Fired By Trucking Company For Non Accident Issue.

I read this post early this morning and was going to comment on it after my shift but between you and Persian what's left to dissect here? You didn't even leave me any scraps guys!

Let me see if we can give some good advice for new or potential professional drivers on this site shall we. Please remember ladies and gentleman that whether we are a company driver or a L/O like myself we should never forget we are selling a service. We have no product or tangible item to show anyone. Please never fall into the trap with an attitude that believes you are only a driver. That is just not the case in business.

Their are 1000's upon 1000's of trucking companies in the U.S. and it's easy too see that it's extremely competitive. In order for any trucking company to survive they must be able to stand out from the others. When freight is busy for most companies keeping their drivers busy is like shooting monkee's in a barrel. What happens when freight is slow though? Your professional appearance and attitude will always set you up for greater success. Please let's also not forget the way your truck looks and operates. Would you want your dentist cleaning your teeth with rusty instruments?

So many times as I pull into a shipper or receiver and look at the appearance of some of my competition and just shake my head. Whether it be them personally or the condition of there equipment you can really tell the guys that just don't care. And of course if can see it I'll bet you a dollar so can the shipper or receiver! Come on people nothing says professional more than a guy wearing flip flops and a ketchup stained t-shirt that says professional hooter examiner. Remember you are the front line of a trillion dollar industry and your the face the customer remembers when it comes to picking up their goods.

Old School Please check your facts, I did NOT say he was an A@@hole, The tow driver said the manager said I was an A@@hole! I was being called an A@@hole. Just in case you missed that point, I was the one being insulted. It would be nice when people are going to evaluate me, they would use the correct things.

For the record, if that even applies here, I have since been contacted by a former employee who told me that a friend of the employee who started all the original harassment back two years before, told him he made complaints against me to pay me back for going to HR. Sounds like retaliation.

I'm sorry if I sound like a terrible employee to you. Perhaps my own self confidence isn't that great and I don't see myself in the most positive light most of the time. Yes I should work on that, but at 50 years old, I just want to get through my working years without much hassle. Sorry if you don't like guys without the confidence to say I am the best.

Funny thing I noticed about TT is whenever someone posts about getting fired or quitting, others always feel like they are not getting the whole story. The driver rarely gets the benefit of the doubt.

Hey Rob, nice to have you back, heck man, where have you been?

Old School Please check your facts, I did NOT say he was an A@@hole, The tow driver said the manager said I was an A@@hole! I was being called an A@@hole. Just in case you missed that point, I was the one being insulted.

Yep, you are right, I accidentally mixed up the facts, but it was easy because you did insult everyone you spoke about and constantly made excuses for yourself.

I'll make a deal with you - I'll work on double checking my facts, you work on that fifty year old attitude problem you've yet to recognize!

Oh, and by the way, I'm nearing 60 and I have a great attitude. Your age is just one of your many excuses for yourself. Excuses are like crutches, people who are weak use them to prop themselves up.

Just in case anyone cares, it turns out my old company has me down as resigning. I thought that was interesting. I'm not sure what to think of that. My old dispatcher told me they had several other issues regarding the same people I had problems with so I'm guessing they know the termination was wrong. Whatever the reason, 2 years with KAG is good on me resume.

Hey Rob, nice to have you back, heck man, where have you been?

Old School Please check your facts, I did NOT say he was an A@@hole, The tow driver said the manager said I was an A@@hole! I was being called an A@@hole. Just in case you missed that point, I was the one being insulted.

Yep, you are right, I accidentally mixed up the facts, but it was easy because you did insult everyone you spoke about and constantly made excuses for yourself.

I'll make a deal with you - I'll work on double checking my facts, you work on that fifty year old attitude problem you've yet to recognize!

Oh, and by the way, I'm nearing 60 and I have a great attitude. Your age is just one of your many excuses for yourself. Excuses are like crutches, people who are weak use them to prop themselves up.

Well, "resigning" is way better than "fired/ terminated"!

Hey Rob P.

Dude....I'm so glad for you that you get to walk away instead of being fired. But to Old School's point, have you learned anything? If so I'd love to hear what it is you are taking away from all this, and what you intend to do differently going forward.

You spent time here talking about a problem that you say was the truth. how about taking the time now to truthfully talk about some things you've learned from what you've just gone through. Would be a great way to thank those here who took the time to try and help you. You never know, your willingness to be completely honest might keep someone here from getting themselves into that scary place you found yourself.

You went from feeling like your career was screwed to feeling like "I got a couple years experience under my belt so I'm gooood". You got lucky my man. I don't want to see you jinx yourself. Second chances don't come from luck, they're gifts.

Whenever you get a gift, you always say THANK YOU.

I think what I learned was the Trucking industry is run by a bunch of high school dropouts who found a niche where they can still make a living despite their lack of education, intelligence and just common decency . I don't mean the drivers, I mean the management. It seems drivers just tolerate it until something better comes along and move on. Being there is such a shortage of drivers, another job is always around the corner, so without damages, the incompetent trucking management dodges what should be massive lawsuits.

I worked for many years in the aviation profession as a pilot until I was layed off due to the recession . Although aviation certainly had it's share of problems, I can't even begin to compare them to the unbelievably despicable treatment found in the trucking profession, and I use the term profession loosely. Here we have an industry that doesn't even have the common decency to ensure it's workers are put up at night (or whenever you sleep) near running water or food. Let alone a shower or a private room. It's illegal in every state to urinate or defecate in public, yet they make no effort to ensure we have toilets. How the hell does that pass legal protocol? That's just the beginning, add in switching hours at their will and expecting a 14 hour work day even when the driver is dead tired, no payment for extra duties such as moving their customer's trailers, cleaning out their trailers or waiting for hours while being loaded or unloaded. And many more pathetic ways to squeeze every possible ounce of labor out of the driver for less than what is fair or absolutely nothing at all, while maximizing their profit line.

I have discovered that the old rule I was told when I started in this business is still true. Don't crash, abandon a truck or fail a drug test and you will always have another job waiting for you. All this talk about reputation is complete garbage, no one cares. After all I went through, I had another local job in 3 weeks, and if I was willing to go back on the road it would have been 3 hours! There are not enough drivers, period! If you can drive a truck without crashing and you can stay sober despite all the disrespectful treatment we are expected to endure, you can get another job. This is not a regular industry, it is a pathetically desperate industry who by their own mistreatment of workers, is begging for qualified workers. Still the industry talks down to us as if they are a threat. The only threat they have is making us learn a new route to work at the next lousy trucking company, and maybe a waiting period for our new medical insurance.

It's sad that so many on here really seem to think that a bad attitude will destroy a trucking career. You might be changing jobs more frequently, but you will always find another desperate company (which most always will be) asking you when you can get to orientation so they can get you working.

If my luck holds out, I will be out of this industry in a few more weeks. I just had a flight review (pilots equivalent to a road test) and a drug screen yesterday for a charter company. The only sad part is aviation is so much smaller than trucking, and no where near as desperate, so a bad attitude will hurt you. Thankfully, the aviation industry doesn't make it's employees as disgruntled. They still seem to subscribe to the belief that employees should be given toilets and water during their down time. Something I appreciate! So you all enjoy your lovely nights at the rest stop at mile marker 117. I'll be thinking of you from the Sheraton!

PS: I have never been told I had a bad attitude until I began working in this industry. My reviews in my prior profession were always outstanding. I was complimented on my attitude and willingness to go the extra mile. Maybe some think I'm weak, but I respond to my environment. If you treat me like a dog, I will respond accordingly, which is what I did. I can say this profession certainly wasn't for me! If you enjoy such treatment, then you have found your dream job. If not, I hope you find something better as I will always remember how poorly I was treated in trucking and sympathize with those who want out!

Hey Rob P.

Dude....I'm so glad for you that you get to walk away instead of being fired. But to Old School's point, have you learned anything? If so I'd love to hear what it is you are taking away from all this, and what you intend to do differently going forward.

You spent time here talking about a problem that you say was the truth. how about taking the time now to truthfully talk about some things you've learned from what you've just gone through. Would be a great way to thank those here who took the time to try and help you. You never know, your willingness to be completely honest might keep someone here from getting themselves into that scary place you found yourself.

You went from feeling like your career was screwed to feeling like "I got a couple years experience under my belt so I'm gooood". You got lucky my man. I don't want to see you jinx yourself. Second chances don't come from luck, they're gifts.

Whenever you get a gift, you always say THANK YOU.

I can say this profession certainly wasn't for me!

You know Rob, if you could have held your tongue and just posted that comment alone we would all have some level of respect for you. We certainly agree that this career is not for everyone, and there is absolutely no shame in that. We get it, we understand that the sacrifices one makes in this career don't agree with everybody. We also happen to enjoy ourselves immensely out here on the road.

It's uncanny how you came in here without a clue as to why you got fired, and then you show back up months later to gloat because you finally got a "flight review." Not only are we happy for you, we are happy to see you leave our profession. You are so typical of the type of professional drivers who give us a bad name with your crass arrogance and your belittling of everyone whom you perceive has done better than yourself.

Let's see...

Trucking company management is nothing but uneducated fools with no intelligence or common decency.

Truck drivers are a bunch of buffoons who are willing to be mistreated because they don't know any better than to let themselves be treated like dogs.

You are the perfect example of the biblical condemnation of the man who is always more than able to point out the splinter in another man's eye but doesn't even notice the log in their own eye. Listen to yourself would you?

It's sad that so many on here really seem to think that a bad attitude will destroy a trucking career.

Well, it destroyed yours and you can't even see it glaring at you like a brick wall right in front of your face.

You tried to make the point that you were able to find another job so your attitude hadn't destroyed your career, I shouldn't have to point this out to you but you're so willingly blind to your own faults that you can't even recognize that it was your attitude that destroyed your career. It was the very foundation for all your dissatisfaction and the whole reason that you consider management a bunch of losers. You are an expert at laying the blame for your problems and issues on some one else, or some external influence. And then you get really snarky when you take it a step further and act like those of us who are dumb enough to put up with the things that you refuse to have "found our dream jobs."

You are a real piece of work Rob, I wish you well, and hope you get that job. We certainly don't need you in our profession.

Trucking isn't for everyone dude. But just because our wasn't for you doesn't mean you have to come on a forum and rip everyone down. That's what people do when they hate their own lives so much they decide to make other people's lives miserable.

Good luck in the aviation field and on your future endeavors. I hope you get the job. :)

Congratulations Rob for serving us a big ole' vat of Sour Grapes. Yummy! The foul odor of your story is the best example of a disgruntled, delusional driver I have ever read. Awesome! I am not laughing with you, but at you.

Before going any further, Old School definitely has you pegged, I totally agree with his assessment and I would add further that you are not providing the entire story. You are conveniently leaving something out...experience has taught most of us; there are two sides to every story, somewhere in the middle is the truth. Truth is "Chief", you are leaving out critical pieces of how your pi** poor attitude has put you in this situation, not the uneducated buffoons running the trucking companies. The exact same Buffoons who some how manage in spite of their incompetence to efficiently deliver to market the very things you need to sustain a quality life. The food you put in your mouth, the clothes you put on your back, and the roof over your head all exist because of the trucking industry. Fact is I would thoroughly enjoy discrediting and admonishing your original post and your subsequent replies. But there is no need, you have managed to do a fabulous job on your own of proving our point;

having a bad attitude can destroy a career

Believe it or not Rob, how you are treated by others is usually a direct reflection on how you treat them and the attitude you project. You have learned nothing from your experience...you are far too blind and arrogant for that. However, despite your best effort to bad mouth everything that matters to us, you have taught the forum the very industry you condemn is the same one that saved your proverbial ass from financial ruin! Because the "well oiled" aviation machine, didn't have a job for you and hasn't for many years.