FedEx Freight | Lit Driver Fired For Accident In Nky

[Trailer Trash]

You would think FedEx would not fire him, but keep him on with the attitude he did nothing wrong, we only hire the best drivers. I know if this was me I would have lawyered up before the ice on the bridge melted. The tractor, trailers, the freight and all the other vehicles would be impounded, pending a private investigation. Just remember, You have the right to not answer anything except, name, rank, and serial number. In this type of situation that is the best policy. Remember you are guilty and fired until the court system forces the issue.

 

[Goslo]

Unless falling off a cliff, how does ice increase your speed? Any high school physics teacher can explain velocity. Ice doesn't catapult you...it only keeps you at a constant.

As for the drive axle issue...you're claiming that the drive axle is accelerating because it's sliding and the trailer axles are rolling. The exact opposite is true. The trailer axles will lock and slide, causing the trailers to fish tail wildly. This accounts for the trailers whipping into the oncoming traffic lanes. The video proves the driver stood hard on the brakes and stayed on the brakes. Had he let off the brake pedal, he might of recovered without wiping out everything in the median.

MrFxFw

Ahhh, never mind...............geeze!
On second thought, dude you need to play the lottery, cause if you've driven 2 million safe miles in those conditions and don't understand what I'm trying to tell you....you are one lucky SOB!
Do you understand the principle of friction? Fiction is GREATLY reduced on ice! It doesn't matter if you tape the drive tires or trailer tires....which ever ones you prevent from rolling will try to come around the ones that are rolling and the rig will jackknife. FCS you saw it in the video of the crash! The tires on the trailers had moved closer to the front of the tractor. How do you suppose they managed to do that without a speed diffentail? Duh

 

[The Red Phone!]

Supposedly we had 2 guys (on nearly 3000 mile/week bid runs) in KCY fired today for claiming a 30 minute "H" hook on "TO" tractor only hooks. Evidently this had been going on for quite some time, mind your Ps and Qs!

roog

May not like this response but if you are stupid enough to claim 30 min on 15 min of work then theres no one to point a finger at but yourself. My god were none union and we have drivers making 65 to 95 a yr. Everyone needs to take a look at what you do on a consistence basis. IS IT WORTH LOOSING YOUR JOB. Theft of company time is what they call it. Good luck finding a job a replace that income.

 

[MrFxFw]

Ahhh, never mind...............geeze!
On second thought, dude you need to play the lottery, cause if you've driven 2 million safe miles in those conditions and don't understand what I'm trying to tell you....you are one lucky SOB!
Do you understand the principle of friction? Fiction is GREATLY reduced on ice! It doesn't matter if you tape the drive tires or trailer tires....which ever ones you prevent from rolling will try to come around the ones that are rolling and the rig will jackknife. FCS you saw it in the video of the crash! The tires on the trailers had moved closer to the front of the tractor. How do you suppose they managed to do that without a speed diffentail? Duh

So how does friction being reduced increase vehicle speed? It maintains vehicle speed!

 

[MrFxFw]

You would think FedEx would not fire him, but keep him on with the attitude he did nothing wrong, we only hire the best drivers. I know if this was me I would have lawyered up before the ice on the bridge melted. The tractor, trailers, the freight and all the other vehicles would be impounded, pending a private investigation. Just remember, You have the right to not answer anything except, name, rank, and serial number. In this type of situation that is the best policy. Remember you are guilty and fired until the court system forces the issue.

Good luck on that. FedEx has 400 of the finest attorneys from Harvard, Stanford etceteras on staff. They have another 5000 or more on retainer. You're gonna hire Jacoby and Myers...and the company will laugh all the way to court.

 

[magicman]

If this statement is true, I can't believe they would fire a driver for one accident, that has a exellent driving record with all the years service he had. Don't you guy's have a review board where he atleast has a chance to be heard and maybe keep his job.

My personal opinion, he was not only unlucky in having the accident, but doubly unlucky on "where" and "when" he had the accident, that being right in front of a police cruiser camera as he was sliding into said cruiser.

The media were like sharks in bloody water. The video was plastered all over the national morning shows, and it was shown over, and over, and over.

I can't help but think that when the "powers that be" were deciding the fate of the driver here, the "public image" and the "PR" of the company weighed heavily on their minds.

I may be wrong, but something tells me the outcome of the company's accident investigation, as far as the driver was concerned, may have been more favorable if it had not happened in front of a camera and beamed around the world for everyone to see.

 

[Apostolic]

I tend to agree with you on your post BusterNite.
This was very bad advertizing for Fedex.
When we do good nothing is said,its always the bad stuff thats on everyones mind for a long time.

It was simply a case of this driver being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
The only good thing if there is one,no-one was hurt very bad.

This is a very good example of how all of us drivers have to be totally focused on our jobs.
A split second of not paying attention to what we are doing,and things can go wrong very quickly.

 

[imported_roadrage]

Good luck on that. FedEx has 400 of the finest attorneys from Harvard, Stanford etceteras on staff. They have another 5000 or more on retainer. You're gonna hire Jacoby and Myers...and the company will laugh all the way to court.

with respect toward you i will disagree with your comment.
It's those who do nothing that lose.
Fed ex can have a million of the finest attorneys money can buy and that will not change the fact that the case is heard in one court room with one judge and 12 jurors.
It would only take a few minutes of talking with your attorney that if he/she felt out matched they would tell you this.
Usually at that point your attorney would pick up the phone and level the playing field by calling some pitbulls that they know.
If they feel you were wronged in any way they will take your case and settle for 40% of a favorable decision on your part.
Your original attorney would recieve a fee for referal.
Trust me attorneys love taking on big business they do it all the time and win.

 

[roundabout]

Driver who was let go

Dont want to get sappy or over dramatic. We all know if you make one mistake you could pay with your life or the life of somebody else. As far as getting what he deserved, that posting was wrong. The Lit driver possibly made a poor judgement call. If anybody who post on this site can tell me they have never made a poor decision I would have to say you live in a land of dillusion and need to up your dosage. The Lit driver has his poor decision filmed and was on the network news. be careful....

 

[Apostolic]

Very good post Roundabout.
The Bible states in Matthew 7 that you need to take the log out of your own eye before you can attempt to take the speck out of your borthers eye.
Judge not because you will be judged by the same judgment you've judged someone else with.

And in plan english this goes back to the saying.
What goes around comes around.
Be very careful what you think someone elses life should be lived,for in a short time you also may be dealling with the same thing.

God created this issue of judging to be done only by those worthy of being able to forgive as well,as dishing out punishment.

 

[MrFxFw]

with respect toward you i will disagree with your comment.
It's those who do nothing that lose.
Fed ex can have a million of the finest attorneys money can buy and that will not change the fact that the case is heard in one court room with one judge and 12 jurors.
It would only take a few minutes of talking with your attorney that if he/she felt out matched they would tell you this.
Usually at that point your attorney would pick up the phone and level the playing field by calling some pitbulls that they know.
If they feel you were wronged in any way they will take your case and settle for 40% of a favorable decision on your part.
Your original attorney would recieve a fee for referal.
Trust me attorneys love taking on big business they do it all the time and win.

Road,
my point is that companies don't fire people for doing their job. I've been working for west for 25 years, have been disciplined 1 time. I go to work, I do my job, I go home with a weekly paycheck in hand.

The way it sounds on this board, the company fires people because the management gets bored. I'm not buying it; I know we all make mistakes..at what point do the drivers understand that some mistakes cost you more dearly than others, yet the mistake was made just the same?

All I'm saying...is be very careful and focus on being safe and doing the job. Hang up the cell phone, turn down the cb and the am/fm when in the yard, and focus on safety.

Jeff

 

[Goslo]

So how does friction being reduced increase vehicle speed? It maintains vehicle speed!

Did you try the test I suggested? If I could explain the laws of phyics to you I wouldn't be driving a truck. Just try the demo with the truck on incline with drive or trailer tires taped. Try it, then you can explain it to me.

 

[Familyman]

This driver had 2 tickets in the last 6 years
both in his personal ride, both reported

.

Thanks Stretch, that puts an end to that hearsay.

That being the case this was not a fireable offense in my opinion.

Heck the 1st month I worked here another new hire took the top off a trailer on a well marked 11'6" overpass on a side street (slow speed) anywhere else that I've worked if you knock a mirror off in the 1st 30 days and your gone, he got 3 days.

FM

 

[SMOKESTACK]

This was not a fireable offense in my opinion.

I'm with my brother FM on this.
There must be another reason that
is not coming out for some reason.


Smokestack

 

[roogie]

May not like this response but if you are stupid enough to claim 30 min on 15 min of work then theres no one to point a finger at but yourself. My god were none union and we have drivers making 65 to 95 a yr. Everyone needs to take a look at what you do on a consistence basis. IS IT WORTH LOOSING YOUR JOB. Theft of company time is what they call it. Good luck finding a job a replace that income.

I'm with you Momoney, if they were actually doing what I've heard, then they deserve what they got.

roog

 

[imported_roadrage]

Road,
my point is that companies don't fire people for doing their job. I've been working for west for 25 years, have been disciplined 1 time. I go to work, I do my job, I go home with a weekly paycheck in hand.

The way it sounds on this board, the company fires people because the management gets bored. I'm not buying it; I know we all make mistakes..at what point do the drivers understand that some mistakes cost you more dearly than others, yet the mistake was made just the same?

All I'm saying...is be very careful and focus on being safe and doing the job. Hang up the cell phone, turn down the cb and the am/fm when in the yard, and focus on safety.

Jeff

mrfxfw,

I understand what you really meant.
I just did not want someone thinking that if they were wronged in any way by big business that they had no recourse.

No doubt if you keep your nose clean so to speak you minimize alot of problems.
Take care of business and go home.

 

[tundra2000]

Loss of friction would result in your increase of speed if you were on a grade or hill. On a flat surface loss of traction/friction would result in difficulty stopping but your speed wouldnt increase. For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.

 

[The Red Phone!]

I have to dissagree

Fact: Trucking componies use EVERY oportunity to thin out the herd. Get rid of a senior driver to hire a newbie. newbie is well qualified to do the job, just has to work up to senior status. I got hit by another truck driver while I was backing into a driveway. The other driver stopped, waited for me to move then as the front of my trailer come around to enter the driveway, he decided to go around me on the shoulder and hit the front right corner of my tralier. Three (3) people standing on the ground AT the driveway witnessed this and gave statements to HP. MY company! MY COMPANY'S saftey director and insurance agent called me 2 weeks later to get my perspective. Near the end of the call I was informed that the driver backing in was illeagly?? backing and it was his fault. When I informed them of who I was things took a drastic change. I was cleared of ALL wrong ONLY because they were caught in the act of setting me up for a fall.

Qualified drivers are hard to come by. The industry will only really find out when the teamsters start retiring. average age of them is around 56. Dodn't ask where I got info I saw it on the web about a year ago and found that very interesting.

 

[The Red Phone!]

??????????????

Then why was the driver traveling in the hammer lane. That patrol car was in the hammer lane up against the jersey barrier wall, and when the police car spun around you could count aleast four lanes of traffic?

 

[The Red Phone!]

previous????????????

if you look at the video again you can clearly see his head lights in the lane when he starts to loose controll. Now I have traveled in the lane to I am surely not perfect either. But any of us know d$%n well you busted in the lane the fine is gonna stick. And in his situation with what happened you could 50 yrs out here safe and you would be lucky to keep job.