The following is the letter I just E-Mailed to the Present of Saia...
Mr. President,
Rick O
It is with a sad heart that I must report to you that our six plus year partnership has come to an end. The company has decided that I am no longer an asset to the Saia family. In my over eager attempt to super serve the company and the needs of our customers, I took a little too much initiative and acted. I thought, in the company's best interest. I acted without the authority of Line Haul, or the terminal manager. Well, these actions, were not well received. They led to over a week of suspension and then my termination.
As a company driver it is my duty to take initiative. My tractor needs service or repair, when do I get it done? Do I scale this load? Where do I fuel? If there is a traffic backup, do I try and go around? Where do I stop to chain up? Up there as far as I can go, or take the exit before to get off the highway? I do not call in to get authorization for these decisions. I crossed the line in Medford, but where is the line?
It strikes me funny that something like this could get a person fired. If I thought for one second that my actions would reflect negatively on me I would not have done it. I was expecting a big thanks from the boss when I got back. I love this company and planned on retiring here. While I am not going to point fingers or throw anyone under the bus, in my 6 plus years I have heard and seen much worse things done by our drivers that continue to work here, than I have been fired for now.
I have seen with my own eyes, including but not limited to, trailers slide off 5th wheels and hit the ground, drivers dragging locked up wheels across the yard, mis-pulling trailers, charging the company for chaining or delay time that was not earned, crashing or damaging company equipment and property, slamming and damaging customer freight on the docks. Some of your drivers are keeping track of money they think are being shorted and plan to try and collect these shortages after they leave. Yet they fire me because my meet driver ran out of hours 30 miles short of completing his run and I went to where he was and rescued the truck and customer's freight and completed the run for the company.
While some of those offenses are major, I would have thought that perhaps the company swatted a fly with a bazooka in my case. If the boss was so annoyed at me, the handbook says that I have to be written up first, then on the next offense I could be suspended or fired. I do not have a write up in my file... I have been a model employee without issue...
Maybe, it is the new layoff program that was initiated by my case. The last two rounds were layoffs, and now the company's new plan to make cuts, is to fire drivers for lesser offences... This sounds a little closer to the truth. When I tell fellow drivers and friends I have in the industry, what has happened to me, they can not believe it.
For over six years with Saia, I have had 0 moving violation convictions, 0 preventable accidents, an excellent ontime service history, I drive like the boss is following me every day. I make sure that my tractor is serviced and maintained. I am well liked by the bosses and drivers at the terminals that I service. Reno and Jack in FSN, Tim in STK, Chris, Eric and Joe, in SAC, Tim in RED, and the whole ONSITE staff, in MED. As a matter of fact, in Medford, I help other drivers hook their sets while I wait for my suttle ride to the hotel, for free, just to help out...
The only person that does not care for me is the Medford TM Shane N, he and Mike E in LH are the ones heading this action to have me fired.
I tell everybody that I run into "Just another beautiful day in paradise! Living the dream!" Paradise has had some passing clouds this week, but I can see the blue skies coming back. Don't worry about me, with my experience and qualifications I will be working again very soon. ( 17 years OTR , perfect DMV )
As always, I wish you and the Saia family the best of luck in the future. I am just sorry that I can't be a part of it...
Merry Christmas...
Richard L
X-Line Driver
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Here is the Statement I was instructed to Write about the Incident in Medford
On Tuesday December 16, 2008 around 5am, I called my meet driver to get an estimate of his arrival time. I knew the weather and road conditions were bad and he probably had a very bad night. He said that he was in Cottage Grove and was having troubles. He called me back later and told me that he would be shutting down in Grants Pass, 30 miles North of Medford due to running out of hours...
I went to the yard to see what the game plan was. Bill told me that there was no spare truck. I asked if any of the drivers in the room was going north.
Robert was in the street hooked and ready to go. I went out there and asked him if he could take me to Grants Pass and drop me off. He said he would. I went inside and called line haul.
After 20 minutes on hold I asked Bill if this plan was a good idea. He said that it sounded reasonable. I said that I know that you don't have the authority to let me do this but does this sound like a good idea? He said that it did. Line haul still had me on hold, I hung up the phone and got into Robert's truck and went to Grants Pass.
I was afraid that if Robert left and did not take me, that this oppertunity would have been lost, when Line Haul did answer the phone.
He dropped me off and 5 minutes later John pulled in. I got in the truck and drove straight to the Medford yard. I broke up the set and put the loaded trailer to the door and removed the 3 Medford bills onto the dock.
I hooked up to my assigned trailers and then called in.
My plan seemed like a logical coarse of action, since this was the way to has been done countless times in the 6 years that I have been on the run. I personally have rescued distressed equipment and drivers in the past, and I myself have been rescued in just this fashion.
I realize now, that I should not have planned at all. That the bosses had the situation well in hand and I messed things up. I am sorry. I take full responsibility for these actions.
I truly thought that I was helping, and I only had the best intentions of the company and the customers freight in mind.
It will never happen again.
Richard L.
Thats who I worked for last.Didnt have the guts to fire me so they sent me word by somebody else.