SAIA | Two Linehaul Drivers Fired

maverick50

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One driver in Den and another in Oma. They were fired recently for refusing to take a run. In both instances, the weather was bad and refused to hook-up and run. Any feed back on these new developments?
 
Wow. Hadn't heard that...I've been thru Oma. A few times. You don't have a name do you? At any rate I know that the company can get a little screwy when it comes to bad weather. They preach safety then fire a guy. Weird.
 
If they refused due to fatigue, sick, or unsafe weather conditions then its time to call a lawyer!! They have a nice pay check coming....many articles online about this.
 
These management types really need to take a long hard look in the mirror and think before they act. On a personal level my boss is really quick to anger rather than get the facts first. Just sayin. Catch more flies with honey than vinegar
 
These management types really need to take a long hard look in the mirror and think before they act. On a personal level my boss is really quick to anger rather than get the facts first. Just sayin. Catch more flies with honey than vinegar


Old School Saia Terminal Managers chew you A$$ and then gets the facts...nothing will ever be said it about again, unless you ask and then they don't recall?
 
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Thats a bit ridiculous. A few years back we ran into that at my terminal. One guy called in saying he was sick, the rest of us were told to make an attempt. Most turned around including myself. Just bc there is no ice around the dispatcher's desk, doesn't mean the roads were not bad for those guys.
 
I guess I have always heard that unless the toad is closed you have to make the attempt. And if you get 10 miles away and have to turn around they don't say a word. But who knows. Can't imagine firing guys for feeling uncomfortable behind the wheel
 
nothing changed, I tried to get them to let me stop in gvl Wednesday AM so I would not get snowed in @ clt , but oh no go on to clt, I stayed in t hotel till Friday noon.
 
A few weeks ago, when Southeast Texas had the icing problem, I realized that there was no way for me to make it to my barn. I parked in a small truckstop with a Burger King and was ready to sit for the next ten hours. At that point, me, my truck, and my load were safe and I would have not had any problem sleeping in the truck. I called Central to let them know and Central informed me that I needed to go to a hotel to take my rest even though I told Central that finding a hotel,with truck parking, was going to be a nightmare and would be putting me back into a dangerous situation. The end result was another 3 hrs of I45, my nerves shot, more close calls than I want to think about and in violation of DOT time rules. I eventually made it to the Hst terminal. Sometimes it just doesn't make sense.
 
If anyone from central or anywhere else told me to operate outside the legally mandated hours of service I would get their name, hang up, and call safety. No one at central or anywhere else in this company has the authority to force you to run over on your hours. I would report this in detail immediately to safety and hr. It's your license not theirs.
 
When I called Central , I was still legal by a few hours. I became illegal after getting hung up on I45 for the next 3hrs.
 
At my terminal there was a safety brief put out by the safety department..This brief was put out as winter approached. I don't have it anymore but it said that Central Dispatch was the one who made the decision if we were going to run in bad weather or not. It also said that once you were dispatched out it was up to the driver if he felt it was safe to continue on with your dispatch. If you are told by Central to hookup and go you must make an attempt. If it got too bad once you were on your way you could call them and stop if you didn't feel safe..I believe that if you don't at least make an attempt it could be considered refusing to work and subject to termination.
 
in clt this week I told CA (in central dispatch) that I thought it was unsafe to run and was told to stay in the motel.
 
So you can't be fired for refusing to drive in hazardous conditions. I have heard that if you are not union you can be fired if the company just does not like you. If you do not drive in hazardous conditions will that make the company not like you?
 
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