Tired trucker wants rest, dispatch gets upset
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I heard the same thing while at a regional airline. They only want you to continue, and expect you to be able to get 8 hours of sleep every time you are put off duty, regardless of the time of day or how much sleep you JUST had (like this guy). They look at the regulations and see you are legal, and forget that you are not a machine. In the time I was there, some guys were even threatened with termination in this situation. It improved immediately when we got the union in.
Safety is first. This driver told three guys that he is too tired to drive safely. All three of those dispatchers put money ahead of the driver's life (and everyone he passed on the road) and told him to continue. Heinous - especially since he told all of them he was starting to microsleep. Note how they try first to persuade him, then try to browbeat him into driving, then threaten him and his family before "letting" him get some sleep.
As the driver (pilot) you TELL the dispatcher you are too tired to continue safely. Their only correct answer is to tell you ok and get someone else while you rest.
The ironic thing about this situation is that it always happens when you're exhausted so you end up receiving persuasion from someone who is fresh and rested. And when dispatchers are invited for ride alongs, they invariably take them but only on cake runs in good weather.
I'm not saying there aren't people out there that abuse the system and call tired when they're not for whatever reason. There are.
Edit: watch the last minute of the video. They told him to sleep for two hours, then used the police to wake him up 45 minutes into his rest!!!
Safety is first. This driver told three guys that he is too tired to drive safely. All three of those dispatchers put money ahead of the driver's life (and everyone he passed on the road) and told him to continue. Heinous - especially since he told all of them he was starting to microsleep. Note how they try first to persuade him, then try to browbeat him into driving, then threaten him and his family before "letting" him get some sleep.
As the driver (pilot) you TELL the dispatcher you are too tired to continue safely. Their only correct answer is to tell you ok and get someone else while you rest.
The ironic thing about this situation is that it always happens when you're exhausted so you end up receiving persuasion from someone who is fresh and rested. And when dispatchers are invited for ride alongs, they invariably take them but only on cake runs in good weather.
I'm not saying there aren't people out there that abuse the system and call tired when they're not for whatever reason. There are.
Edit: watch the last minute of the video. They told him to sleep for two hours, then used the police to wake him up 45 minutes into his rest!!!
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They'll probably get you a replacement driver... once... then it's on your record that you can't hack it and you'll be let go pretty soon.
It's sort of like how a waitress making $2.13 an hour plus tips is entitled to minimum wage if for whatever reason she can't pull in tips that day. But if she tries asking for it, you can expect a pretty chill response.
It's sort of like how a waitress making $2.13 an hour plus tips is entitled to minimum wage if for whatever reason she can't pull in tips that day. But if she tries asking for it, you can expect a pretty chill response.
Used to hang the quail box out the window and go to sleep.no load is more valuable than your or others lives.
White Crosses, baby! White Crosses!!! FTW!!!
Originally Posted By: Kuato
I heard the same thing while at a regional airline. They only want you to continue, and expect you to be able to get 8 hours of sleep every time you are put off duty, regardless of the time of day or how much sleep you JUST had (like this guy). They look at the regulations and see you are legal, and forget that you are not a machine. In the time I was there, some guys were even threatened with termination in this situation.
It improved immediately when we got the union in.
Union is the perfect solution for these cases.
I heard the same thing while at a regional airline. They only want you to continue, and expect you to be able to get 8 hours of sleep every time you are put off duty, regardless of the time of day or how much sleep you JUST had (like this guy). They look at the regulations and see you are legal, and forget that you are not a machine. In the time I was there, some guys were even threatened with termination in this situation.
It improved immediately when we got the union in.
Union is the perfect solution for these cases.
Originally Posted By: Kuato
Originally Posted By: Chris142
Used to hang the quail box out the window and go to sleep.no load is more valuable than your or others lives.
Too true. Can you educate me on what a quail box is?
Qualcom. Kinda like a corded laptop that dispatch used to keep in contact with the driver.Has a white ball on the roof that also lets them GPS the truck. We called it a Quailcom.
If you do not answer dispatch they will turn the volume up to an ear piercing beep.
Roll the window down,hang the box out the window, roll the window up on the cord and go to sleep.
Originally Posted By: Chris142
Used to hang the quail box out the window and go to sleep.no load is more valuable than your or others lives.
Too true. Can you educate me on what a quail box is?
Qualcom. Kinda like a corded laptop that dispatch used to keep in contact with the driver.Has a white ball on the roof that also lets them GPS the truck. We called it a Quailcom.
If you do not answer dispatch they will turn the volume up to an ear piercing beep.
Roll the window down,hang the box out the window, roll the window up on the cord and go to sleep.
Originally Posted By: Chris142
Originally Posted By: Kuato
Originally Posted By: Chris142
Used to hang the quail box out the window and go to sleep.no load is more valuable than your or others lives.
Too true. Can you educate me on what a quail box is?
Qualcom. Kinda like a corded laptop that dispatch used to keep in contact with the driver.Has a white ball on the roof that also lets them GPS the truck. We called it a Quailcom.
If you do not answer dispatch they will turn the volume up to an ear piercing beep.
Roll the window down,hang the box out the window, roll the window up on the cord and go to sleep.
Thanks. Sounds pretty obnoxious.
Originally Posted By: Kuato
Originally Posted By: Chris142
Used to hang the quail box out the window and go to sleep.no load is more valuable than your or others lives.
Too true. Can you educate me on what a quail box is?
Qualcom. Kinda like a corded laptop that dispatch used to keep in contact with the driver.Has a white ball on the roof that also lets them GPS the truck. We called it a Quailcom.
If you do not answer dispatch they will turn the volume up to an ear piercing beep.
Roll the window down,hang the box out the window, roll the window up on the cord and go to sleep.
Thanks. Sounds pretty obnoxious.
Originally Posted By: HTSS_TR
Originally Posted By: Kuato
I heard the same thing while at a regional airline.
It improved immediately when we got the union in.
Union is the perfect solution for these cases.
Wow what a broken system! That dispatcher is pushing that driver to end up in a fatal accident that could include other motorists, I wonder if the dispatcher could be sued as well if he contributed to the unsafe driving of the trucker?
It certainly does, the fact is that Unions are STILL NEEDED and
viable not only to help people get the pay and treatment they deserve from greedy and unethical employers but in this case can keep potentially serious fatal accidents from happening as well. Unions can save lives, and they do everyday. Very few of the general
realize things like this, as the corporate media only wants help get rid of them ,it is part of their agenda.
Originally Posted By: Kuato
I heard the same thing while at a regional airline.
It improved immediately when we got the union in.
Union is the perfect solution for these cases.
Wow what a broken system! That dispatcher is pushing that driver to end up in a fatal accident that could include other motorists, I wonder if the dispatcher could be sued as well if he contributed to the unsafe driving of the trucker?
It certainly does, the fact is that Unions are STILL NEEDED and
viable not only to help people get the pay and treatment they deserve from greedy and unethical employers but in this case can keep potentially serious fatal accidents from happening as well. Unions can save lives, and they do everyday. Very few of the general
realize things like this, as the corporate media only wants help get rid of them ,it is part of their agenda.
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I believe the FMCSA has forced all (or it will be mandatory in the coming years) carriers to use electronic log books so they can't be fudged. When a trucker runs out of hours on elogs, he has like 15 minutes to find a place to park and go off duty.
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