SAIA | Camera question

[Dick Dastardly]

How are they doing things in your region? Here, it’s every morning I hear someone being told they have a new camera video to view. The drivers I talk to, which are all mostly new, it’s constant harassment.

They are still hiring and training new drivers so I don’t think it’s a matter of over hiring and trying to “thin the herd”. I think it’s just a particular safety man in this region is a complete *******.

Last week I worked six days. Three days linehaul, and three days city. I come in to be told I have a video to view for a critical following distance, because they have an eight second clip, and during that eight second clip I had a period of three seconds following distance. (They expect four to six seconds at all times) This particular run was a 640 mile turn so you have to be on your toes to make it back.

I guess in the end this post is just me venting, but I’ve just never worked for a company that makes drivers feel so unwelcome, especially new hires. I don’t understand why you hire someone to treat them like complete doormats and make them feel unwelcome and want to leave the job after spending so much money bringing them on.

They have a really good pay and benefits package here, and this could be a great job, but this place is not for me if this is how it’s going to be. I can’t recommend anyone work here based off of my experience.

 

[Action express]

Some terminal’s don’t do much about the videos. Here in north west, not as much. Had a guy transfer to PHX and it’s a problem every week ( I keep in touch daily with him). If it beep’s let off immediately. Personally I don’t have a problem ( make videos every week). I just tell the TM , if you don’t make a video you’re not doing your job.

 

[TRK monkey]

Is the city and linehaul separate? Or are u forced to do both?

 

[Dick Dastardly]

Is the city and linehaul separate? Or are u forced to do both?

Completely separate. The sixth day I spoke of is strictly voluntary the same as line haul during the week. When there’s an abundance of runs you can choose to do that or take a day off if the city is slow. They’re day time runs.

 

[Dick Dastardly]

Some terminal’s don’t do much about the videos. Here in north west, not as much. Had a guy transfer to PHX and it’s a problem every week ( I keep in touch daily with him). If it beep’s let off immediately. Personally I don’t have a problem ( make videos every week). I just tell the TM , if you don’t make a video you’re not doing your job.

Around here they’re putting pen to paper and writing guys up. Some are getting “retrained” and put on probation.

 

[LTLAnonymous]

Around here they’re putting pen to paper and writing guys up. Some are getting “retrained” and put on probation.

Sounds like a "employment pool optimization" deal, or however the office wants to say it.

 

[LTLAnonymous]

Aka downsizing a bit to reflect the economy.

 

[steercrazee]

I have heard several Estes drivers say if they ever left Estes Saia and any company with driver facing cameras is off the table. Ive seen the distance thing go off when a car cuts in front of you. In bumper to bumper traffic its hard to keep 2 tractor trailer lengths in front of you.

 

[Dick Dastardly]

I have heard several Estes drivers say if they ever left Estes Saia and any company with driver facing cameras is off the table. Ive seen the distance thing go off when a car cuts in front of you. In bumper to bumper traffic its hard to keep 2 tractor trailer lengths in front of you.

I was dinged for stop and go rush hour at 5 to 10mph traffic and not having sufficient distance. They’re ridiculous.

 

[seabreeze]

I was dinged for stop and go rush hour at 5 to 10mph traffic and not having sufficient distance. They’re ridiculous.

640 miles? that was almost 2 trips for me, I guess that's why I'm poor.

 

[Dick Dastardly]

Aka downsizing a bit to reflect the economy.

But they’re still hiring so I don’t know.

 

[SuperCourse]

640 miles? that was almost 2 trips for me, I guess that's why I'm poor.

That alone would have me looking for another job.

 

[wongway]

They need to put Cameras in the Office to then and Sales persons cars too !!

 

[steercrazee]

But they’re still hiring so I don’t know.

Estes is still hiring yet they are cutting runs and sending drivers home for not enough freight.

 

[Dick Dastardly]

Estes is still hiring yet they are cutting runs and sending drivers home for not enough freight.

I guess they’re counting on a freight rebound after the holidays.

 

[Toliet Paper]

How do yall do it? We have outward facing which I like inward I'd go nuts.

 

[LTLAnonymous]

My company has outward facing cameras, which I feel protect me. Inward is just a way for the company to show up in court and tell you you're on your own.

Thank God I'm hourly. If I had to rush, I would be hearing a lot more buzzers and bells.

 

[SuperCourse]

From a driver's perspective, nothing good can come of inward facing cameras.

 

[steercrazee]

I guess they’re counting on a freight rebound after the holidays.

Maybe but i don't the economy getting any better. A lot of the restaurants look like ghost towns. There is not a lot of extra spending going on.

 

[conartist]

I quit working for saia earlier this year for this very reason.. i got 2 writeups for getting cut off and not braking fast enough and I noped the hell out of there. My hub's dispatch was pretty uncooperative so that was also a contributing factor. Mind you, I had a million mile safe driving award and 8 years safe driving, and I'd request or attempt to work almost every weekend but not my "last" weekend with saia. Honestly I felt I deserved a little more respect than I was getting. YMMV because the terminal I was hired at didn't have this level of nitpicking, but the safety guy at the hub I transfered to was trying to assert his way into getting a promotion so he was up everybody's a**