That load is not worth your life
In today's transportation age, running freight harder and faster is a brutal reality. Many veteran drivers talk of being "planted in the seat" for longer periods than at any other time in their careers.
The new hours of service rules reflect this trend by allowing eleven hour driving shifts, up from ten. Also the fourteen hour "tour of duty" (total length of workday), results in having to run longer driving segments as to avoid exceeding those limits.
Pushing the road and "chasing the dollar" for many years brought me to the realization that truck drivers as a whole, are really just a commodity. Transportation is a numbers game in which truck drivers are a "dime a dozen" to many companies.
For large companies, orientation classes are usually full, while they also tend to loose as many as they hire. The point is reached where a certain amount of attrition is expected, and also accepted as the cost of doing business.
This also applies to losses due to accidents and other incidents. The common result is to put as much liability on the driver as possible. In other words, as long as your employer provides the proper record keeping, safety personnel, H.O.S. training, and equipment service, the trucking company's legal responsibility ends.
As a professional driver, your responsibility far exceeds that of an ordinary commuter. Because of your training and the nature of driving very large vehicles, your actions while performing these duties will be scrutinized, and the expectations higher.
These days, law enforcement will not hesitate to arrest and prosecute the truck driver responsible for injury and fatality accidents. Simply loosing your job will be the least of your worries, since criminal prosecutions will usually precede any civil actions.
Expect your company's lawyers to work on placing as much of the blame as possible on you and your actions. This is to limit any punitive damage awards against them in the future. This is a common tactic, resulting in a legal battle on two fronts.
Even if you can prove that you were "threatened" in some way to run illegal, it will make little difference. Ultimately, it is you who are responsible for your actions, and will pay the price if a tragedy occurs. Jury's today will not have sympathy for that argument.
With this in mind, how much is that load really worth? How much are those extra minutes gained by aggressive and dangerous driving habits? Driving angry, forcing four wheelers over, tail gating, cutting off other drivers, are key signs of extreme stress and overwork. In these situations it is time to take a break and get a hold of your emotions.
Some truckers may not agree, and some may believe that their money is the most important thing. I would say to them, everyone's luck runs out at some point, and the ones that crossed the line will not be found at the truckstop, or squawking on the two-way. They are now out of this business, bankrupt, and many are in prison.
Never allow a dispatcher to "bully" you into an unsafe situation. It is you who will decide if a load can be made on time or not, it is you who will decide if the weather makes it unsafe to drive, it is your logbook. Always "cover your rear" and make the right decisions on safety, maintain those logs, and shut it down if there are equipment problems or bad weather.
Remember to recognize stress as it takes you over, we are all human, and we all have to face tense situations and high pressure. We all have family and loved ones that drive "four wheelers", consider that when overcome by anger and frustration. Don't let it get the best of you, that load is not worth it.
Have a safe ride!
About the Author...
Eric Lorence was a "long haul" truck driver for twelve years before leaving the industry to start various internet businesses and engage in other pursuits.
Career life not at all what you expected or were promised?
I left the trucking life and started a home internet business.
Built it all from my laptop,
and so can you!
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