Giving Notice

Honestly, the bottom line here is that Kevin has fallen for the whole "us against them" mentality that has ruined so many trucking careers. He's complaining about low miles, crappy paychecks, and the company trying to "twist" something into abandonment, when it clearly is not the proper way to leave a trucking job. You will never find true professionals who understand how this career works having these kinds of issues. They know how to get the best loads, be productive, earn great pay, and leave a job with integrity and class. Unfortunately this driver still has some hard lessons to learn.

I’m not seeing an alternative at this point

Kevin, I've had some medical issues to deal with. In fact I'm at home now, and will be for the rest of this month. I'm facing two surgeries this month, bringing my total to five during my four and a half year tenure at Knight. I've always worked it out with them and never had to relinquish my truck.

There are plenty of ways that a professional driver can handle these situations. The starting point is always in building great relationships with your managers, and having a track record that speaks volumes about your value as a productive member of the team.

To tell them I'm taking medical leave as a covert way of actually switching companies, and then wanting them to pay my way home and then give me a great reference after they have to retrieve their truck from wherever I left it... Frankly, that scenario would never even cross my mind.

Agreed, in my opinion, that is exactly why they let him go, and why his paychecks were low.

I just realized something. FMLA covers employees who worked 1250 hours the prior calender year. If he worked 10 months this year, then he doesnt qualify for FMLA to secure his job.

FMLA allows up to 12 unpaid weeks. Your employer can be nice and grant you FMLA protection if you do not qualify, but it is not mandatory. They also do not have to allow you to use sick or vacation pay if you do not.qualify.

So yes, actually you can be fired while on medical.leave according to federal law. State law may differ, and various states have their own requirements for a state FMLA but before you assume you cannot be fired for medical, you better make sure you know what you are talking about.

Kevin you confused the heck out of me. You got great advice from so many, and you threw it back in their faces as if they didn't know what they were talking about. Real drivers (guys and gals), don't connive to put one over on a company. If you took the time off, of course you will have a low pay check. You make money when you are moving. If you refused a load around Thanksgiving, then I can see why they had you sit. Are you seeing a pattern here? I just checked on line to see how much it cost me to rent a car one way for 600 miles. It's $20 a day, and so much per mile depending on the car I would rent. It also sounds as if you can't budget your money. Like Rainy said she saved $6000 budget to get ready for her surgery. I remember her telling on here about it. Plus she was paying off a huge debt! I remember when I first started with the TT family.

Be a man and not a child! Things happen I understand, and I know about medical things that happen. You shot yourself in the foot when all you had to do is be honest with Maverick, not put the burden on them. It was your burden to bear. There is NO hand holding in trucking. If you had done this you would keep your job and not have to worry about all of this and take up 5 pages where I got so confused at what you were even talking about in the first place. Call the back (if haven't been fired already) and ask forgiveness. Being able to own up to the mistakes we make no only gives us a learning curve, but also makes us feel that we have been truthful and can hold our heads high and not worry that we will be fired for being honest.