it worth while. Funny enough, even your superiors obviously had their own frustrating limitations since they knew what was right, but didn't have the authority to make the decision, so it goes to the top as well. On another note, I enjoyed all of your photos of drivers with their kids and families and some really cool looking trucks. I'll always remember, "if you got it, a truck brought it." Drive on and stay safe. Thanks!
I respect truckers highly! I know that without truckers this country would be in extremely limited amounts of products on shelves. More importantly, I haven't met a trucker that isn't nice. Truckers have a lot to deal with on the road. I do think that you did the right thing, our society is too quick to get angry. This was a simple communication breakdown. I'll bet that the dispatchers now take extra care to make sure that all info is being given to the truckers.
Robin Kight Thank you for your kind comments. I'm not the driver who uploaded this video, just another trucker saying thanks.
Robin Kight - I'm not even on that side of the pond but same feeling here. Learned a lot with truck drivers. While a normal driver does some 10~30K km a year a truck driver does 10x or 20x more. They know the roads and the tricks. So who's better to learn from? ;-)
Talking about filling up shelves...I've seen a 10.5 million people country almost come to an halt. With a fuel delivery truckers strike. We're talking about less than 150 drivers! Situation was solved with a "civil requisition" and later on negotiations.
Really appreciate this personal lesson.
You're quite welcome!
I will say this, this guy was nothing short of amazing how he handled the worst situation he could have been handed. If any company was full of this sort of guy, no one would ever want to leave that company. This guy is blessed by the Lord, he is calm under fire and very professional and humble!
As a warehouse worker, I work in the shipping area. So, thank you for all the miles you've driven for us.
The owners made an unreasonable decision for an unreasonable customer. Greed made yet another good egg spend far too much time defending themselves over a foolish decision. No matter how good the employee, this guy was lucky to have backup; no matter how well he handled himself, this is not the usual outcome. You can be the best employee and be screwed. He just so happened to be working with people who gave a damn about someone aside from themselves.
Yes, remain calm and state the facts. Keep your composure. Your best chance always lies with being calm and collected and knowledgeable. Take that lesson to heart. But also understand how lucky this guy was to get a decent outcome - the world is rarely this 'fair'. Reason won the day here, after plowing through a lot of bureaucracy. That's not what usually happens. Most companies don't check petty infighting, personal grudges, jealousy, or stupid owners. And most companies don't give a damn about anything but $.
This was an exceptional outcome; not the norm, and no one should expect better by following the rules. Take his advice, absolutely, yes, but don't expect what he got. You likely won't get it.
The two big reasons things worked out for me are:
1) I had 5 great years in with the company
2) I had gotten to know some of the people in lower and middle management
3) I handled myself professionally and stated my case with a series of logical facts
You're right, things won't always work out this way, but they'll never work out this way if a person won't talk to people with respect and handle themselves like a professional. I learned some important lessons from this situation that I've always carried with me.
4. They had proof where the failure was on the company side
5. lawyers would cost them a large amount for defending a position that I am sure they felt themselves was not fair. You would not be walking away rich dealing with lawyers.
6. The job was worth fighting for but is a job where you can be fired from instantly and with out cause worth fighting for?
My name is billy bigriger and i dont care what the idiots are saying i dont care what anyone says you handled yourself as a professional and when your a company driver you are at the Bottom of the pecking list in your trucking company even if you have 100 years exp and 1000000000000000000000 million safe driving miles as me the guy decided he wanted to keep working for that company so he calmly stated his case and kept his good job no shame in that i just hope and pray hes not a swift driver or one of primes finest i doubt that though because i dont think either company has a drver that has lasted 5 years let alone has 10 years of exp overall and drivers remember if you see me at a truck stop or somwhere stop running up to me asking for autographs and to sighn your old ladys tits and whatnot please act like you have some cents
mocking intercessor the customer wasn't unreasonable at all. They had been informed they can't be parked there. The customer told the company that and the company said they had a solution. The company then failed to comply to its agreement.
I LOVED my job, 5 years and got hurt on the job, because I was HONEST and did what you did, I still got F*#)&@*#&* lost my job, my home, my spine both knees and now my hip is grinding, I have chronic pain every minute of every day for the last 11 years and I am only 38 years old. I still cannot work surgery after surgery to get better... NADA.... NEVER trust a company, NEVER trust a boss. You sir were granted a miracle, bosses that are decent human beings. I wasn't so lucky, one coward supervisor "guy" and 4 female managers that didn't like the fact I couldn't run due to the pain. (Yet in 5 years I never witnessed them running once!) Try explaining the nonstop back pain of a baseball bat hitting you full force constantly, and groin pain like you are getting kicked in the balls with steel toe boots non-stop one right after the other, to 4 women.... If the pain would stop I would go back to the same job, just with another company.
I'm retired now but as a driver one time I had a delivery in Broken Arrow Oklahoma dispatched out of Kansas City in a day cab with a 8:30 a.m. delivery time I showed up early and did not know that there was a problem with my company and this company so in order to punish my company they made me wait to unload. No problem at 2:30 p.m. they told me that the people that were supposed to unload me had gone home for the day I said okay pulled off the dock through the entire load in the parking lot taking about 2 hours to hand unload every piece sign the paperwork myself left a copy and drove home irritated and already looking for a new job on the way home expecting to be fired when I got back! I was surprised that my dispatcher was awful happy about what I did! I was filled in on the feud and was told they were under contract and could not break the contract. By dumping the load in their parking lot they decided to break the contract for us! For the next three years they tried to resign the contract which was never going to happen lol
2 hours to hand balm that shit? Hell, I would find a nice long strip of pavement, slap it in reverse, get some speed and slam on the brakes. Easy unload. Sign the paperwork, drop a copy on the pile and roll out.
No he did right way to un load by hand other wise u end up paying for damages
Dude this is good advice for all life not just trucking, mad props
I am not in the same industry but this is the attitude that you need to have no matter what industry and situation you're in. Respect earns respect.
You went about it exactly the way I would've. I would like to add that even if I wanted to go to another company I would've fought for my job just so I could get my ducks in a row before putting in my notice.
That's a good point. You'd much rather quit than be fired, that's for sure. But in the end it's always best to handle things professionally. Sure, it's tempting to give people the finger and walk away but you're not going to get very far in life acting like a spoiled teenager anytime something doesn't go your way.
really, it would not effect you to storm out. It never does. I've worked with guys who have jumped to 5 different companies in a year quitting without notice every time. they always had jobs before the day was out.
But letting people walk all over you makes it difficult to earn 6 figures in the industry. really if you are away from home as much as a truck driver and have over a year of experience you should be making 80,000 to 100,000 at least, If not there is a problem with the company you work for or your driving record.
i have agree but also have to disagree in this case... Sure flipping someone off isn't exactly a smart thing to do... But being pushed around isn't good either - sometimes you have to put the foot down and remind people, you aren't a newbie or someone who's useless... Remind them how much you did for the company... that you are a human being with emotions and someone who value's/d his job.
Sure, maybe 5/10 year's isn't exactly much - but its still something and the boss has to value the effort you've put in for all those years. Anyway - i wish you the best of luck.
Malcolm Ness Granger. Its a damn good start 5 years is.
"You'll catch more flies with honey than vinegar" my grandmama always told me.
preach it buddy !!!
I been saying that crap for years to people around me , glad to see someone else who got that part of social interaction .
All I can say is way to keep calm, cool, and collected! Very professional.
Yep Drivers get the Heat for Almost everything out here on the road.
I have to admit this is true. In the end it seems all of the responsibility falls on the driver for almost everything. I think that's one of many reasons that a lot of people can't handle this job. It really takes an unbelievable amount of commitment and sacrifice to thrive at this job. You're responsible for so much and yet you're almost completely on your own to make all of the decisions and do all of the work. One small screw up can cost people their lives. You have to be a special kind of person to drive a rig for a living, no question about it.
Especially the roads themselves. There is a road near me that has many dump trucks driving on it, and it has become horrendously broken with potholes ever few feet. But the truckers and their trucks aren't the ones to blame, rather it's either poor planning on part of the engineers who designed the roads not taking into account that big trucks might start to frequently drive on it, or the companies who are operating in that area where the roads weren't designed for big trucks to begin with. Though when you really get down to it, most of the problems come from even higher up, the politicians who can't keep their act together and don't allow for proper infrastructure maintenance and expansion because it would hurt their paychecks.
as an owner operator, I got tired of being treated as a third class citizen, screw trucking !!!
Thanks for sharing your story. Glad it all worked out in the end.
You did a great job explaining clearly in a lot of ways. Credit to you for being patient and wise. This can help others in same spot if they want to be. This video breaks the stereotype society has of truckers not having the same intellect as other professionals. Great job! Appreciate spreading positive approach. This video is a lesson that meant something to me.