Terminated From CR England

When I came back to CR England I had taught it would of changed. I was wrong. My first truck assignment I had been issued a truck that had been sitting for Shop Service, claimed it was good to go. Took on my first load assignment; the truck broke down. It had to be towed back to the yard. 2nd truck issued another truck that had sitting in the yard forever, my new teammate and myself had picked up our first preloaded trailer, for the radiator to just bust and cause the engine to shut down. We had to be towed back to the yard again. the shop had claimed they were going to fix this. but the hood still open and nothing being down to fix the radiator. claimed it would take a couple days to receive parts from freightliner.

The DM then hesitated to give us a newer truck. but had no choice but to give us the newer truck. so we get in, being awake all day still waiting on previous truck to be fixed, dispatch still expected the load assignment to still make it on time. it didn't because of lack of hours of service legal for driving.

I requested to be transferred to a different fleet, for them to give me a probationary period supposedly. when the 2 truck breaking down on us was not our fault. so i went to Regional position finally, but still gave me team required loads. i was sick then, got pneumonia. the company careless of my condition.

First assignment I was fired up and ready, got the mt droppped and picked up reploaded trailer and i was driving hard. I got a phone call from DM to stop at Primm Nevada to SWAP the same load going to the same place. The trailer the other team had gotten had no license plate, so i had to call compliance to get registration for, must be logged on duty. no matter the f your dispatch says. i was awake the whole time until team arrived with load late night that same day, 2139 pm. been communicating through qualcomm obc, on boarding computer. DM calls following morning and yells at me asking why am i still sitting, when i should be in nebraska by now? excuse me? what? I was just swapping trailers, not too long ago. i needed sleep. i explained to him over the phone. Here's where i decide this isn't cool, no more cell phone calls. I'm only communicating via qualcomm and obc only truck computer only. so it's documented. and recorded.

I finally delivered and had picked up a load in minnesota where it was 13 degrees. here i've been emailing dispatch and making carbon copies to other operations managers to ensure they knew i was communicating. my DM had called, then a message on the obc. Call me, or no load. Of course my phone really wasn't working at this time anyway, i messaged i couldn't. that these truck on boarding computers is our primary source of communication no matter what you he wanted.

skipping to towards the end, the last 2 load assignments i had as a Western Regional solo driver were still giving loads that went in the EAST Coast. Evidently there was road closures, in which i still had to chain the freezing cold and blowing wet wind, on i70 that forced me to exit Silverthorne. in Colorado. i got a phone call from a load planner, asking why is it taking me 2 and half hours to chain up? When their policy is if i have to chain, it's safer to just shut down. When previous phone calls i was told if i can chain up and keep moving. After 2 days of being stuck in a freezing truck, i got sick again. and body felt worn out. Regardless, dispatch was still harassing me and micro-managing why I haven't started my clock yet, that i've been off duty 13 hours, when i should only need 10 hours.

in short, they call me in to the slc meeting to terminate me, with the excuse because i couldn't use my cell phone to answer his calls. when i clearly explained the situation and told him showing him proof that my phone wasn't the best. I called another ladder in operations and had a meeting with his boss, for them to both gang up on me like some kind of inferior **** of SH&*t. then to finally give up. nad face that no matter what, they were going to fire me. Later on I had requested in an email and emailed the englands as well if i can get this in writing. to later that morning be told that what they had concluded to write was I was terminated for "Involuntary Performance Breach and Involuntary Late loads". in the email from HR themselves. I have emailed myself my logs in which describes my shutdowns and highway closures. WInk, wink. I have photos of the communication logs.

Hi Bernard. You confuse me.

1) You sound like a rookie in much of your handling but started by saying you thought CRE would have improved from your prior experience.

2) An experienced driver knows how to manage sleep.

3) An experienced driver knows an occasional "east coast" route may be required on any national fleet... so we roll with it.

4) the "east coast" load had nothing to do with you chaining in mountains.

5) Road closures had nothing to do with your termination... your attitude did.

6) your negative attitude is exactly what we teach on this forum will be the death of one's career... thank you for proving us right.

Good luck in all you do.

For future readers.... please understand that there are ways and attitudes to handle things properly and ways to get yourself fired. Be careful which you choose.

Just based off everything you’ve said I understand why your frustrated and why they fired you. I believe you communicated poorly with your dispatch or they believed your communication was poor. It’s easy to come off like an A hole over satellite messaging. Be more careful in the future with how you word things to the company. I’ve gotten in loaner trucks and seen some Of the messages drivers have sent. They seemed smart arsy. There’s more to trucking than everything you learned in cdl school. Good luck with the next job.

Bernard, you've tried trucking at least twice. Neither time worked out too well. So far you've convinced yourself the problem lies with the company. Are you aware the company you are so comfortable disparaging has a wonderful core group of high performing drivers who have decals on their tractors indicating the millions of miles they have logged successfully? That begs the question of, "Why is it that I am unable to do this?"

Look, trucking isn't for everyone. It requires a serious commitment of time and devotion. Much like professional sports, it demands a lot from the driver - you've got to be on top of your game every moment out here. Many don't have what it takes. Otherwise why would there always be such demand for these driving positions?

It's quite alright for you to come in here realizing how tough this career is and acknowledging something like this: "Man, I don't see how you guys do it. I've tried trucking twice now, but I think I need some advice. I just can't seem to get the hang of this. In fact, I'm really doing poorly - so poorly that I'm considering quitting." That approach might possibly put you on the path toward success. You can't fix a problem when you continually misdiagnose what the problem is.

You've obviously been on other trucking websites because you're using all the buzzwords that the other failed drivers use. Things like this...

dispatch was still harassing me and micro-managing why I haven't started my clock yet

You've come to a website full of successful drivers who spend a lot of time helping newcomers be successful at this. Daily, we face all the same issues you've laundry listed as insurmountable problems. Yet those same issues took you by surprise. You didn't know how to deal with them. That's because you're a rookie! It's not because you got started with a lousy company.

You need to recognize what's really hindering you. That's the only way to overcome the problem. You can irresponsibly lay blame all over the place if you like, but it will never help you become a successful trucker. We spend our time helping people succeed. We are happy to help you if you can come to the point of realizing how badly you need some good advice. We don't waste our time allowing people to just rant and rage about their silly misconceptions about how the trucking companies are mistreating their drivers. That makes no sense when the same company has thousands of successful drivers.

Here's one now! This guy was pulling flatbed, and must have been with CRE for more than two decades to reach 3 Million Miles.

Got a question though, how did you email yourself the logs and communication logs? I want to do that too.

When I came back to CR England I had taught it would of changed. I was wrong. My first truck assignment I had been issued a truck that had been sitting for Shop Service, claimed it was good to go. Took on my first load assignment; the truck broke down. It had to be towed back to the yard. 2nd truck issued another truck that had sitting in the yard forever, my new teammate and myself had picked up our first preloaded trailer, for the radiator to just bust and cause the engine to shut down. We had to be towed back to the yard again. the shop had claimed they were going to fix this. but the hood still open and nothing being down to fix the radiator. claimed it would take a couple days to receive parts from freightliner.

The DM then hesitated to give us a newer truck. but had no choice but to give us the newer truck. so we get in, being awake all day still waiting on previous truck to be fixed, dispatch still expected the load assignment to still make it on time. it didn't because of lack of hours of service legal for driving.

I requested to be transferred to a different fleet, for them to give me a probationary period supposedly. when the 2 truck breaking down on us was not our fault. so i went to Regional position finally, but still gave me team required loads. i was sick then, got pneumonia. the company careless of my condition.

First assignment I was fired up and ready, got the mt droppped and picked up reploaded trailer and i was driving hard. I got a phone call from DM to stop at Primm Nevada to SWAP the same load going to the same place. The trailer the other team had gotten had no license plate, so i had to call compliance to get registration for, must be logged on duty. no matter the f your dispatch says. i was awake the whole time until team arrived with load late night that same day, 2139 pm. been communicating through qualcomm obc, on boarding computer. DM calls following morning and yells at me asking why am i still sitting, when i should be in nebraska by now? excuse me? what? I was just swapping trailers, not too long ago. i needed sleep. i explained to him over the phone. Here's where i decide this isn't cool, no more cell phone calls. I'm only communicating via qualcomm and obc only truck computer only. so it's documented. and recorded.

I finally delivered and had picked up a load in minnesota where it was 13 degrees. here i've been emailing dispatch and making carbon copies to other operations managers to ensure they knew i was communicating. my DM had called, then a message on the obc. Call me, or no load. Of course my phone really wasn't working at this time anyway, i messaged i couldn't. that these truck on boarding computers is our primary source of communication no matter what you he wanted.

skipping to towards the end, the last 2 load assignments i had as a Western Regional solo driver were still giving loads that went in the EAST Coast. Evidently there was road closures, in which i still had to chain the freezing cold and blowing wet wind, on i70 that forced me to exit Silverthorne. in Colorado. i got a phone call from a load planner, asking why is it taking me 2 and half hours to chain up? When their policy is if i have to chain, it's safer to just shut down. When previous phone calls i was told if i can chain up and keep moving. After 2 days of being stuck in a freezing truck, i got sick again. and body felt worn out. Regardless, dispatch was still harassing me and micro-managing why I haven't started my clock yet, that i've been off duty 13 hours, when i should only need 10 hours.

in short, they call me in to the slc meeting to terminate me, with the excuse because i couldn't use my cell phone to answer his calls. when i clearly explained the situation and told him showing him proof that my phone wasn't the best. I called another ladder in operations and had a meeting with his boss, for them to both gang up on me like some kind of inferior **** of SH&*t. then to finally give up. nad face that no matter what, they were going to fire me. Later on I had requested in an email and emailed the englands as well if i can get this in writing. to later that morning be told that what they had concluded to write was I was terminated for "Involuntary Performance Breach and Involuntary Late loads". in the email from HR themselves. I have emailed myself my logs in which describes my shutdowns and highway closures. WInk, wink. I have photos of the communication logs.

Victor, the ELD or electronic logging device has the capability to either fax or email logs. You should have a card handy that describes how to do this. (That card, called a "Cab Card", is something you need to have handy if a DOT officer wants to see your logs.)

Email through the message system for a company depends on the other features of the message system on board. You could take pictures with your phone, if you really needed a copy for yourself.

Bernard, I’m pretty new, But, I don’t understand some of your story.

1) You mention having to stay on duty while waiting for that or for compliance? You’re only paid when the wheels are rolling. So why in the world would you want to burn up your clock like that? If you’re just waiting around playing candy crush, I’d think you’d want to be off duty.

2) I don’t know about you, but if I knew I had to get rolling, I’d have tried to get some sleep. Sometimes I’ll grab a quick nap while I’m waiting to get loaded just so I know I’m ready to roll when the time comes. You talked about missed sleep a couple times. Maybe taking time to gripe on message boards is more important?

3) What’s with being yelled at for long breaks? I’m on a 15 hour break now, because I have a 1700 delivery and 2030 pickup both at places that only ship/receive at night. So, I’m starting my clock later to be able to keep rolling. That’s what you were doing right? Taking a long break to maximize your clock? Right?

4) help me understand what to look for with these unreasonable DM’s. So far mine has asked for some stuff I didn’t love but in return, she’s gone to bat for me to get a couple longer loads that I wouldn’t have otherwise gotten.

Like I said I’m new, so I don’t understand entirely how the business is run. Can you help educate me on how the professionals do it?

I don't know enough about this yet, but I'm gonna stay tuned. It seems I can learn from this. Breakdowns, weather, etc seems like par for the course. Doesn't make sense to fire a guy and have to re-train another.

I don't know enough about this yet, but I'm gonna stay tuned. It seems I can learn from this. Breakdowns, weather, etc seems like par for the course. Doesn't make sense to fire a guy and have to re-train another.

Twitch is "getting it" already.