I have been writing my Student Trucker Story on “Ask the Trucker” since October 2008.
Although by October I was in a much different situation because I had moved from the “Team Division” into a Dedicated Solo Fleet beyond the ridiculously unsafe situations my company placed me in during my training.
In this new division I saw very quickly how things should be done. The entire manner of my new fleet was more effective because the communication and professionalism was much better. Partially because the contract DEMANDS it or the contract will be lost.
I was also driving solo finally, not required to drive & live with someone from unknown origins.
Like most people, I would have preferred to never look back. Not get involved, chalk it up to experience.
Something continued to eat at me though. I saw that by keeping in touch with a few new female students who had been recruited into my company it helped them during their six months of required team driving. I saw that the team phase was still difficult because of the poor recruiting methods employed but by the simple act of directing these females privately to other more professional “in-house” superiors, these female students were able to be successful.
One sure fire weapon was to have them steer clear of the woman in charge of the team program who continually had full knowledge and could have prevented us from encountering certain dangerous situations but took no actions to prevent it.
My Student Trucker Story is for both Men & Women and it is not unique with respect to the volume of inappropriate recruitment methods used in this industry that leave the students who have a true desire to learn lost in the system.
I wanted to be a safe truck driver and learn to do this job the right way.
If I could have located an old veteran trucker who would teach me the correct way to do this job, that is who I would have wanted to learn from. Unfortunately, student truckers are an industry in themselves.
In the name of “Creating Jobs” the Government Funds the Trucking Industry to get people working but this has been capitalized upon and has created a false driver shortage. As I examined this recruitment strategy called the “Driver Shortage” I read what I had just experienced firsthand. Big Trucking appears to be culling favorable tax incentives by recruiting women and minorities into trucking but with a total disregard for safety.
Some Student Truckers have no business behind the wheel of a big rig. This starts at the recruitment level where loans are made. In the mortgage industry it could be called “Predatory Lending”.
In the Trucking Industry, there are often people who are unsuitable to be truck drivers but can qualify for financing, government programs such as the “Work Reinvestment Act” or have cash money so they are misled about what the true nature and sacrifice this job entails. Also, they are lied to that jobs actually exist once they sign on the dotted line to becomes Truck Drivers. This is a scam on people desperate for work who are the least able to fight back.
This causes frustration for the Student Trucker who has been lied to and now owes a loan. It also places the trainer in an incredibly unsafe predicament. Trainers for student truckers place his/her life in the hands of these students who arrive at these mega companies with barely enough skill to hold the steering wheel.
The Company, Safety department, Log Department and dispatchers work on the false assumption that the arriving student’s truckers will have basic driving skills and common sense. All too often, this is not the case and it places public safety and all involved at risk.
Many good trainers quit for fear of losing their lives from these unsafe recruitment practices and the hostile training environment that has become a feeding frenzy to recruit potential student truckers. This leaves most students who are qualified with bad trainers, in unsafe or violent situations which is what my personal student trucker story is about on “Ask the Trucker”
As the economy tumbled and the string of corporate scandals followed I knew that many people would lose their homes and their jobs and I knew the CDL Mills would go into high gear selling the dream that you can make 50, 60, 70, even 80K in the first year as a trucker!
The TRUTH is that I made $35,000 and that is including bonuses and taking ONLY 18 days of time home. There was lots of downtime but it is NOT home time.
I was made aware about the False Driver Shortage from Allen Smith’s book “Truth about Trucking” and learned it was a method created by the trucking industry for a cheap labor force. I was willing to work cheap to learn to do this job so that was no problem for me. The problem was that I was being set up to fail time and again, that was not okay!
I saw so many students not make it through their first year. Much of it because of the way they were misled. I wondered about some of the recruitment techniques for others with more overhead than myself? Wouldn’t the wave of displaced workers be unfairly capitalized on as they began to filter into the unemployment offices looking for work? The answer sadly is YES! It is happening now in cities all of this country who are selling a loan to CDL School when there are few jobs. They are using these people for enough time to collect the Government Cheese for themselves.
This is what compelled me to act and write my story, “A Day in the Life of a Lady Trucker”
I also became aware of a new marketing strategy to recruit women into trucking careers and felt they should be fully informed before they are expected make decisions that would affect their long-term goals as a CDL driver.
The saddest revelation I uncovered in this experience has been that many women in authority positions will also sell you down the river for recruitment dollars.
I was recruited into a company that requires six-months of “Team Driving” and I personally think it is a useful training tool if a little more effort was put into it to doing it the right way. The question I came away asking myself about the student trucker experience was this: Is the intention of the trucking industry to have success for the students? It certainly does not seem like this is the desirable result and that means public safety is the recipient of this poor leadership, it’s simply greed.
Some say I deserve to be mistreated because I am new to the industry of trucking. Certainly we have all experienced this sort of poor training and leadership in many industries BUT should this conduct be permissible on the highway?
I have met many women and men who came to this industry with little knowledge of it. They thought if they worked hard and did not complain they would be successful and have longevity.
I felt it was unfair to trick people who were already suffering from losing their jobs & homes by luring them into the trucking industry totally unprepared for what sacrifices they will truly have to make in order to survive their first year.
Using my Twitter persona @TruckerDesiree I made a conscious effort to not project my personality or life experiences because I wanted potential students to find out who they would be in these situations. That way they could plan ahead if their true intention was to succeed.
I wanted them to realize that it is quite difficult to find anyone in these companies who cares for their success; so it will be up to them.
That is because the sheer volume of recruitment makes individuals get easily lost in the shuffle.
The people I know who were able to be successful in their first year could afford to live on less than minimum wage in order to learn this job and be away from home for months at a time.
The ones who panicked and often didn’t make it were those who had mortgages, marital troubles, small children or custody issues that were difficult to manage from the road. Violent and Unsafe situations a student trucker often encounters also make many drop out and leave in disgust. This is the Industries shame for not correcting the “Status Quo” and raising the Standard of how these people are being treated to haul America’s Freight.
A limited few critics have sought to attack me further by taking a few words I write here and there and fashioning their own twisted story to drive traffic to their own websites riding on my coat tails.
It is important to read all of the comments these few people have written to criticize me and my story because it paints a very real picture of exactly the sort of behavior & conduct that I write about in my story. It validates what I am trying to express in their words and not mine.
Much of the difficulty surviving as a student trucker is due to people who like to ridicule others and do not want to help you with the simplest question.
If you say to these sorts of people, “Can you tell me how to do this properly?” they will laugh in your face, call you names, make fun of you for not already knowing and/or deliberately tell you the wrong way so they can make fun of you more and go write about it or tell all their friends. This is the learning environment for most student truckers so is it any wonder they are not learning anything?
Those were the only kinds of people I met for the first 3 months as a student trucker. This is a serious job where conduct on the highways affects everyone who drives or rides in a motor vehicle. It is unacceptable behavior that should be left at the playground.
Later, with much effort, I met good people in trucking and I got really motivated to find more.
I met a trainer who helped me park better because my female trainer did not care. I spoke to a man I call “Sam” in my story who helped me by phone to not lose my temper with “Lily” when she clearly had no desire to bear the responsibility of becoming a truck driver; she simply wanted to meet guys. Another student trucker who is as young as my son helped me when I went solo with questions I had to manage my time to drive legal. I had helped him back in CDL School because he had never driven a stick and we had little instruction before we were recruited to drive the Winter of 2007. These are things I feel my $4000.00 Tuition should have covered, No? I had to fight like a maniac and go over the chain of command just to get help. That is WRONG!
Later when I was in distress and wrote an email to Allen Smith, a 30 year veteran of the trucking industry, it was he and his wife Donna that gave me a chance to help others. Their little book “Truth about Trucking” helped me understand some of the communication failure was an industry method to generate turnover, it was not because there was something defective about me.
I understand corporate America very well and how we drive out experience for cheap labor but I must confess I was taken aback that this was occurring on the highways next to passenger cars with families in them.
So I had a window of opportunity to act by writing when the student loan system dried up. The financial crisis put the skids on the “hand over fist” CDL recruiting. But now that the stimulus package has been approved and education funds are again available I see there is a renewed demand for student truckers despite the fact that freight is slow and many trucks with experienced drivers are sitting.
Sadly, some organizations who profess how their mission is to help are not really helping; they are only formulating new recruitment demographics and strategies and selling consulting fees to “revamp” training techniques.
The strange thing is that some of these same organizations did not want to help me or other women when I tried to reach out for help.
The process of CDL Truck recruitment is presented in a number of ways: local newspapers, unemployment offices and advertisements on the back of almost every trailer that you see on the road. They read in essence that jobs are available now with little experience. Isn’t that odd?
Recruitment Offices like I went to in Florida are run by schools.
Some schools genuinely care about the student and their future success, but many do not.
Commissions to recruit have made CDL School’s hire salesmen rather than instructors in many cases. These schools in turn steer students into certain companies where more commissions are available.
Some companies send recruiting representative’s to the schools to encourage students to come to their company.
Why if they just got 100 students the week before, and the week before that? And that’s at just one company!
Students are told they will get home every 2 weeks, they have no idea they will drive 11 hours a day, they don’t understand that they will do a great deal of unpaid work. They are totally unprepared to drive a full schedule from day one. The trainers are expected to drive their entire shift and train the unqualified student. Both are risking their life because each has to sleep while the other one is driving. The trainer’s truck is worked as a “team truck”, therefore it only stops to fuel and switch drivers. This often leads to aggravation and sometimes violence.
Dispatchers are often more like telemarketers working in a “boiler room” so the competition and competitiveness offers little support to the drivers and especially students who are a dime a dozen.
It is this atmosphere that perpetuates the student trucker industry; this is the pressure-cooker these students are expected to learn which is already a stressful job.
I knew I would love trucking because I don’t have a family waiting for me at home. I like to be alone.
I met a married couple who were retired police officers who drive as a team and they too said they love it and don’t mind sitting 3 days with no-load because they have their pensions. They rent a car and go enjoy the local sights.
It’s the lifestyle that many of these people are unprepared for when they are sold a dream and that is wrong because many potential student truckers are already in dire straits. That is why I took every spare minute of my free time to write my story on a PDA 1 letter at a time!
I have not had anyone say I discouraged them from becoming a truck driver but I have had both men and women thank me for helping them make a better plan to be successful as they begin their training.
I have also had many women who have left the industry write and call me and thank me for being honest about what is going on with the student trucker industry because they were made to feel they were “the only ones”, somehow personally responsible for the behavior of some of the violent situations they were placed in by their companies.
My endeavor has raised a number of other questions about this industry and it has connected me to many different projects that I now write about.
I’m no expert; I’m just a girl who wanted to learn to drive a truck.
I write about what I see and what hear from my travels.
I did it My Way – Sex Pistols Playit… go on, I dare ya. …your’e gonna need it.
Thank you Desiree for writing this eloquent post about the motives behind your voice and your writings.
You have helped so many students within trucking, both emotionally and with advice of what to do while in training.
I know that so many people have written and called you expressing their heartfelt thanks and appreciation for all that you have helped them with. The real gift of this is that now, they too, can go on to help others in similar circumstances. You have shown them the unselfish ways and motives of a Godly humanity. You have been an example of what we all should be for one another.
There are a small few who just can’t comprehend the level in which you offer your assistance to others. They can’t relate having a passion to help others, mostly because they themselves do not want to go through the sacrifices that it takes to do so. These are the ones you speak about who spend their time trying to twist and devise schemes to divert your true motives into a picture of self gratification. This is done so they may diminish the hard work you have done, the sacrifices you have made, and the well wishes you have for so many, so they may feel better about themselves. They spend their time attempting to destroy your good deeds rather than trying to help others. How sad.
People can see through this though, at least the majority who perceive truth from fiction anyway.
We understand your passion, motives and sacrifices, and so do many of the well respected people within trucking. We know what it’s like to be on the phone for hours on your day off, in hope it will help another fellow human being avoid a pitfall or stumbling block. Just the time you’ve taken to help another with research, in order to aid them through a situation, is beyond the comprehension of those who would not do that for another.
I pray for you and your good intentions and that God protects you in your travels as you continue aiding others in so many areas of life…because you love standing up for what’s right and just.
Thank you Desiree for having the heart, guts,faith and strength to proceed in the direction you were called for.
Donna I think you did a wonderful job expressing the thanks from everyone who is fair, decent and hard working in the trucking industry feels for Trucker Desiree. She truly is a special person and we are lucky to have her in the trucking industry.
And let me tell you why. If people do not speak up, problems will just get swept under the rug and never corrected. This, in my opinion seldom works. Look at the Roman Catholic Church, who had a problem with certain priest molesting children. Even when complaints were made, they covered it up and re-assigned the priests elsewhere. Maybe they figured the priest would repent, who knows. But it did not work in this situation. Only when the force of the law was applied was it eventually corrected. And only thanks to those who were willing to step forward and tell their story. If they had not done so, does anyone doubt that a certain bad priest would not still be abusing children? This has nothing to do with not liking the church but, flawed individuals within their holy organization, and the process the church followed.
As for the nay sayers I will not respond to them since I feel that is what they want. To disrupt every ones agenda, interfere with there projects they do not agree with, etc etc. These irrational critics I theorize, are possibly following some slavish teacot philosophy or whatever to rationalize their behavior or thoughts, and vent their frustrations over negative experiences they themselves had to overcome and did nothing to correct it except insist they next batch of newcomers experience the same poor treatment. A sort off truckers ritual of hazing. The newcomers running the gauntlet of poor industry practices. If they make it, then they get to ridicule the next batch of students running through the system. This seems to give some old timers a emotional catharsis. Thus the culture of blame the driver is re-enforced.
Drivers who suffer abuses and did nothing to correct the problem become jaded and disenfrachised. Problems cannot get fixed if people at all levels are not held accountable, told about the problem or worse yet just keep preaching some idealistic unrealistic vision of what a great experience it all is.
And I have some sympathy for some middle managers who are stuck in the middle of all of this. They have no real authority to fix any of the problems middle management may encounter. Their job is to implement upper management and the owners directives on achieving profit goals, expense goals etc. and I am aware drivers can be crass and rude. And drivers almost always make the mistake of thinking that a driver manger has authority to fix any problems he may want fixed, since that is the only person in management the driver may feel comfortable talking to.
It is important to note here that neither Desiree or I are not talking about the usual run of the mill problems drivers encounter. Rather more like problems my ex student told me about when his dispatcher told him to constantly run illegal overweight loads. Or cases where dispatchers were calling up drivers in the middle of the night during their break and telling them to run an illegal loads as I favor to the planner, and I’ll back you up with a good load on the next run.
One company I encountered 15 years ago even had dispatchers pay their drivers $25 bonus for running the scales and even helped their drivers do the mapping around the scales! This was all done in the name of serving the customer’s needs. And any solutions should focus on still serving these customer needs profitably for the trucking company, but with cooperation from everybody, including customers. Sometimes in my opinion, upper management and owners just make sure that drivers are the only ones who can get blamed, and or take the full responsibility, get the points on their CDL and pays the cost or fines,while management takes no responsibility.
I am well aware that middle managers can be just like drivers, good decent people just trying to cope with the system as the rest of us. Often they are caught in the middle between upper managements’ performance demands and the drivers who they must get to meet those goals. To the good managers, I have nothing against them. It truly takes brains to make it all work. I have seen their corporate email boxes and they are stuffed full of memos and reference document, directives, goals to meet, etc etc. It literally seems to me more items than one can even read, let alone execute well.
These people cannot fix serious problems by themselves. For that you need the help of the owners and upper management and feedback from the field on what is working and what is not. Everyone should work together across job classifications to fix serious problems while maintaining profits, and preserving as good a working environment as possible.
Like Desiree, I encountered mostly indifferent management as I worked as an over the road trainer for Swift Transportation several years ago. And I can confirm as a trainer, that like Desiree said, some of my students with felonies like to brag about their shameful shortcomings with the law, weather it was murder trials, selling drugs, embezzlement, helping Al Queda if the bribe money was right (I actually reported this student to the FBI), etc. It is no wonder like Desiree I have encountered angry, hostile, frustrated people making all kinds of threats.
Desiree said above, some students don’t belong behind the wheel of a tractor, well I had a student with some type of narcolepsy, and he wasn’t even qualified to drive a car, let alone a truck. It took me two weeks to get him off the truck as I wouldn’t let him drive because his body would freeze into a light coma every so often behind the wheel and I had to shake him slightly to get him out of his comma.
Desiree said students just think erroneously, if they just work hard they will be ok. Again I had a student, who after training worked 14 hrs a day running short runs, grossing only $75.00/day. Plus the company often gave him illegal overweight loads. He quit when he got a long haul out of state run that was illegally overweight. He told me management treated him like a dog.
Desiree states the driver shortage is false, and I concur. I am a stock investor, and I read annual reports of reports of companies. In one of Swifts reports, they proudly state when asked by a stock analyst of the driver shortage: we have no driver shortage we can fill all our needs. We keep 15% trainers on staff at all times.
She states students are not prepared for the long hours, and I also can confirm that. I tried to convince my own cousin to come out with me on the truck BEFORE he went through a community college truck training program; but, he didn’t. Then I tried training him before he saw what it was really like, he lasted only two weeks, and then he said “ This wasn’t anything like I thought it would be. This is too much.”
So sadly I can confirm many of the things Desiree has stated because I also have them observed first hand myself. For example trainers who never allow their students to back and then they falsified their backing charts. And poor management orientation, conveniently skipping any information that might upset the students before they get on the training trucks.
And I found management was not receptive to ideas for improvement. Even relatively minor suggestions were often met with a tone of annoyance. For example often I had students reluctant to want to do backing. I sought out one student co-ordinator, Dari, an exception to this, I am not interested in your problems management. She would happily work with me on encouraging the students to do backing practice.
Often students wanted to please management, and were highly impressionable by their thoughts .
So the simple act of Dari encouraging them in this area actually worked very well and was a tremendous help. But unfortunately she got bad treatment from management when she also tried to make suggestions for improvement and left the company very frustrated also claiming she was being treated like a dog, by a Memphis training department head . (Later this same department head said we could spend three days doing orientation but we aren’t.) Darie even thought the office were she worked was bugged and we would talk outside her office at places that we believed could not likely be bugged. The point being here that management was not receptive to ideas or improving the program.
Without working on improving problem areas, they just magnify and pile up. The best systems adapt to solve problems, not ignor them. This is how evolution works. I say if evolution did not work this way, correcting problems, their would be no life on earth, it would all be extinct from inability to adapt to and solve problems.
Trucking corporations, unfortunately think they have better, more perfect ideas that need no further refinement. With the help of corporate controlled media, like the trucking shows on Sirius radio, they easily and craftily guide truck show groupies toward their way of thinking on issues like hiring felons, which is a cheap source of labor for their trucking sponsors. That is why I boycott Sirius radio and ask you to do the same. They do not come up with solutions, they just rationalize poor industry practices.
If Mark Willis ( D J on Sirius trucking show) or the Chairman of Sirius radio, Joe Clayton had to work 24/7 with hostile convicted felons. Such as the ones who would threatened to beat me up, slit my throat, etc; then I think they would work together on programs to find and suggest better solutions.
You see the main person in charge at large Corporations is the Chariman of the board in this case Joseph Clayton, who previously was not a good due diligence director at Global Crossings which imploded from accounting scandals.
So it is not hard to believe his irresponsible setup at Sirius radio, allows a 100% corporate sponsored and influenced show like Mark Willis show to call itself a trucker’s type show.
His apologist, economic, rationalizations allow for corporate social media to continue to create a veil of excuses and happy talk of how they are trying to help drivers. And this provides cover for hostile training programs, like the one Desiree encountered to flourish and even to be justified and never corrected.
I have no doubt mark Willis subscribes to a tcot type mentality and that drives his relentless corporate sponsorship of his programs, without any counter arguments from the other groups or political perspectives, such as you would get from a 24/7 union channel. Such a channel I feel would create great debates and derive better solutions than great quotes from Mark Willis like “Well these felons did really pay their debt to society didn’t they?”
Better more truthful programming can be found here at http://askthetrucker.com & truthintrucking.com. All the other Sirius programming can be replaced 10 fold on the iphone. So until Sirius radio has a 24/7 union channel, I suggest a total boycott of all Sirius channels, and their stock siri and the stock of liberty media, (LCAPA), their new controlling sugar daddy, and any of their network shows.
I also suggest Allen Smith of http://askthetrucker.com recreate alternatives to all the Sirius channels on his website through internet radio links to make Sirius radio totally irrelevant to truckers needs. Otherwise we will never get real solutions and good legislation passed.
Besides filing grievences and complaints to various authorities, it seems to me legislation is ultimately the solution to solve the problems like Desiree and I encountered. For new legislation, here are a few ideas:
1) Require trucking academies to make full disclosures, (similar to cigarette label warnings), to students on things like the trucking death rate is age 62, the trucking turnover rate is 120%, the owner operator failure rate is 90%, types of health diseases truckers get and at what percentage rates, the typical workweek for a trucker is often 14 hr days, 70 hrs a week. ; your otr training may also be 70 hr weeks. List all the types of unpaid work: fueling, drop and hook, taking the truck for repairs, etc etc
2) At the very least, felony record disclosures to trainers and team students with extra pay for working with them. This will draw volunteers for these type of people, who are more work. This type of solution is called capitalism.
3) Create legal liability for shippers who ship overweight loads so they can be sued in civil court. Also pass on part of any overweight fines to shippers. Once this happens you will see a whole lot more shippers install scales onsite, or give you maps to he nearest scale, rework the loads with no hassle etc
This is how we must start to think as truckers, how do we solve the problem? What good solutions can we come up with? What type of legislation is needed to fix the problem? Can a profitable solution be found? etc,. etc.
So make no mistake, the only other people to be held accountable for these hostile truck training environments are the owners of these truck training schools, and trucking firms. Some of whom are going to solve the problem by importing Mexican drivers under NAFTA.
[…] am on April 20, 2009 | # | 1 Tags: Trucking, government, Women, Schools, […]
Hi Desiree … your blog is long over due! Newcomers to trucking, specifically women drivers, are in much need for a women’s view of the industry: how it works, what to expect, how to be successful in a “man’s” world … and most importantly, someone they can trust to give the real facts about this business – both good and bad.
I’ll be looking forward to your posts….
Allen
Desiree, I am so proud of you. I’m an old driver, 30 years worth and still trucking, and you have laid out so clearly what I always have suspected was the truth about student drivers. As an “old hand”, I learned to drive by the seat of my pants…started in a 6 wheeler and then moved to a T/Trlr with only 6 wheeler experience. I still believe the best way to start trucking is with a class B CDL and a dump truck. Building confidence in one’s ability to manage a large vehicle is the first need for a new driver.
I learned it all the same hard way we all do…by doing it…the truck driver training schools are just a money making operation. There is no better way for a driver to learn than to be taught by someone who CARES for her/or his success and safety. That, sadly, is almost gone from the way trucking operates today.
I remember being so scared when I first started and when I see an obviously new driver struggling, I’ll try to help and reassure her that if she can hang on for a year, she can make her own choices about who she will work for, when she will be home, how much money she can make, what kind of trailer she wants to pull…etc.
Thank you for revealing the truth. Until things change, there is always hope for the intrepid, persistent, intelligent woman to make it anyway…
when will you just shut the fuck up
When I get some action Brian which is underway as we speak. Now I have a question for you …
When will you grown balls to leave a real return email if you are such a tough guy?
What have you done Brian? Anything of value?
Well Desiree it sounds like Brian has met you to and see how you really are. I would like to know where the trucker magazine gets there information. Its all false. they make you sound like an angel but in reality you are nothing but the divil in disguise. The only reason you CLAIM you are helping people is to make yourself feel better.
Dear Tamara:
Thanks for posting. You are correct, I am no Angel.
To understand what I have done with My Student Trucker Story and My Postings on “Women in Trucking” you would have to understand that it is quite easy to whip up Hype.
Like I said to “Ben” on the post about the Informational Safety Video here on this site, I get an enormous amount of credit for things I have not done.
I also see Organizations take credit for things they have no business taking credit for at all and are in fact contributing to the harm of ill-informed student truckers because of that.
I will begin chronicling these items in the next few weeks after I finish my final installment on “A Day in the Life of a Lady Trucker”.
Currently, I have participated in about 3 documentaries which have yet to air and an Investigative Report which will share more details of how my story is actually not mine alone, it is an Industry wide failure.
With regards to the “Truckers News” Article, there is a bit of hype included in it but I did not write the article.
As with ALL Media, the actual story will always be skewed depending on who is telling it.
I do not “Know” Brian Personally but I do know who sent him to post on this site.
One little known element to my story is that a number of people have tried to latch onto me to “Get Famous”.
One such person who goes by numerous names on many trucking forums and has a website called http://www.truckdriversnews.com/
This person went out of his way to cultivate a relationship with my Twitter persona @TruckerDesiree so that I would as they say “ReTweet” his articles.
It is because his frequent “tweeting” of “Jason’s Law” that I became more aware of the bill.
This person became heavily involved in our Twitter Group of Activist Truckers but became increasingly aggressive.
He would call me at all hours of the night and day wanting me to help him not only write articles but “ReTweet” ones he had as many as four other people help write for him.
Some of these articles were explosive and I warned him he could be sued for what he was saying.
As it turned out, it was this person “Paul Jason Cox” who wrote and prompted a donation drive to get the Rivenburg Family to the “Great American Truck Show” in Dallas Texas.
He became more agitated when big trucking like ATA & OOIDA would not help out and wrote some rather provocative articles which he has now removed.
One thing most people do not know is that “Paul Jason Cox” who goes by the names on Twitter as @PaulJasonCox @JakeBrakeCowboy @FlatBrokeTruckin @A_Real_Redneck @TruckDriverNews @Udoknowme is that he was tying up so much of my time, I actually starting paying him a small amount of money to just log into my @TruckerDesiree & even @TruckinDogKarma and “RT” the articles himself. I also asked him to help with my #FollowFridays.
He expected me to stop driving at moment’s notice to talk to him about everything from his injured ankle and rescheduled doctor’s appointments to his sleeping arrangements at his house! It got to the point that I stopped “tweeting” because he would starting calling me from the moment I first woke up at 4am and he would not stop. It made me feel like he never slept and just watched to see when I was awake.
I felt bad for him because he had lost his CDL and would never drive again, he had some terrible family problems but he also had a weird obsession with @DanielAudet from “The Truck Star Radio”
I came to find that not only do many people contact me to help them find help, but some people, like @PaulJasonCox, contact me to help them get Famous to compete with someone else!
During the donation drive for the Rivenburg Family, a guy named TJ Graff made an Honest mistake, he trusted that @PaulJasonCox truly cared about @HopeRivenburg and sent a spreadsheet to all of us to show a full accounting of the donations received.
There was a large donation from @DanielAudet of “The Truck Star Radio” and this sent @PaulJasonCox into a tirade.
He did a total about face on “Jason’s Law”, and without detailing all of his juvenile behavior right now, I will just say Butch Savage , who is Hope Rivenburg’s Father made comment to me about the spectacle and even some personal calls made upon our arrival in Dallas.
There are good deal of people who know the truth but at this time I am not at liberty to give all of the details.
The “Trucker’s News” article indicates “I” am responsible for collecting the money to get the Rivenburg family to Dallas for the “Great American Truck Show’, but it was actually many people who donated, some anonymously when they saw @PaulJasonCox become a “SELL OUT”
Dear TruckerDesiree,
I’d be very interested to read your initial student story (it is apparently a dead link, ergo I must ask you for it) and to know why Tamara has her panties in such a tight wad about you. She says she knows your trainer, but obviously, she has not had the misfortune of being trained by her.
As I recall, you and I had the same trainer, and we shared some horror stories. Now, I already know what she could say against me (I was once in the next state before I realized I’d left her at our last bathroom stop and had to be pulled over by the state troopers to go back and pick her up–funny story, when you think about it–because I’d listened to her when she’d stated that I shouldn’t talk on my cellphone while driving, so her repeated phone calls to turn me around very much fell upon deaf ears), but what on EARTH could she say against you?
So here’s what I know about our dear trainer:
She liked to complain about how she was treated as a female driver, and had the audacity to treat her female trainees even worse than any “persecution” they ever witnissed against her. She liked to complain about people’s narrow minds regarding her tendancy to date interracially, and yet had the audacity, yea, the gall, to be homophobic and prejudiced against the Latino community (as a matter of fact, when she drove me to the bus station following training, she gave me a “How dare you” look when I compared her situation as someone who dated interracially with mine as a lesbian. So, um, what was hers, if she saw mine as a choice..?). She bitched about her menstrual flow, diabetes, and other health issues that were directly tied to her weight, and yet, when I was trained by her, she was around 400 lbs, and, from your stories, she didn’t get any lighter. I think she liked to complain, period, and yell from time to time, and if that didn’t get her the desired results–which it almost never did–she’d eat. Pretty much whatever problem she ran into was solved by a plate of food. Of all the things that she did NOT teach me, I am very glad that she made it so unintentionally but abundantly clear that, the more I avoided overeating, the happier I would be.
By the end of my training, I didn’t know how to back, and she didn’t really take the time to work with me on any of my other weaknesses. I “tested out” based solely upon the fudged driving and backing grade of the examiner. So. according to our company policy, I should be OK because I was partnering with someone, right? This is also known, in other companies, as the “Dumb and Dumber” plan because it implies that two people who can’t drive will somehow add up to one who can. So, of course, I wasn’t alright as a driver, had a male partner who was constantly trying to sleep with me, a dispatcher who somehow thought that this was acceptable behavior on his part, and I couldn’t back or downshift. I had to transfer to Werner in order to get another trainer, a GOOD trainer, who actually took the time to teach me how to back instead of yelling at me when I couldn’t. During this training period, I made a wrong turn while my trainer was asleep and backed down a narrow driveway that had ditches on the side in order to turn around. This was maybe a month after I’d been told that, well, it was OK because no one knew how to back this early. I was also finally taught how to down-shift, which beat hell out of my trainer emerging in the middle of the night (she was a day-driver, which made me, the rookie, by default, a night driver) to yell “REV! CLUTCH! SHIFT!” over and over again in my ear and wondering why the truck was still about to stall.
Like you, I didn’t come from a trucking family, and, like you, I didn’t enter into it with a husband or boyfriend as a trucking partner. Women have so much crap to deal with on the road; we can’t walk across a truck stop parking lot without being propositioned, we can’t talk on the CB without being patronized, cussed out, or hit on, and we can’t ask for help without being openly laughed at and criticized. It would have been nice to have been encouraged–which I was by the trainer at Werner–rather than marginalized from the very beginning.
YEP! We did indeed have the same trainer, This was a girl who spouted her hate 24/7 and I let her go for broke about how much she hated Mexicans for about two days before I revealed I LOVE TACOS!!!!
She was very embarrassed and asked why I never said anything and I told her I wanted to see how far she would go, AND, she went FAR….
I am two years out here now and still suffer from her poor training but thanks to her friend that she treated like crap, I did learn to back better and also from another former trainer I went to for assistance.
My original Student Trucker Story is called A Day in the Life of a Lady Trucker and it has grown so long that it is nessesary to scroll to the bottom FIRST to click the link that says ‘See all comments” and then they drop down from the top.
I could have very well labeled and called people names like my trainer did to everyone, but I did not.
I tried to make the Story interesting based on my true notes from official complaints but also, I did learn something from every person, what to do & What NOT to do….
It is an adventure to read but it was I was under a great deal of stress when it was happening because it seemed like it would never end.
Wow Graem thats such a touching story. If you really felt that way towards your trainer then why call her a few months later and tell her what a great trainer she was and thanked her for helping you with your backing that if it wasent for her you wouldnt have made it thru the other companies training.? Yes I know that conversation. She had you on speaker phone. I was the student that was on the truck with her at the time. Yes she was my trainer. You know that is very unprofessional saying some of the things you did. You dont just go and broadcast health problems like that. I dont want to put you in the same catigory as Desiree. She is nothing but a pethetic human being that blames everyone else but herself for not getting anywhere in life. If you want to respond to me email me directly please. smithtamara51@yahoo.com as far as Desiree dont even bother responding.
Dear Tamara:
You have done more to broadcast “Your Friend our Trainer” inconsistent story than Either I or Graem could dream up.
With friends like you,… she should quit asking you to take up for her because you are digging her into a ditch.
Adios Amiga
With reference to professionalism, you might want to think about from where you are getting your example. In response to your attacks on MY professionalism, there are several other medical issues which I did not list, nor did I state at any point my trainer’s first or last name. In fact, there’s a LOT I didn’t say. But this is like the stories that I’ve heard about the same person all around the terminal, the ones I choose to ignore. Tamara, if you choose to do so, you can ignore mine, too.
I passed the backing exam because I was able to practice on the course and knew exactly which way to turn my wheel and when. She told me when to turn what way and once I had the routine down, I was able to… well… ALMOST pass. See, I knocked down a barrel and, although he pulled me around to the back to show me, he didn’t write it down (which… having to flirt with an old guy was a bit creepy for me, admittedly). When I went out on the road with my touchy-creepy partner, I had to wake him up to do the backing pretty much every time. I can put you in touch with my trainer at Werner who will attest to the fact that I could straight back, but that was about it. You might think that I’m lying, but you have no reason to mistrust her.
I can only speak from my personal experience, and if I called her a few months later out of the blue to thank her, it was certainly because I would want to be treated that way; her homophobia didn’t exactly foster a sense that honesty would be rewarded, but she was still a decent human being–even if she still had a bit to learn about others, which, we all do–and I genuinely wanted to know how she was doing on the road. We still didn’t exactly become pen-pals; however, I still speak regularly with my trainer from Werner, as well as most of the people I’ve met on the road. This hasn’t changed, even since I’ve been back in school.
Tamara, if you had her as a trainer and you’re doing well now, that’s not something that I’m about to take away from you. If you’re happy, as a female driver, with the status quo, then, also, I’m not about to tell you that your opinion is wrong. Maybe Desiree and I were just special cases prevented from learning as much from her. Maybe she just didn’t like us as much because she had preconceived notions regarding certain minorities, and this interfered with her teaching us. It’s entirely possible that she’s a decent trainer with others. That just wasn’t my experience.
Dear Tamara:
I think Graem went pretty easy on “Your Friend/Our Trainer”.
I tried very hard to not say the things I could have mentioned about this young lady and her very hateful personality. I saw through her Hate and saw it was actually FEAR and Insecurity.
I told your friend that I found it upsetting that my tuition for CDL school was very expensive. I expected to learn how to drive the truck for that price not how to doctor shop pharmacies and troll truck stops for men which is what your friend spent the majority of the time doing when not requiring me to sit in the center table of Dennys in the worst neighborhoods because …. well I think you know Tamara…
If you want to vindicate yourself , I mean, “Your Friend” perhaps we can have a lookie see at those pharmacy records. Perhaps Full Disclosure so we can determine if those pills are okay to use and overuse while operating a big rig and/or teaching someone else to do it who has no experience.
Wanna?
I didn’t even get into all “Your Friend’s” slurs on Gays (Graem) and Mexicans (Me).
The fact that neither of us knew how to back up the truck and dock it after a month with “Your Friend” should be enough evidence in itself.
I got much more assistance from “Valerie” who actually cared about her students learning
yea dude if u dt like wat they saying leave
I am forever indebted to you for this information.
Oh, SNAP! Bye bye, ‘brian’!
XD
Fucking troll.
Desiree, I found you through Feministing. I admire you, and will be following your blog from now on!
You are great.
Thanks for stoping by Julia …. I’ve had at least 4 online stalkerrs since I began writing about these topics who have actually made threats of bodily harm to me.
Some of the other fringe instigators have been “Sent” & some encouraged by Trucking Organizations.
Brian is just a punk ass dick from Twitter who was used as a tool because he is easily manipulated & wants to “fit in”
When the time is right I will talk about the Organizations and Online threats made to keep my story from getting heard by the corrrect ears that WILL expect sweeping changes in this Industry.
Desiree, I have been following your twitter stream for nearly a year now. Maybe more.
At any rate, I think you’re an amazing woman, and what you’ve done to help others is incredible.
I encountered many of the issues you talk about when I was new in trucking, but I brushed most of it off because I am able to. Not everyone can.
I hope that one day I can meet you and buy you a cuppa joe. Maybe at the Pilot. 😉
Stay safe out there!
Dear Vern:
I appreciate you stopping by and posting. My current route keeps me East of I-35 so I don’t get out to Arizona, which is a bummer because I love to Southwest.
In fact, my Son just moved from AZ and out of California.
Thanks for your encouragement and take care of those sweet girls of yours.
xoxo, Desiree
Desiree,
Well, it won’t be long now. As the saying goes, “the truth shall set you free”…a lot of folks are about to be set free…:)
You are right, many times people will use others who they think will be able to catapult their career. They appear to befriend the person that they are actually using, only to eventually turn on them and try to degrade them in hopes that they will come out looking “great,” while making the person who has tried to help them look bad.
It’s really not much different than that of the workplace.
Did you ever know people who didn’t have the ability or ambition to climb the ladder of success? Instead, these kinds of people just decide to make everyone else look bad in hopes that they will look better!! PEOPLE SEE THROUGH IT!!
As you know Allen Smith (AskTheTrucker) has had to endure many people like this. These people don’t care about anyone or anything and just want to get ahead and be “famous”. The fact is though, the majority of people see through it all. People can read sincerity and they sure can distinguish BS!!
Allen’s desire to “raise the standards of the trucking industry” started as a dream, but with honest and sincere people like yourself who have joined the cause with all your heart…TO HELP PEOPLE…his dream will soon be a reality. Those trying to crumble the dream will go unnoticed and without honor.
Thanks Donna,
You know how I’m chomping at the bit to reveal the ENTIRE backstory but there are particulars that make portions of that saga not my place to share all the details.
Soon ….
But for now…. let Squeak , Sqawk and Talk about “JASONS LAW! for Safe Trucker Parking!!!!!!!!!
Hats off to you young lady, keep up the good work and keep it between the ditches driver
Hey. I love what I’ve seen, and look forward to seeing more. Keep up the good work, TruckerDesiree! I’ll definitely be back.
graembo, Hi. Are you still truckin. Looking for ‘family’ advice. New to trucking and picking cdl training…Thanks
Hi Kat:
Last time I talked to Graembo she had left trucking for good. We have started the WTN (Women Truckers Conference) Free Phone Conference through the http://www.realwomenintrucking.com website and there are “family” members there who are considering a new network to unify our GLBT trucking brothers and sisters. At this time we are touching on topics for CDL training and training carriers plus other mechanical issues and becoming aquainted with one another. If you would like to hear last weeks replay on your cell phone you can dial 805-399-1099 access code 560199. Cheers! Desiree
Hey TDesiree, You’re awesome and inspiring! Thanks.
Do you think an active, very healthy 55 year old can make a run in trucking for a few years? Picking/paying own way, like a 5week cdl school with 40 hr behind the wheel (learned a ton from your story). Retired from cubicle job, still need backup income…loner type, love the road and driving 2/3 weeks with truck n horse trailer… Any comments are appreciated. Thanks again.
Hello,
Sorry for my delay. Yes I do think a healthy 55 year old can make a run at trucking if you enter with eyes wide open and read all the complaints about training carriers so you understand the obstacles and can live a spartan lifestyle for the first couple years.
Good Luck!
Jesus, I Honestly was thinking of becoming a trucker when I graduated high school, I got all the information i needed, had my apps filled out, but because of other factors I just wasn’t able to become a trucker….
But thank you TruckerDesiree, If i had gone into trucking, by god, the things that happen to you and others, from the students, to con artist way to recruit.
one of my friends is a trucker, and she’s been explaining to me exactly the same things, its almost to unbelievable that this kind of thing goes on. I truly don’t understand how this can go on? don’t the companies realize all the shit that can go down just from the mistreatment, and thats not factoring in any of the other topics you brought up
Thank you for sharing your experiance.
Here is a link to my TwitPic Pictures if you want to see what I’ve been up to for the past year.
http://www.twitpic.com/photos/truckerdesiree
Des-
Three things:
1)<>
Ohhhhh, snap! Thank you. I didn’t want to say anything about the fact that she just HAPPENED to have the phone on speaker when I called that time, but… yeah. Cover’s blown.
2)<>
All I could think here was, “Well, damn! I guess we BOTH like tacos.” Bahaha!
3) Not that it’s a big deal, but there’s an “e” at the end of my name.
Yeah, there were things that you experienced with our trainer that I definitely didn’t, but you have a duty to the truth not unlike a journalist, and as a writer, I don’t think I could make up a story that good, so I don’t doubt you for a minute.
Tamara mentioned, the other day, that you were intent upon blaming others for not getting anywhere, but from what I’ve seen, you’ve gotten further than I or even she ever will, all by telling your story with the intent of helping others. Among your critics, I strongly wonder how much they have done for the good of others? I know that, at our company, during Driver Appreciation and Safety functions (which are, from what I understand, paid for out of the fund intended to help drivers in crisis), they must keep doors locked and strongly monitor the tee-shirts and food, because people, not thinking of others, will come in and clean them out every time.
You certainly had others, like Vincent, in mind when you started telling people about your experience. I only wish that this blog had been around when I was first entering the field. I would have been much more prepared for what I found.
BTW, Outbound has a list of acceptable or partially-acceptable substances, both controlled and not, both trucking-legal and company-allowed. For instance, Xanax is allowed by the government, but not by our company (I only use this as an example; to my knowledge Xanax has never been mentioned. I want to make this clear so that no one thinks I’m implying anything about anyone that I haven’t witnessed.). There are a few other differences, but it might be a good resource for you to have, even if they make you pee in a cup at a later time.
Tamara-
No offense, but I’d rather you not know my email address. And, speaking genuinely, best of luck in all that you do, or all that your friend does. I do hope it all works out for you and your friend.
-G
CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT.
I’m a senior litigation paralegal and a scout for a number of law firms to identify class action claims and plaintiffs.
Let me know if you want me to look into DAC abuse. I will need some cooperation from the driver victims. The result could be cash compensation and correction of errors on the DAC records.
http://www.Badisse.com
Dear “Law”:
The DAC Abuse should most definatly be a class action lawsuit against a multitude of companies.
Allen Smith over at http://www.askthetrucker.com and Author of the book http://www.truthabouttrucking.com is a great starting point. Allen, with his little bit of free time has taken numerous complaints from drivers whose carreers have been ruined from false DAC Reporting.
A petition has been started and I have the link here on this site where a few people have left comments that are quite startling about when the erroneous information began appearing on their DAC.
Also, over on http://www.ripoffreport.com if you seach specific company names there are a number of drivers posting their experiences with these trucking companies and how there DAC was affected.
When I attended the Dallas Truck Show in August, I was with Donna Smith (Mrs. Allen Smith) and there was someone from DAC there that she tried to get questions answered about this system.
She was unsuccessful, as with many things I’ve found in trucking, they have many ways to keep drivers quiet about the mistreatment they subject them to and keep them under control with things like DAC that can ruin their carreer and leave the drivers in a tangled mess trying to fix something that should have never been placed there to begin with. Most give up. These people are unable to fight this system and the trucking industry knows it and thrives from it.
I will email you privately,
Thank You for Posting,
Desiree
DAC ABUSE CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT
Get back to me about this issue. I’ve conducted some legal research and there appears to be a viable legal claim here for DAC abuse. For example, the following lawsuit mentioned DAC abuse based on “defamation”. The defendant relied on a “qualified privilege” to make statements to DAC against the employee,which protects them against any false statements. However,if the statements to DAC were made with the knowledge that they were false, the element of malice would defeat the privilege and the defendant would be held liable for the false reporting to DAC.
Read it for yourself.
THE FOLLOWING LAWSUIT WAS FILED IN 2009 BY A TRUCK DRIVER ACTING PRO SE (without an attorney). HE DEFEATED THE DEFENDANT’S MOTION TO DISMISS HIS LAWSUIT. IT INVOLVED “DAC” ABUSE.
” Plaintiff is a pro se litigant pursuing a claim related to losing his job as a truck driver. …Plaintiff has accused Raven of making defamatory statements about him to the EEOC and the DOL as well as to a potential employer, D. Krutiak Trucking (“Krutiak”). Raven has also been accused of releasing defamatory statements in a DAC Report, an employment-history database for motor carriers. Raven has moved to dismiss on the grounds that the statements that they made were privileged and not subject to liability. Plaintiff claims that these statements were knowingly false and have made it difficult for him to secure other employment….. (a) An employer or any person employed by the employer who discloses information about a current or former employee’s job performance to a prospective employer is presumed to be acting in good faith; and unless lack of good faith is shown, is immune from civil liability for such disclosure or its consequences. For purposes of this section, the presumption of good faith may be rebutted upon a showing that the information disclosed by such employer was knowingly false, was deliberately misleading or was rendered with malicious purpose; or that the information was disclosed in violation of a nondisclosure agreement, or was otherwise confidential according to applicable federal, State or local statute, rule or regulation…….This privilege carries a rebuttable presumption of good faith. Qualified privilege will not attach to the DAC Report or Raven’s communications with Krutiak if they were knowingly false, deliberately, misleading, or rendered with malicious purpose……..Plaintiff has alleged that Raven’s statements were knowingly false and rendered with malice. Since this Court must assume that these allegations are true for the purposes of this motion…Plaintiff’s defamation claim for the DAC Report and for communications with Krutiak cannot be dismissed now… Considering the foregoing, Raven’s Motion to Dismiss is DENIED”
Eaton v. Miller Brewing Co.
Not Reported in A.2d, 2009 WL 1277991
Del.Super.,2009.
The above case teaches that to hold the trucking company liable, the allegation MUST not only allege that the trucking company made a false report to DAC; but that there MUST be sufficient evidence showing that the trucking company knew their report to DAC was false when it was made to DAC.
Again, I believe that there is a viable and strong class action claim here for DAC abuse. Which includes punitive damages for the harm the trucking companies caused drivers. After reading a number of complaints, it appears the trucking companies are using the DAC report as their own personal “black list” to retaliate against drivers and that the administrator of DAC may be assisting them. For example, drivers who completely lose their income due to false DAC reporting. Please get in touch with me so I can take this to the next level with the law firms I work with.
http://www.Badisse.com
Desiree, i think you have th drive but it is misplaced. The best way to change the industry is not to “Talk” or “Write” about it. It is to do it one person at a time. You may h ave learned much, but what you have not learned is the industry will NOT change unless it is FORCED to. What people need to do is stop “talking” and start “acting”!! You started your career honorably, but apparently you did not do enough research. One thing i learned in my life from my parents, my time in the military, and life experience is I NEVER EVER believe what a recruiter tells me. Before i went to truck school, i talked with alot of drivers who had 10 + years and got the REAL story of what it is like out here. I took it upon myself to ask ALOT of questions of my trainer and still talk to him and the friends i have made out here. One of the most important lesson i have learned is that if you fail to learn something everyday, if you feel like you know everything, it is time for you to come off the road. The very first thing people who think about getting into Trucking need to realize is this is not a JOB. It si a LIFESTYLE. The dedicated men and women who drive trucks are the people who spend days, weeks, and months out here on the road, driving in every dangerous condition, missing their familes, children, and loved ones. You talk about a very small percentage of the industry, and in turn demonize the entire industry. What you fail to realize is that people like Dan Rather have agenda’s and don’t care one bit abot what the truth is. i.e. The Bush letters he reported about which were proven false. He said it didn’t matter whether they were true or false, what was in them was important. There are bad people in every industry and every company. YOU have to find a company you can be happy with and then start the change. Start with looking at the person in the mirror. I am a trainer for a very very good company and have worked for several companies before coming to the one i am at now. One of the worst I worked for was a company whose trucks and trailers are blue. I am also living proof that you can be a father, husband, and truck driver all at the same time. It is not easy, but nothing worth having is easy!!. If you truly want to change the industry, then stop talking about what is wrong and start suing without a settlement. that is the only way things will start to get better. why not start with DOT? they regulate us by the hour but we get paid by the mile. DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? why not sue these public advocacy groups who say ALL truckers are bad drivers. Why not sue the Railroad industry for monopolizing the freight industry. The railroad takes more Government subsidies than any trucking company ever thought of. Why not get the federal government to get rid of the hours of service and replace it with the miles of service? That is alot harder for drivers to falsify than hours of service. Or better yet, why don’t’ you start your own trucking company and do things correctly? Maybe then you can “do things right”. This is not the easiest industry in which to work, But it is one of the best if you can maintain a level of professionalism and productivity. You seem to complain that you only made $35,000 your first year. I know people who would love to make half that. People need to realize that this industry is what you make it. It can love you, take care of you, and even give you financial freedom, but the real question is what are you willing to od to achieve your goals. Are you willing to get out of your comfort zone and work your ass off and run 4000+ miles a week or are you satisfied with 2500 miles a week? Are you a go getter or just a talker? Are you a person of action or are you just happy talking about the problem. Trucker Desiree, I send you this challenge, YOUR 15 minutes of fame are over, Are you going to now do something or are you just going to be like all the moron in Washington and talk about it? The choice is yours. You get to choose who you are with people!!!!!!!!!!!!
Dear Vincent:
I’m am not clear if you understand my story. I never for one second believed my recruiter, but I met many people who did and had much higher overhead than I do.
I also asked a lot of questions of my trainer but she was mostly non-responsive and very pre-occupied, not just because of her health issues but relationship issues, if you will read more on this thread you will see that her “friend” has posted to defend her but does not persuade.
There is also posting from another one of her students. Seeking further guidance from her was futile, she would not even fill out a simple paperwork checklist of what she taught me and was unclear on many questions I asked her to clarify for me.
I am not sure that you are aware that currently, learning to drive from a Veteran driver to become a driver is not really an option for most Student Truckers, there seems to be a concerted effort to create a Government Run System to train Student Truckers, this is something that has occured overtime and yes, I believe the Railroad Monopoly spilled into the Trucking Industry and right now the Railroad in undergoing rehab in some areas which will in fact affect the Long-Haul Trucker or OTR Driver Carreer, this is not widely discussed because that would then slap the myth of a OTR Driver shortage upside the head to recruiters who are selling a dream of a long term career.
I have made an impact in many ways and as I posted on the “Life on the Road” site
http://lifeontheroad.com/2009/11/12/dan-rather-truck-talk/4718.html/
I was made aware my story was brought up in a FMCSR meeting many months before Dan Rather Producers contacted me.
There are also other items that have not been made public at this time and other issues my writing and talk talk talking has prompted action.
Let us not forget the Quote:
“The Pen is Mightier than the Sword”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_pen_is_mightier_than_the_sword
Suing is not a practical option because I am one person. Although I have been involved in lawsuits before and I have won, they are tiresome even for the winner and after several years everyone is exhausted, which is what large companies do. They drag it out to exhaust you so that you quit. If you don’t quit , thats when they offer to settle. A settlement makes the entire issue dissapear never to be heard of again. That is not what I wanted.
You also state you think I am upset about making $35K for the first year? If you listen to what I said and what I wrote you will see that I said “I can live on a sandwich, but some people cannot”
I am fine making $35K to learn this job but many are not. In fact yesterday
I met a guy who is a student at CR England, he has a Wife and 5 Children and he said he needs to make at least $1000.00 per week, is that practical?
His said his first trainer was not so great and he is on his second trainer now so he has 2 months under his belt and of course he is being encouraged to buy a truck under the CR England Lease Program and become a trainer by next month.
As a Father of 5 he needs to pays his bills so becoming a trainer with 2 months of experience and buying a truck might seem logical to him, what do you think about that?
There are more ads on the internet to sell people a dream and it gets very confusing to sort it all out, esspecially because many trainers and drivers are eligible to receive some sort of commission to help “Steer” students to their company, so who can you trust?
Even Organizations like “Women in Trucking” seem to want to encourage recruitment into this industry when the ATA states to Dan Rather that there is NO Driver Shortage and many Student Training Companies continue to churn Students. This is a money making Government sponsered Industry that taxpayers are paying for, it’s not my battle, it is for any concerned taxpaing citizen to become involved.
Vincent, You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make them drink….that quote goes on in some places to add you can lead one to the truth but you cannot make them think.
Some people will read this and still be convinced to go lease a truck tomorrow with no experience in trucking whatsoever.
Did any of us every take all of our parents advice? Or did we have to find out the hard way?
Sometimes I did not take my parents advice and I actually acheived what they told me was impossible…. So I do what is in my heart, I listen to advice of lots of people and sometimes I forge ahead into a storm, mostly I make it through the other side and I utilize the wisdom given to me by others. (I say that metophorically before any “do-gooders” think I mean drive into a storm with the truck)
As far as your comment about Dan Rather, he is an American Icon like it or not. I am less than a fly spec in his career.
This wordpress is for informational purposes, I am in no financial position to become the “Messiah”.
I write when I can, and people listen to what I say and they sometimes ask for permission to use it elsewhere and sometimes they just steal it, borrow it and try to make it their own.
I’d say that is a pretty good testament of action taking place. After all
“Imitation is the best form of Flattery”-unknown
I leave you with one last Quote I think you will enjoy-
“Success is not final, Failure is not Fatal; it is the Courage to continue that counts.” ` Winston Churchill
Desiree
Desiree, Let me just put it out there that i have no idea who your trainer was but it sounds to me like she needs to re-evaluate what she is doing. There is some trainers out there that use their students as a way to solely make money. AND ANYONE WHO SIGNS A LEASE WITH CR ENGLAND NEEDS TO HAVE THEIR HEAD EXAMINED. That is the same thing for people who hire on at JB hunt and don’t take their BS Per diem pay. However there are good companies out there and good trainers out there. The company you work for is a good company.
I personally waited 4 years before i got my first truck. I got it from a private individual not a company. I took my lawyer in with me when i signed my lease agreement and i thought i was being careful. I learned alot from those 3 years and even though i was 4 payments from owning my truck and my company loved my work, I gave it all up to come home with my children. That last year as an O/O i grossed just under $200,000. I work for the same company as you do and I am on a pace to make $100,000 this year. The money is out there for anyone who wants it. I will tell you and anyone else here, you have to do your research FIRST AND FOREMOST. How can you make a choice if you don’t have all the information??
Your quite are good but there are a few you should learn, like “All it takes for evil to grow is for good men to do nothing” – unknown. There are a small group of truck drivers right now seeking funding to get their own company started. They have found a class 8 engine that emits NO carbon footprint on the environment. The know ALL the problems in the industry and how to solve them. The “big 5” as they call them have offered them alot of money to purchase their business plan and forget the whole idea, but they turned them down. They are not in it for just them money, but to change the industry for the better. That is what i call action.
Another great quote is “We judge ourselves by our intentions while the world judges us by our actions” – Bill W. And one of my favorite is “In this present crisis the Government is not the solution to our problems, The Government is the PROBLEM!!” – President Reagan.
I promise you if you were tell that last quote to dan rather he would be rather upset at you. His “career” lost all esteem when he came out with the report about Former President Bush getting preferential treatment in the military using FALSE/FAKE documents. I will give you a case in point. Walter Cronkite has one of the longest and best career in journalism, throughout his whole career, he never once showed his personal political feelings on the air. HE JUST REPORTED THE NEWS without bias. THat man I can respect and believe.
If you do your research on the trucking industry you will find that Barbara Walters did a very hateful report on the industry back in the late 197y0’s that still sticks with us today. in that report she lead Americans to believe that all truck drivers do is take drugs and hire prostitutes. I don’t know about you, but that is not me. I have gathered from your writings that is not you, But if you go into any store other than a truck stop and ask people what they feel about truck drivers this will come up!!
Are you also aware that there is a national chain truck stop that tells it employees that truck drivers are the worst people to get to know. that theie employees are subject to termination for dating a truck driver?
While imitation may be the best form of flattery, that is all it will become, and that is flattery. Personally i would rather be known for trying to make a change and failing then being flattered. Look at the lady who sued all the way to the supreme court and never settled just cause she felt it was her right to have an abortion. SHE WON. whether you agree with the law or not, you have to be impressed with her drive and lack of appeasement in her choices. Those are the people that should be admired.
Are you familiar with the DNA of Commerce? Joseph is doing some amazing work changing things from within the industry. I have read some of your posts and I have not seen you mention him or his work at all? What about Trooper Monty (Dahl)(may have misspelled that, please forgive me). This state trooper takes time out of his day, comes on Sirius Radio truckers channel and takes questions on the law from truckers in his attempt to help us understand and comply with the law?
I can’t remember the name of the program, but there is a program from truckers to be able to adopt a grade school class and write to them from the road. The students learn about life on the road, truckers and the trucking industry. From first hand knowledge. These people are changing peoples minds and feelings about truck drivers and the industry.
As far as the railroad is going, I can promise you they will never ever be Carbon free. They don’t want to change. and whether you believe it or not, the railroad still sets the price of freight at the present.
“the trucking industry is operating in the 21st century using a 19th century model” – Dave Anderson, CEO. that man is doing something for the industry and understands where the problems are. he is doing something about it. It might surprise you very much to know that before he got the position he is presently in, he was a lowly truck driver for 30 years. He ws also a member of a biker club. He also has 2 bachelors degrees that he achieved while driving truck. He has also spoke of the need to reform these truck driving schools. Currently there is only one or two that actually use “loaded” trailers to train students. Anyone can drive a truck when the trailer is empty. Lets put 30000lbs on it and see how many people they weed out.
The people I have spoke of in here are people who are not satisfied just writing or being imitated. They want to lead us into the future and change things for the better from the inside!!! That is what i say when i tell you what are you going to do? This is the challenge I send to you?
Remember, YOU get to choose how you are with people, YOU get to choose what people remember about you. Will you be just a passing fad like the pet rock, or will you be someone that the entire industry will remember you by, like the beanie baby or rubix cube.
I understand you are young in your career and hopefully still learning. Like in my prior post i am a “cherry” with 9 years in. I am a Certified trainer who has trained for our current company and also for previous companies. I have trained people who just had their permits. I took it upon myself to teach those people the correct way for the simple reason is they are going to be out there with me and if I teach them to do their job correctly, the life i save may be my own!!!!!!
when i worked for the “blue trucks” company, my fleet manager called me when my son was in the hospital and told me i had to leave my son in the hospital and take a load, I told him where to stick it. Even with our company i have lead to believe that they wanted me to go beyond what i could do legally. When i pointed out that it was not possible and explained to them why i was not able to do what was asked, they were more than happy to make the necessary changes to ensure the freight got delivered on time. this is also what i mean by changing one person at a time. As individuals we have to start with ourselves, I am still getting plenty of miles as a trainer. I am teaching my students the exact same way i was taught by a great trainer from Davis Transport by the name of Ron who lives in San Jose, CA.
There have been times in my career i have trained people who from the first time talking with them i was scared, nervous, and frightened for my life because of their background of where they came. I have trained people who changed careers and who have been out of work for a bit before coming into our industry. I get to know them and teach them the truths about life on the road. I introduce them to good people who want to help them in their careers to become better, more professional, and successful drivers. We don’t do this for the money or the fame or the notoriety, we do it because it is our live out here that we are trying to save by helping the new drivers become better, saver, and successful drivers.
As far as lawsuits being tiring, you are right they are, but the real question is what price are you willing to pay to do what is right. It is not so much being a “do-gooder” like you have said. It is just doing the RIGHT thing. But as my mother always taught me, doing the right thing is the hardest thing to do
Dear Vincent;
Your post is pretty long and I feel like you have a lot you want to say but not to me. If you would like to write Dan Rather Report the email is Viewer@hd.net
Our Company has forced Per Diem as of this year and I do not like that nor the idle policy although I have never personally been charged I have met many who have and they did not have then means to afford such an expense.
One guy was with his Wife and Dog when it was 10 degrees outside and was charged for Idling, we are employees, that is wrong. No Idleaire was available for him.
There are a number of other drivers from our company who have been posting on the http://www.ripoffreport.com and our management is fully aware of it.
I have had several trainers who I have not met but since my story came out have wanted to post to me frequently.
It’s made a curious display to the public about our company because this site is read by many media and industry persons.
I have a challenge, … if the trainers in our company feel strongly then they should take it upon themselves to Commite to CARE by Reaching Out with their own Initiative to ask a Student WITHOUT berating them “How are you?” How is it going?” “Is there anything I can help you with?” “Do you need some help with anything on your driving?” even offer them a number to call NO Strings Attached if they have a question.
I asked so many times to find someone to help me and I got nothing from no one. No One could answer my questions to find Someone who would help me.
That is perhaps the biggest problem… Communication….Who can I find to help? and When I find them , are the just going to tell me all about their persona resume?
These might be student truckers but they are not children, they deserve to be treated with some dignity.
They are not collected to be berated and trotted around like monkeys. I often see that and I see those students not only shut down to learning but refrain from asking for assistance.
We have some stuff that needs fixinng in the communication department.
If everyone is talking , no one is listening … it’s just a bunch of noise after awhile
ok i understand you don’t want to debate these issues, that is fine. I was just pointing out that the issues and problems you are pointing out have been known for years. People are trying to fix them, but since the companies will not change without being forced to, progress is slow. but progress is being made. I was hoping to convince you to join us in action instead of just talking the issue to death. That is ok. I actually have nothing to say to Dan Rather. He is nothing but a lying idiot. I would rather talk with people who actually want to change things and can come up with solutions.
As far of your challenge, Not only am i doing this but all the trainers in my class are doing this. We also traded numbers with each other to help each other become better trainers. So as far as going to the idiotic Executive Council to get the company to change the policy, WHY. The policy is already being changed without the need for anyone to tell us. That is what I call taking action. That is what I call being ahead of the curve.
Like I said, You were easy for someone like Dan Rather to talk with, You are new to the industry and only see what is wrong with it. You have not seen what is being done to change things. Like I said in my first post, and you may have missed it. YOU WERE USED by Dan Rather and his people for their own agenda. That is truly the sad thing.
Dear Vincent:
This wordpress is provided for other to find useful links and additional information. It started it grudgingly because I simply do not have the time to maintain it due to the work I do on Twitter which is a ongoing mini-blog.
What I have been doing on Twitter for a year now has been picked up by more media outlets than I can mention because I have nearly 5000 followers now and they are not Truckers but many Trucker follow me.
I created a target audience when I came to Twitter because I saw that debating issues with someone that cannot get something done or will not get something done will waste time and energy.
My stream has been picked up by a number of media.
My tweets on the Virginia Parking Issue were picked up by a Washington DC News Affiliate last year, My Tweets have drawn interest from a number of politicians who were not awre such things exisited and grass roots organizations have also used information to BUILD their research and others who are in our Industry who really do CARE about Safety have put me in touch and created a larger following for me.
This was all going on way before Dan Rather came along.
I have been in a Twitter Documentry, Numerous Radio Programs and Interviews including some which have yet to be made public and the theme is Safety, Getting Incolved by taking action, Alternative Energy and Women’s Safety and the Student Trucker Industry.
I am now contacted by Truckers around the World on Twitter and Facebook and we are united but see there is no point arguing with wach other.
I target those who CAN help make changes because I only have a small bit of time each day to answer emails.
The list of Women reaching out for support has been enormous in the past two weeks, also men who are new to trucking.
I do not spend much time on trucking forums because there is to much arguing and no one does anything but argue and debate.
What is happening on Twitter is difficult to understand or explain but I have created a base of influence there greater than many oragizations have because it is tranparent so personality shines through and people listen to truth instead of media packages.
Our Executive Council person “Ed” in my story was a good example of how power corrupts. I had spoken to our former VP of OPS a few times before his departure and when he left so suddenly and the rumor mill began that he embezzled money. Never an Indictment but just permitting that into the rumor mill was exactly how and why nothing ever gets changed, you just get it to go away from the rumor mill, the whispering, debating.
I target an active group from the influence I have. I have been doing more research and participating in more projects than anyone in our company has any idea.
I’m not one to tip my hand.
I have little time to explain myself to one person here and there.
I now have people who have begun to help me behind the scences who volunteer their time for reseach and other projects.
I have 5 online stalkers who plot daily how they can eliminate me and spend most of their waking hours obsessing about me and why no one want to talk to them.
I can waste my time on them or on these projects.
If you or your friends who are working on projects want to help and have a website of information you are welcome to post the link unless it hate any hate filled speech.
I say that because sometimes I have people who want to cram their politics or agends down my throat and that is when you are going to see a real bitch turn on.
I am not some feeble minded person.
I know a thing or two about a thing or two and I do do a great deal of reading and research.
I also collaborate with people who have been in the trucking industry since the 70’s.
For some reason though, no one wants to debate them, only me.
Desiree, I think this information you have began sharing is much needed. At first when I started seeing the post on Twitter I had to click to follow so I could truly understand. I have been both over the road with my ex-husband and then I went to work in the office, where I worked as a Safety Director. I decided one day that there was alot of situations that were hypocritical to the situations that the company I worked for in comparison to company and owner-operators, or even contracted carriers both men and women. That was hard for me, so I decided I was going to start my own business, and assist in areas of trucking that has been geared to the “little companies” the mom and pops of the business, that really do not understand or have the same resources to pay for information that the larger companies had.
As I started the marketing aspect I quickly found that the politics of trucking and the mis-conceptions that was being put out there was amazing. When you work with a company you pretty much stay inside the box. When you work for yourself you begin thinking outside the box and wow does the information surprise you.
I look forward to reading and catching up on more of what you have to say, and I look forward to reading your tweets, mine is @myonlineoffice 🙂
Hi Dianna:
Thanks for posting! I recognize your twitter tag 🙂 , Yes I agree this is a very insulated industry. There seems to be many layers of abuse that have been delibratley put in place over a very long period of time. I have found that there are lots of very good people who have their hands tied to effect any sort of a change but there is a lot of support to expose what goes on to drivers in this industry. It all boils down to greed by a few who take advantage of many. That is very sad to me when our country is suffering from the effects of greed and unethical business which has destroyed most of America’s Industry.
When I meet people who have no conscience about how they mislead people into this industry it really makes me sick, knowing that person has maybe little kids to feed, a mortgage, a car payment and they will lose it all because of the system of abuse that occurs in truck driver training as a matter of standard operating procedure to churn students for profit.
I’m glad to see more individuals stepping up and speaking out.
Nice to meet you and thank again for posting!
Desiree
Vincent, this is your quote: “
The best way to change the industry is not to “Talk” or “Write” about it. It is to do it one person at a time. You may h ave learned much, but what you have not learned is the industry will NOT change unless it is FORCED to. What people need to do is stop “talking” and start “acting”!!”
Well Vincent, Before you change things you have to expose what has been hidden so you can act. We ourselves were criticized in the beginning for exposing industry scams, but when more and more people came on board and supported what we were doing, we become credible, and only then, people listened, respected and joined in. THE SQUEAKY WHEEL GETS THE GREASE
.You may not like Dan Rather, but the fact that they contacted Allen(askthetrucker) and Desiree says that they saw a problem in trucking. And how does a problem get fixed? Talking about it first, getting others to know it exists, having others support and talk about, get national attention, and then finally, those causing the problem will have to do something because now their little secrets are all out in the open and exposed.
In between all this is a ton of research; Phone calls, networking, writing and documenting, contacting state officials and writing them letters, debating….and the lists goes on.
For you to say, “You may have learned much, but what you have not learned is the industry will NOT change unless it is FORCED to. What people need to do is stop “talking” and start “acting”!!”
Well Vincent, how do you FORCE people? BY MAKING THEM ACCOUNTABLE. How do you make them accountable? BY DRAGGING OUT THEIR DIRTY LAUNDRY. What is their dirty laundry? HOW THEY TREAT THE GOOD MEN AND WOMEN IN TRUCKING! Okay, now tell me, who’s side are you on?
This tells me you have no clue what Desiree and we have been doing for quite a while now. You can’t force an industry to change unless you first expose the wrong doing!! It will stay hidden. Why do you think things have gone on as long as they have? Many issues that we have been talking about and trying to educate people with has been discussed for years in the forums, WITH NO CHANGE.
The conversations and debates stay in the forums and that’s just where the Megas want them…In the forums and not in the News.
Vincent’s quote:“You talk about a very small percentage of the industry, and in turn demonize the entire industry”
We’re all working to IMPROVE the industry, not to demonize it!! What are you saying? That we should all keep quiet if we know people are being ripped off, harassed, abused, and so forth….for the sake of the industry? Suppose it was your wife, mother, brother, sister, or Child that was experiencing harassment and abuse. Suppose it was one of them that just paid their last $6000.00 on a school ,only experience these abuses….or better yet….Couldn’t get hired because someone told them to falsify their application by not including a DUI that happened many years ago….and then they get fired for it and perhaps have a career that never even started, ended.
What about the DAC report that is ruining peoples live? False information ending good drivers their careers. These things take hours of research. Do something? Are you kidding me? None of us have a day off. Our days off are dedicated to others, and that’s what you can’t comprehend…”Living every breathing moment for the good of others”
You wrote about people who are doing positive things and made great quotes, but what’s the point? I’m thrilled to hear it, but them doing good for the industry does not mean that others who are not dealing with things the same EXACT WAY, are not also “doing good”. We all have our own convictions in life.
A cause does not come without a price, that’s for sure, we are all witnesses of that! We all work relentlessly and we all, including Desiree, answer countless emails to people in order to encourage them to go on or to just be compassionate and empathize.
DO something? We all put in, on top of our jobs, about 30 hours/wk to improve an industry that you yourself said has had problems for years.
Let me ask you, how many hours/wk do you volunteer for others? How many letters have you written to your congressman? How many organizations have you contacted to get things changed. How many hours weekly do you donate to make yourself available to people in your company who may need to talk about a situation.
Do Something? What a JOKE? Des is the picture of action, commitment, integrity, and perseverance. And this is the saddest part of all.
Folks like Desiree and us, not only have to stand up to the Trucking Companies to defend our fellow drivers, but we have to defend ourselves from drivers LIKE YOU! Instead of criticizing, your post should be offering other ideas and suggestions on how to help improve the way of life for our fellow man/women. The trucking companies LOVE people like you who because they know that they can just sit back and let drivers like you do their dirty work for them…which is to keep us divided.
I invite everyone to read the Post on Desiree’s Blog from DAMIAN4UNITY written April 28th 2009. This is our Dear Friend Damian, a veteran Swift Driver who stood for everything moral and right and committed his life to the good and betterment of others. He was a trainer, driver, but most of all a great human being and friend. Please read his post Vincent, it’s the second one down.
Donna,
These issue have been known for decades and have been talked about for decades. One of my best friends who has been in the industry for 30 years told me that the same issues were talked about when he was just out of truck school. Joseph Simonz of the DNA of Commerce has already done the research for students. He has also gotten some good companies to put up grant money for people to go to truck school. Do I think there are still alot of problems in the industry, HELL YES. but i have seen no suggestions except that which is already being done to solve the problem in here. If the person you are talking about took the advise of someone to lie about a DUI they had, when it clearly states on any application you have to reveal it, then that person who took the advise is the idiot. This is what i mean, you have to do all your research before getting into any industry to find out if you can or cannot find employment in that industry with your present circumstances. That is what I did!!! Anyone who goes into anything blindly deserves to be taken advantage of.
People who read this please take my advise!!! Get all your information before you make a decision. don’t take one persons advise on anything. Call potential employers and ask them what their qualifications are. If they don’t answer your particular question, keep asking!!!
The really amazing thing is this. I met a driver who had a perfect driving with the company he worked for. He was with them for 20 years. In a routine check, they discovered he had a felony conviction that was 30 years old. They fired him. Why? Because if by some chance he got into an accident, then his victim’s lawyers would use that conviction against him even tho he had not even had a log book ticket in over 20 years of commercial driving!!!!!
Does DAC have false and misleading information on their service? Absolutely. I would not of had my current position because of DAC if i had not kept personal records and was able to prove to my company that the information on DAC was incorrect!!!
I am on the side of drivers. But we have to clean ourselves up before we can force people and companies to change. That is a fact of life. Like the song says, I am starting with the man in the mirror, I am asking him to make the change.
I have known about Desiree for some time, and Our employer does not even have any idea that i am writing what i am writing. I have talked with some of her fellow drivers that say they know her well and consider her to be a close friend. I would love to talk with her personally if she has some idea of what to do to change things. It is time we as an industry stop living in the problem and start living in the Solution.
My email address is v317345@yahoo.com if you want to contact me personally to get information to people who are making positive changes and need help in making these changes. I will be happy to privately give people this information as they do not want to be totally bombarded with phone calls. If any student, new driver, or anyone who has questions about the industry wants to contact me, I am more than happy to help, FREE OF CHARGE, and i will not even send them to a website as i am not trying to promote any website or charge for the knowledge that was freely given to me. I will only ask what was asked of me and that is to pass it forward!!
Donna, those are the facts of the Issue and they are not debatable. We as an industry have been fighting these fights since before deregulation which, if anyone is interested in Dan Rather was totally against. He thinks the Government should of maintain control!!!
I am not trying to demonize her, you or anyone else on this blog, I am only asking for people to stand up for the convictions and do something about them!!!
Once again, the issues on this website, the issues the Dan Rather report talked about have been KNOWN and TALKED about for decades. I say it is time to stop talking and time to start ACTING!!!
Just a note about scams in the industry, Why not tackle some of these scams like Paying to have the shipper or consignee load or unload their product off your trailer? How about double taxation on toll roads? How about drivers being charged to cash a comchek or any guaranteed check? How about Cutting taxes in general?
Desiree talked about idling, how a driver should not be charged for idling? well, then what encouragement does the driver have to turn off that truck? I have met O/O who sit at the fuel desk and complain about the price of diesel only to follow them out to their truck to find it idling with no one in it?
Let us not forget that the industry is a business and in business to MAKE money. As a solo driver my idling times averaged 17% – 19% weekly. Once I did get as high as 54% due to the fact I was in 29 degree weather for a few days and i was not going to freeze my booty off. When my fleet manager got the report that i was at 54%, she simply told me to not idle as much and she was not going to charge me this time. I told her what the reason for my idling was and she said no problem. I am quite sure she checked to make sure i was correct in what i said, and i have no problem with her doing that.
The thing is, it is the drivers responsibility to follow the directions and policies of the Company. Let us not forget, IT IS THEIR TRUCK!!! not ours. The were nice enough to hire us, give us the pieces of equipment we have to use and pay us for what we do. NOT all industries give you all the tools to do the job. Ask any mechanic how much his employer paid for the tools he uses for his trade!!!
if someone wants to idle, why don’t they just go out and purchase their own truck and spend their own money on fuel to idle. I have been an O/O and know what it costs.
The real trick to ANY employment is to make yourself so valuable that the company would loose money if they fire you!!! Learn the industry and your job. Help the company cut costs that you can. Follow the most direct route no matter if it is interstate road or 2 lane highway. Watch your own personal spending. Get a refrigerator and either a grill or propane stove and COOK for yourself!! Be efficient. Attempt to pick up early and always be on time. But most of all, whether your company does or not, THE DRIVER must keep in constant communication as to what is really going on with his truck, trip, and road conditions!!!
I have made the suggestion to my company that they bring in a company to help with communication. the company was called Landmark Education. the website is http://www.landmarkeducation.com. Any person can take the classes they offer without help from a company.
The real question I guess is what do you want to do with your career and what are you willing to do to achieve your goals!!!!!
I really enjoy the honesty you portray in your blog. This is valuable information for truckers and wannabe’s alike. Here is a link to a video I did after a disagreement with a dispatcher. Keep up the good work.
Hey Mark:
This is a Great Video. I just did a solutions show on Blog Talk Radio and one of the things we discussed is a “Student Bill of Rights” sort of “Full Disclosure” before they sign on the dotted line for the loan.
You Video is a great opener for something like this. Tonight is the 3rd Dan Rather Show and it goes further into the Loan Scams involved in CDL Training . You can get it on iTunes tomorrow for $1.99 and it’s going to be called “Mind your Loan Business” If they make it Free again, I will post it here as will Allen Smith on http://www.askthetrucker.com
Bravo; your comments are truthful. I have been a truck driver for many years and learned to carry a tape recorder. I have a box full of recordings of Fleet Managers telling me of the advantages of training females if I would become a Trainer. Pass or fail and throw them to the curb if they refuse to comply to my request for favors. I quit Swift right after I received my Trainer Certificate and passed their road test never leaving the parking lot. I have been told to tear out the safety pages from the employee manual that they are only for an appeasement of the publicly demands for safer highways. I have affidavits from nationwide mechanics at Petro, Flying J, Travel America truck stops documenting how these mechanics are forced to sign off DOT violations without repairs or these major companies will boycott their fuel stops. I like playing trainee and tape record trainers explaining how to falsify logs to comply with the companies policy of 15 minutes load times, fuel stops, meals, and how to get those 650 miles a day logs as a solo driver. I became aware of the raping and beatings of female and male trainees eight years ago when I was first asked to become a trainer. The Department of Labor ignores 98% of STAA claims filed by drivers, the EEOC claims to investigate these alledged sexual harassment claims, but in my research no wittnesses are ever called by EEOC investigators and their investigations never leave the desk. The FBI has over 500 unidentified dead female bodies found at truck stops and my concern is most were trainees. The trucking industry denies all allegations even with the tape recordings, affidavits and multible wittnesses of their criminal activity. But then, so does the Public School Districts, Pay Pal, and eBay deny all allegations of strait up fraud on taxpayers. Like the Illinois Governor said: Its all about the bleeping money. So they rape and kill a few hundred students, you got your toilet paper.
Thanks Patrick for posting. I’d like to know more about the information you have so I can pass it along. My email is TruckerDesiree@gmail.com
i was a arrow driver truck#4112 i got a load to kingman,az the day they told me they just closed there doors so i had a load heading to ny but i had to take it back to the shipper.
so when i drop it they was mad at me for bring back but everyone was fine after i told them what has happen with arrow trucking so i had to drive my truck to the dealer ship there in kingman,az our fuel cards and cash adv was tun off aweek befor then so all the drivers didnt have money to eat on or can do anyting for a week befor the shut down.
i started there on dec 3 of 2009 and never got 1 check from them im out of $920 with arrow im a month behind rent i got to pay it befor the 5th of jan and my family and i have to move out if that happens my family going to her morther house in tx but i just wunt to as anyone can help me pa this —-i will give it back to who ever helps me i got a job at westen express i got to be there on monday moring.
i hope tings work out on that job if u can email me yr address and number so i can py anyone back that help us if not i understand times hard and im sorry for asking —i would never ask for any other reson
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Just thought I would stop by and say “hi”! Have a safe one!
Hi Gary!
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Right on!!!!! Keep it up..
Keep up the good work im checking back every day for new posts.
Thanks for the comment. I have really not had time to keep up with this blog because I have been writing in other areas and had some family issues to deal with. Here is a link to some posts that may be of intrest to you of writings I have made elsewhere.
http://lifeontheroad.com/author/desiree/
Also, the website called http://www.REALWomeninTrucking.com
I have just returned from the history making 1st Annual Truck Driver Social Media Convention hosted by Allen & Donna Smith of the ‘Ask the Trucker” website. This was a wonderful event to educate drivers on how to use social media to educate the public & mainstream media about how truckers are not being properly represented with regards to safety & training,
I have been using you tube to retell my story & I have set up a new channel for “Trucking Social Media” that includes some short video clips from this history making event.
Take Care!
Desiree
Great info on this blog…Thanks Desiree and real women in trucking!
People need to read things before they sign, This isn’t Congress. no one can make you sign anything without your approval. If you don’t put your foot down and stand up for yourself, you will be walked all over by anyone who you allow it to happen. Sometimes, you just have to say NO. I have turned down job offers and loads because they were not the right one for me. Did anyone do anythig to me, HELL NO. they make you think something will happen, but those that study the law and know it will be able to stand up for themselves. Know what your rights are and what your rights are not. Follow the rules, but do not let anyone make you do anything against the rules either. If in doubt, contact DOT, they will help. they are not just there to write tickets and impose fines. they will tell you what the law is, not what their interpretation of it is.
And you haven’t even but scratched the surface on the problems. My company just upped it’s incentive to $2000 to me for a sign up bonus for sending drivers their way. I hardly get 1600 miles a week. What in their strange way of thinking would have me invite someone to a company that does not know the meaning of keeping their word on putting miles under your wheels. Why would I add to my DIRECT competition when the company cannot find/give me enough miles?
Taking home on avg UNDER $300 a week is not the dream I was sold. I should be so lucky to make what you made your first year. It must be worse in 2012 than it was in 2008. I would suggest that EVERYONE who enters this field have another income to be able to make it. That makes the field of candidates that can AFFORD to do this pretty small. People are being processed in such drives that these predatory companies can afford to absorb all of the people who can’t afford to make it through the first THREE, yes Three years of learning and abuse.
I agree with you that the incentives to lures others in a carrier that has bad working conditions for existing drivers, including low pay are yet antoher tactic that should be clarified. These are all games carriers play to generate turnover rather than retain the qualified drivers they already have employed. Thanks for the comment!
Keep up the good work Desiree!!!
Hi. I’m getting ready to attend a training school in January. Plz contact me some how. Hopefully you can point me in the right direction. Thanks
Great post and lots of great conversation. I really appreciate your blog and everything you have shared here. Keep up the great work and safe travels.
There aren’t enough lady truckers out there. My dad drove for 32 years and my mom and I went a lot on the road when I was a kid. Can’t really do that anymore. She was as tough as the rest though. Keep Haulin Butt Desiree!.
thank you desiree for this post hope this will serve as inspiration to some women who are willing to become a truck driver
Being a female truck driver myself, I have encountered a few weird situations one being on the road with a stranger. The other is waking up feeling weird often times feeling like someone had touched my thigh and to wake up and see my trainer saying Good Morning. The trainer laying on the top bunk with his arm hanging off the bed facing me and after I look at tge watch for a minute he suddenly moves his arm. Don’t forget the parking in the back of the truck stops even though empty spaces are in the front so far away from the store so you will have to walk a bit just to get to the store and I felt like I was kidnapped on the truck.
Thank You for sharing your experiences. I know it is hard to speak up in this industry.
all the best to you,
Desiree
Desiree;
Thank you a million times over! The information you give is priceless. You have given a bird’s-eye view on the inside and outside of the “student trucker industry”. There is so much misinformation, safety concerns, human health issues that no one in authority in this industry talks about. It has taken someone like you that obviously cares about not only the human condition but about your compassion in your chosen field in the trucking industry. In being a person that has acted in a proactive way with your concerns and experience you have I am sure given a opportunity for potential and early- in -career folks to do extensive research and ask questions(that get answered), as they make decision to go forward in this field. Secondly, many occupations that once where consider “male orientated” and /or dominated by men are non- friendly to the majority of women in that industry, I know by my own experiences in the Aviation industry. Until leaders speak up and act to change the methods, minds, and behaviors of the character of these industries, American industry across the board will suffer due to not being as diverse in allowing more folks to enter and offer thier ideas to make the engineering, administration, planning, technological methodologies, day to day operational and operating goals, go forth with honest professionalism.
My Best Regards,
Jet
P.S: I thrive on a challenge.
Thank You
Hello. I came across your story and thought oh, bla bla bla. But wait is that covenant i.e. SRT big sister. Yes. Well lets see what she has to say. I started with srt 2004. Oh the story’s are abondent and yes, everything is true. I don’t know how I survived. I finally quit. I am now back in trucking. Me as a male i could tell you things about my experience. Not sure if anyone wants to hear it. Seems like everyone knows but no one says. Any way. Glad things are going well.
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