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Streaker69

The Influencer
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I recently became a road driver and I've had some issues where I have questions, but management is no help or they try to cover their butts. I figure a whole thread on it might be easier to follow rather than individual topics all over the place.

My current issue is with my RDA. Here's some back story, my bid spot was shuttle number 6 and it's the last spot. About a month ago, a CDSA ran the number 1 spot and I was put in the number 5 (number 5 was on vacation) spot (without being offered number 1) and a via was given to number 1.

I'm currently going back and forth with him via email (always paper trail) and he says that I ran my bid spot and number 5 was cancelled. He says they can cancel number 5 and run number 6 because they have the same gate time. I've never heard of that and I'm looking for more info before continuing this back and forth. I'm also looking for a polite way to call BS (always be professional).
 
Streaker69 said:
I recently became a road driver and I've had some issues where I have questions, but management is no help or they try to cover their butts. I figure a whole thread on it might be easier to follow rather than individual topics all over the place.

My current issue is with my RDA. Here's some back story, my bid spot was shuttle number 6 and it's the last spot. About a month ago, a CDSA ran the number 1 spot and I was put in the number 5 (number 5 was on vacation) spot (without being offered number 1) and a via was given to number 1.

I'm currently going back and forth with him via email (always paper trail) and he says that I ran my bid spot and number 5 was cancelled. He says they can cancel number 5 and run number 6 because they have the same gate time. I've never heard of that and I'm looking for more info before continuing this back and forth. I'm also looking for a polite way to call BS (always be professional).
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It’s a losing battle.
Been down that road before.
How can I say this in a polite way…. You are wasting your time with the back and forth with a RDA. They would rather rewrite the rules than ever admit to either doing it wrong or making a mistake.
 
Streaker69 said:
I recently became a road driver and I've had some issues where I have questions, but management is no help or they try to cover their butts. I figure a whole thread on it might be easier to follow rather than individual topics all over the place.

My current issue is with my RDA. Here's some back story, my bid spot was shuttle number 6 and it's the last spot. About a month ago, a CDSA ran the number 1 spot and I was put in the number 5 (number 5 was on vacation) spot (without being offered number 1) and a via was given to number 1.

I'm currently going back and forth with him via email (always paper trail) and he says that I ran my bid spot and number 5 was cancelled. He says they can cancel number 5 and run number 6 because they have the same gate time. I've never heard of that and I'm looking for more info before continuing this back and forth. I'm also looking for a polite way to call BS (always be professional).
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Thats correct,if you have the same cut time,and a driver in 5 spot is off,centrall wiil just cut the n5 run ,for a via going out of your center,they must go by seniority,lets say your n6 and all drivers from 1 to 5 are off,dispatch must offer the via first to you,on the way back to your center is by run1,2,3,4,5,6
 
Whogivesafk said:
It’s a losing battle.
Been down that road before.
How can I say this in a polite way…. You are wasting your time with the back and forth with a RDA. They would rather rewrite the rules than ever admit to either doing it wrong or making a mistake.
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I've accepted that, but I like to get these "policy changes" in writing. For example, I have an email from regional employee relations telling me that I'm expected to be at work even though I have an eye infection and can't see.
Topuza said:
Thats correct,if you have the same cut time,and a driver in 5 spot is off,centrall wiil just cut the n5 run ,for a via going out of your center,they must go by seniority,lets say your n6 and all drivers from 1 to 5 are off,dispatch must offer the via first to you,on the way back to your center is by run1,2,3,4,5,6
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That's interesting. He told me that the vias aren't offered in seniorty (because I also have seniorty over the other driver), they're first come first serve as long as the driver has the hours. He said because aren't planned they're overflow.
 
Streaker69 said:
I've accepted that, but I like to get these "policy changes" in writing. For example, I have an email from regional employee relations telling me that I'm expected to be at work even though I have an eye infection and can't see.


That's interesting. He told me that the vias aren't offered in seniorty (because I also have seniorty over the other driver), they're first come first serve as long as the driver has the hours. He said because aren't planned they're overflow.
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Driver I can assure you that somewhere in the system, there is another driver having the same issue. But in reverse, completely opposite of your situation. He is getting the exact same story, but in reverse. The only constant is the complete lack of consistency. If you are waiting for a RDA or anyone else in management to give you a straight story, I have some unfortunate news for you my friend. Not making light of your situation, but have been there and done that. Always try to be professional, that's correct but the people you are dealing with are the least professional people by far I ever encountered. Try to take these morons in stride. Good luck
 
I have learned not to deal with suits in the office.

Back and forths never work. You can sit there electronically, in person or by mail until the cows come home and you are blue in the face and they get tired and wearing of seeing you again.

Round and round and round. Let it go.

What I do instead myself is oh. Hook on my 5th wheel? Thank you. Bye.

Then STFU and go away from the office or dispatch. See if I see them again for 6 months. sometimes Ive been gone for as long as 9 months or more straight.

Being around Trucking company suits is a form of toxicity. I treat it as poison. So they can dictate whatever. Baa baa three bags full. Yessuh massa. Bye.

And they wonder why I treat them so badly. And I quit worrying about being welcome in any place with them in the building or yard. It does not matter what kind of work I do in life. They are all the same.

The talk about this bid or that bid sounds very similar to a day care. I want to sit by the window but you told billy boy to sit there instead. I dont like this corner. I want that window. Why cant you set a seat by the window? etc etc etc.

To this day, some of the older bosses still in this blessed industry sees me again? "Oh my gawd, look it."
 
Leaving your domicile to start the shift VIAs are offered by seniority IF they are created early enough. However, if a VIA is created after a few guys have already left, then they are not called back to be offered the via. Also, when dispatching is calling drivers to offer the VIA if you don't answer the phone there might not be a second call depending on the size of the board and how busy dispatch is. They will just move on to the next driver.

On the way home from hub, same thing applies. VIA is offered by seniority to all the drivers still on site when the VIA is created.

With regard to driver 5 or 6 being cancelled, that really doesn't matter if they both have the same show time and one of those two is off work.

You want to see policies. Go to the computer in your breakroom. Top middle, click on policies & procedures, then 'knowledge base'. In the search bar look for dispatching procedures or something similar. Read every policy you like.

Also, if you feel you were not offered a run that you should have been offered, you have 7 days after the occurrence to fill out and submit a road driver compensation claim form. This will pay you the difference in runs IF APPROVED. Your RDA, now called Driver Advisor, SHOULD help you with this, but honestly that does not always happen like it should.

Hope this helps.
 
I'm going to jump on the intranet to read up on it, I just haven't had a chance with it being summer and school being out.

Regarding the vias, I was always told it depends on what spot you bid, not seniorty. For example, we have a driver that has high seniorty but bids a late start time for personal reasons. When vias Pop up, people with less seniorty have the option to go or pass before he does because of where he falls in dispatch order.

Regarding my case, I was told that they can give it to the first driver that's in between assignments. I've never had that before. Usually I get phone call when I'm on my way there.

Driver advisor is the most useless employee in the building. Any issue I've ever had, he always sends me to somebody else or tells be he'll look into and never has an answer on follow up.
 
HelpingHand said:
Leaving your domicile to start the shift VIAs are offered by seniority IF they are created early enough. However, if a VIA is created after a few guys have already left, then they are not called back to be offered the via. Also, when dispatching is calling drivers to offer the VIA if you don't answer the phone there might not be a second call depending on the size of the board and how busy dispatch is. They will just move on to the next driver.

On the way home from hub, same thing applies. VIA is offered by seniority to all the drivers still on site when the VIA is created.

With regard to driver 5 or 6 being cancelled, that really doesn't matter if they both have the same show time and one of those two is off work.

You want to see policies. Go to the computer in your breakroom. Top middle, click on policies & procedures, then 'knowledge base'. In the search bar look for dispatching procedures or something similar. Read every policy you like.

Also, if you feel you were not offered a run that you should have been offered, you have 7 days after the occurrence to fill out and submit a road driver compensation claim form. This will pay you the difference in runs IF APPROVED. Your RDA, now called Driver Advisor, SHOULD help you with this, but honestly that does not always happen like it should.

Hope this helps.
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On the way home from the Hub VIA is offered by the order of dispatch. So if a extra board driver is covering the number 1 spot the Hub will offer it to him first. I got a lot VIA from EFH that way. Guys would file a grievance, but never won. Pissed a lot of people off, but I was there for money not friends. RDA posted the the rule on the board in the break room about VIA so people would stop filling grievances.
 
pig_pen said:
On the way home from the Hub VIA is offered by the order of dispatch. So if a extra board driver is covering the number 1 spot the Hub will offer it to him first. I got a lot VIA from EFH that way. Guys would file a grievance, but never won. Pissed a lot of people off, but I was there for money not friends. RDA posted the the rule on the board in the break room about VIA so people would stop filling grievances.
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Ok, when you file, you are giving the RDA more work. They don't like that. Had an RDA and an assistant SCM call me in to a room close the doors and blinds and tell me I had to stop filing on a almost daily basis. It was making them look bad. Then do your f. ING job correctly d weed! They thought they were going to intimidate me. When I suggested we take this conversation into the parking lot, meeting was over. I filed more than 40 times on the same thing. It was denied always, except the last 3 times. Then they paid it. Interesting little side fact. I appealed it 8 times and each denial was signed by the same guy, but amazingly he had 8 different writing styles to sign his name! I could have stayed working for several more years but quite frankly who wants to work for scum like that if you don't have to. Feel your pain driver, hopefully you find the unicorn in the system who will at least play by their own rules.
 
Streaker69 said:
If I go extraboard and I have people under me on the extraboard, can I pass on the crap I don't want to do?
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The theory is sound driver. The reality is where are you who is in charge, how much under the desk time do the junior guys have. Don't know if there are day runs by you but if so do the powers to be put city guys out on days runs ahead of you so they have you to run night runs. And you in theory can pass on lousy runs till they tell you you're the only guy left. Sitting here just wondering how I ever lasted so long.
 
More day runs than night runs and the powers that be do have the power to send out city drivers on those day runs. I don't mind running nights, but I don't want the dock work bids. I don't get along with supervisors. Supervisors in my building already know to leave me alone, but in other buildings they don't. I don't want to go through the hassle of making them leave me alone.
 
Streaker69 said:
More day runs than night runs and the powers that be do have the power to send out city drivers on those day runs. I don't mind running nights, but I don't want the dock work bids. I don't get along with supervisors. Supervisors in my building already know to leave me alone, but in other buildings they don't. I don't want to go through the hassle of making them leave me alone.
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or making one of them cry .
 
Streaker69 said:
I've accepted that, but I like to get these "policy changes" in writing. For example, I have an email from regional employee relations telling me that I'm expected to be at work even though I have an eye infection and can't see.


That's interesting. He told me that the vias aren't offered in seniorty (because I also have seniorty over the other driver), they're first come first serve as long as the driver has the hours. He said because aren't planned they're overflow.
Click to expand...
S 69, the policy changes are called "updates" and they stopped printing policy years ago. We all used to get company rules and policy's in Employee handbooks issued every year. They stopped that. Now go on their computer at any terminal and log in so they know who is looking at what. There will be times that you can't access the info you are seeking because of "system updates". You can do your own Math from there. Basically, they will do whatever is convenient for them at that moment. And they will be forever backed up by their superiors, who might possibly, "update" the rules to cover their sorry a""es. Take a deep breath and know what you're dealing with driver. I always tried to tell myself, it's just a job. You can decide how amped up you want to get over it. Was really difficult for me.
 
SMOKESTACK said:
Thank you S69 .
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Thank you and the truckingboards staff for putting this together and dedicating your time to this site.

FatChance said:
S 69, the policy changes are called "updates" and they stopped printing policy years ago. We all used to get company rules and policy's in Employee handbooks issued every year. They stopped that. Now go on their computer at any terminal and log in so they know who is looking at what. There will be times that you can't access the info you are seeking because of "system updates". You can do your own Math from there. Basically, they will do whatever is convenient for them at that moment. And they will be forever backed up by their superiors, who might possibly, "update" the rules to cover their sorry a""es. Take a deep breath and know what you're dealing with driver. I always tried to tell myself, it's just a job. You can decide how amped up you want to get over it. Was really difficult for me.
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I don't get amped up at all. I have a lot of driving time in silence to figure out how I'm going to word emails and how to get around their stupid policies.

As for doing what's convenient, they absolutely do but that's why I make them email me that policy. It's now my short term mission to get to my destination before a senior driver to try and bump them off a via. The RDA said that's how it works and he did it in writing. Then when they say no, I'll file another grievance. I expect "denied" but I think it'll be funny when I drop both answers on his desk and they contradict each other.

I want them to know what I'm looking at. Be afraid. Be very afraid.
 
Streaker69 said:
Thank you and the truckingboards staff for putting this together and dedicating your time to this site.



I don't get amped up at all. I have a lot of driving time in silence to figure out how I'm going to word emails and how to get around their stupid policies.

As for doing what's convenient, they absolutely do but that's why I make them email me that policy. It's now my short term mission to get to my destination before a senior driver to try and bump them off a via. The RDA said that's how it works and he did it in writing. Then when they say no, I'll file another grievance. I expect "denied" but I think it'll be funny when I drop both answers on his desk and they contradict each other.

I want them to know what I'm looking at. Be afraid. Be very afraid.
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I like your attitude driver! Go on with your bad self! I hope you stick it to them good! Please keep me posted. I have lots of experience with denials so just ask me if you have any further questions. Be my pleasure to help!
 
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