Company Stopped Dispatching Me After Getting Sick

Ok I team with someone as a company driver. I had gotten a very bad headache and was sick and couldn't drive cause my heah hurt so bad was behind my eyes pressure. The story: with my head hurting I tried to start my shift and drive but an few hours latee I just couldn't so I pulled into rest area and of course I sent a message had to park wasn't feeling well. I layed down a bit two hours later tried again. Well it wasn't going to happen parked next truck stop and when my codriver got his hours back he ran hus shift. Next morning dm calls tells my co driver am on stop dispatch that I would have to be released by dr cause I was running a fever couldn't drive till I got one. So he finished the load and dropped it they keep sending loads he keeps moving a day later I felt fine. They said I couldn't drive nit that I couldn't help fuel check in drops and pick up paper work for loads pretrip ect.. which ia logged that time on duty not driving. Cause can't drive but am stuck on the truck riding till I get to dr. So with every end trip or drop complete with load I was looking for a dr to see to get this release. Before I get to one they sent another load and another liad so forth for a week. By end of week we had to get windshield replaced so perfecr timing for dr. Since we down anyways. So all week when I logged on duty to fuel check in paperwork ect. To find out company say they can't pay me due to I was on stopped dispatch. They told my codriver I couldn't drive never did anyone say I couldn't check in. Paperwork on duty task. Should they have to pay under dot since one they didn't remove me from truck till I got dr note and second that I wasn't able to come and go on my own free will to do as I please still sitting at shippers ect. So my question is what D.o.t and your opinion on this. I have legal on duty task which that was only thing I logged on for then back to sleeper. I believe that they should have to pay either per miles for run or at least by hours for only on duty time. Wanting info before I go up and confront them about on duty not driving. Does someone have link or info on dot about being on stop dispatch and only working on duty not driving ? Thamks so much in advance. Humm just wondering. Thanks

Sarah, this is a really bizarre situation that you are in. I can't really understand how an experienced and valued driver could ever get themselves into such a predicament. I mean, not getting paid for the five or ten minutes it takes to fuel the truck, take the paperwork from the shipper , and or scan in the paperwork after a delivery is unheard of!

Also, having your employer be so concerned about your health that they actually are requesting you to take some time off and go see the doctor is unprecedented! I'm apalled! Are you sure this is a trucking company that you are working for? Most of us feel like slaves. We have a ball and chain tying us into this lousy job and our bosses won't even think of letting us take the time off to make sure we are healthy and "good to go." Of course we would never "confront" them like you are planning to do - we accept the status quo - we never get out of line - I guess we are "indentured."

Please let us know what they say after you "confront" them with these unacceptable atrocities. We would like to see how this all turns out for you. Your plight gives us hope for a future liberation from our pains and chains.

Sarah, are you serious?

Because... I am not!

I'm having a really difficult time believing you were on a stop dispatch simply for failing to run one time. There's always more to a story but we only tend to hear that which supports to the storyteller. Please expand upon your situation and explain why you should get paid similar to your codriver for doing a mere fraction of the work....... you might also consider previewing your post before publishing as that was a brutal read.

Since you weren't able to drive, your team truck became a solo truck. Your co-driver was being dispatched solo loads and getting solo pay. The paperwork, fueling, etc was their job. They were compensated for it already by receiving solo pay so the company isn't going to you pay for it and pay twice.

I'd be more inclined to ask about editing that on duty time so you can get a rolling 34 in. You'll make a lot more money driving with a fresh 70 than nickel and diming the company over paying for some paper work.

As I'm willing to give you the benefit of doubt regarding your illness. And nobody likes not getting paid when there are circumstances beyond your control.

I'm not saying this will work, but if you are very nice to your dispatcher/DM. Ask about layover pay. They put you on a med hold, yet kept the truck rolling as a solo. So since you weren't dropped at a terminal you didn't have the option of popping over to a clinic or urgent care facility.

But as far as DOT regs that would pay you for incidental work, there are none. You're down to the good will of your DM/FM and company.

The fact that the company said she couldn't drive without a doctor's note tells me there's a lot more to this story than we're being told, and I'm sure most experienced drivers are already picking up on the same thing. A top notch driver doesn't get put on hold requiring a doctor's note because you're feeling too sick to drive one day. If your company trusted you and you had a good relationship with them they wouldn't give you any problems about one sick day.

And why does every little situation turn into a battle with so many people? So many drivers have this "us against dispatch" mentality. Not only that, but this whole "I deserve to get paid even though I did no work" thing. I never did understand that.

You're a truck driver. You get paid to turn miles. If you're not behind the wheel turning miles then you don't get paid. It always seemed like a very simple concept to me but somehow that concept is lost on a lot of people. I always saw it as an opportunity to make all the money I could possibly want to make. The more I get done, the more money I make, and I know I'm the kind of guy that's gonna get a ton of work done. Far more than almost anyone else. That's always been a given.

Having an hourly job you get paid for your time. Trucking is a job based upon productivity, not based on time. You don't get paid in trucking just to hang around and breathe. You have to get work done. I realize some people get layover pay and detention pay, but honestly I never cared about that. The pennies you make sitting around doing nothing is pointless in my opinion, and it also makes you look bad even expecting such a thing.

If my company kept putting big miles on my shoulders I'd keep getting the job done and we'd all make a lot of money. That was my approach. I realize that's not how a lot of people see it, but I was raised hardcore blue collar where you were expected to put in a hard day's work for an honest wage. I've never expected it to be any different.

The fact that the company said she couldn't drive without a doctor's note tells me there's a lot more to this story than we're being told, and I'm sure most experienced drivers are already picking up on the same thing. A top notch driver doesn't get put on hold requiring a doctor's note because you're feeling too sick to drive one day. If your company trusted you and you had a good relationship with them they wouldn't give you any problems about one sick day.

And why does every little situation turn into a battle with so many people? So many drivers have this "us against dispatch" mentality. Not only that, but this whole "I deserve to get paid even though I did no work" thing. I never did understand that.

You're a truck driver. You get paid to turn miles. If you're not behind the wheel turning miles then you don't get paid. It always seemed like a very simple concept to me but somehow that concept is lost on a lot of people. I always saw it as an opportunity to make all the money I could possibly want to make. The more I get done, the more money I make, and I know I'm the kind of guy that's gonna get a ton of work done. Far more than almost anyone else. That's always been a given.

Having an hourly job you get paid for your time. Trucking is a job based upon productivity, not based on time. You don't get paid in trucking just to hang around and breathe. You have to get work done. I realize some people get layover pay and detention pay, but honestly I never cared about that. The pennies you make sitting around doing nothing is pointless in my opinion, and it also makes you look bad even expecting such a thing.

If my company kept putting big miles on my shoulders I'd keep getting the job done and we'd all make a lot of money. That was my approach. I realize that's not how a lot of people see it, but I was raised hardcore blue collar where you were expected to put in a hard day's work for an honest wage. I've never expected it to be any different.

Brett, I'm on board with your approach and attitude. It was just my 2c. Regarding a situation I don't have all the details on.

Layover/Detention pay is a joke considering what could be made turning miles. Most make that much in 3hrs driving, but if you can't drive or get a dispatch screw up, it's better than nothing.

When first starting, that extra 50 can come in real handy.

I don't get this at all either. I know a time or 2 in the past 18 months I felt crappy. I sucked it up, delivered my loads on time, let dispatch know and they planned me in a break for a little rest and I continued on my way.

The only way I could see a company putting you out of service is if you were SOOO sick, according to your own admission, that they felt you should be seen by a doctor. What would have stopped you from calling a cab and going to an urgent care clinic or ER during the 10 hours that your codriver was taking his or her break. Furthermore, what... If anything, did your codriver say to dispatch about your condition? Severe headaches could signal all sorts of bad stuff like high blood pressure, impending strokes, etc. Especially when it's severe rapid onset. Typically with that happening one normally gets a CT scan.

So, did you go to an ER? Have you gotten your requested medical clearance? And basically, as a professional driver, if you don't drive you naturally don't get paid. We perform all kinds of duties that we're not paid for.. what counts is keeping the truck rolling.

The people here could help you and understand your situation better if you took the time to proofread your thread before posting it, but you have received some great advice. I wanted to chime in because I get head aches often, I think it runs in the family. Anything from lack of hydration, sleep, and poor diet can bring them on. I have the misfortune of being affected by low pressure weather systems, and those bring on the worst head aches. All I can say is try to stay hydrated and keep some Excedrin near by, this will help numb the affects of a bad head ache and can usually save you from being late. We've all had to shut down because we don't feel well, but 9 times out of 10 a good driver knows how to do this and it comes down to trip planning and self motivation. I've had plenty of days where I've run 450 miles instead of 600 because I didn't feel well, but I ran to the point where I knew on time delivery would be easily achieved and then I shut it down so I could have my precious me time and feel better.

The fact that you've been placed on medical hold means that without a doubt there is more to your story. It's not profitable for companies to place a driver on medical hold, or any kind of hold for that matter! It's already been said that if the wheels aren't turning you're not earning. So my guess is that this has happened in the past and the company you're working for has recognized a pattern in either your health or behavior. If it's your health I would not be spending my time posting in a trucking forum about how you can squeeze wages out of your company for non driving activities. Instead I would be at the doctor trying to figure why I have such crippling head aches that prevent me from working and earning a living. If you don't have any major medical issues after getting checked out by a doctor, I would focus on hardening up and pushing for miles. That's only way you'll get any kind of money out of a trucking company. Pay rate: CPM.

Dan

I'm having a really difficult time believing you were on a stop dispatch simply for failing to run one time. There's always more to a story but we only tend to hear that which supports to the storyteller. Please expand upon your situation and explain why you should get paid similar to your codriver for doing a mere fraction of the work....... you might also consider previewing your post before publishing as that was a brutal read.

No offense but I agree. I couldn't make heads or tails of it as we say.