Truck Driver Put Out Of Service ...

What a mess. Unfortunately it's probably too late to get that job back anyhow because there is just too much ill will at this point in both directions. I guess it's just a matter of figuring out how to break away from them and move on. I wish I could tell you the best way to do that but I'm not sure myself.

Thanks Brett. I reeeally appreciate your support. "Ill will" is the right term.

It's just so weird. I was cool. I was nice. I was fun. I worked really, really hard. I was tough. I was good at stuff. I was an enthusiastic quick teach. I was conscientious. I was safety conscious. I treated everyone the same. The janitor girl, the dispatchers, the dock workers, drivers, instructors. I'm a nice person. And I work hard. I was even told I had a great attitude, by many. I was caring of others. I was sincere. I was the same as I am here. You know how it is. Some people act a certain way in front of others and then they're totally different at work, or something. That's just not me. I'm the same, 24/7. I'm the same at home. Same at work. Same with my kids and their friends. Same here. I have no idea why there's this bad ju-ju hovering over me at that place. I liked it there, SO much. I'm over it, if they fire me. I really am. If they kept me on, I could forgive and drop it. Just do my job. But I think I'd be freaking paranoid that a bucket's going to fall on my head or someone will toss a slimy banana peel under my feet, figuratively or literally. It seemed as though someone or some people were hunting at every opportunity to try and find reasons to turn this sour on me. SOooo weird.

I say "SO" ... ...a lot.

-mountain girl

Yeah that's a shame. But ya know....it seems like when you're not on the right path in life nothing works. You fight and claw and scratch and no matter what you do it keeps falling apart. Then you decide the heck with it, go in a different direction, and suddenly it's like someone flipped a switch and everything falls into place. There's no way to explain it scientifically but it's happened to me many times over the years. My ma and I have talked about that for years.

So maybe you'll go in a different direction by finding a new company and things will fall into place nicely for you.

One way or another things will work out great. You'll keep working hard until you've accomplished what you set out to do and that's the most important thing. I've always been one to make a lot of major life changes at one time - like change directions in an instant. My ma has always asked me, "Doesn't it scare you to death to ditch everything and start over like that?" It doesn't because for me the most important thing is the process. I focus on working hard, learning all I can, moving my life forward, challenging myself, and experiencing new things. In the end, regardless of how things ultimately turn out, I will learn a ton. I'll build my knowledge base, my experience base, and my character. I'll meet new people, pick up new skills, and have a lot of fun doing it. Ultimately I'll use all of that on my next adventure, and the next, and the next. As you go along you should be getting smarter, stronger, more skilled, more savvy, and more confident in your abilities. If you keep that up long enough you're going to be hugely successful in life and have a ton of fun along the way. You'll also have a lifetime of great stories and memories.

So stick it out and keep moving forward. Nobody's career was ever ruined because it didn't work at one particular company. You move on, they move on, the world keeps turning - who cares, right? No big deal. You'll be on the highway before you know it piloting your own rig and life will be grand.

Hey MG, You answered my question and then went on with what I was thinking. I figured that they pulled a fast one on you somewhere along the line. I would definately ask for the schooling to be ripped up before, making nice. Just be sure that if they agree to cancel your debt and do rip it up that you ask for a letter stating such! After you get that in hand (Make Sure it's signed by the right person(s) , you can tell them to go screw themselves, if that is what you want. I think they might be thinking of the lost revenue from the school, the breach of contract to you and possibly a sexual harassment suit. Never mind the great publicity that they are receiving on this forum. Take Care, Remember Karma!!

In a past life I was a paralegal not a lawyer so I'm not going to advice but if anyone at the school witnessed the handshake or even a verbal agreement about the $3000 bonus I might be incline to start playing a little hardball with Conway. It might be in their best interested to cancel your debt to them if they are threatened with a breach of contract suit. This isn't legal advice but if this happened to me I would be incline to take this route. I not sure what out of service is in the trucking industry but I know what out of service is other industries and it ain't good. It does sound like they are ****in' with you.

Hey, thanks for the thoughts Brett, MRC, RT, HM. You're right, Brett. Nothing went right, starting with the night before my first day when I was sick as a dawg and then sick throughout that week. Followed by the next Monday when one of my kids went to the hospital in an ambulance. Blablabla. The whole thing was never-ending chaos management. In comparison, when I went to CDL school, everrrrything fell into place, every day.

I did get my answer on the "out of service" status. It means I'm still employed with the company but not earning any pay.

However, it's all moot now. They finally let me go. Terminated.

I was a good girl. I said nothing derogatory. I simply had a few questions about the contract and he said it's stated in that contract that if I'm terminated, I don't owe the 3k. I asked for a copy of that and he said they'd provide me with it. I offered the fact that I still had the keys to the shed (a shed in the back of the yard with supplies for the drivers to make minor repairs with). He was surprised that I brought it up myself and didn't know I still had them but sounded grateful. I asked how the company was going to report my termination to the DAC and said he'd get that answer from HR for me but that it sounded fairly generic.

I kept it really low key. I wanted to leave him wondering if they'd made a mistake. I wanted to leave them with them wishing I could have stayed, as the terminal manager will still have the issues he does, with the trainers themselves. When I'm gone, their problems will not leave with me because terminating me does not end their problems.

This has been an extremely long 2 and a-half-weeks. NOT working is exhausting. Sheesh.

Although I've complained about some misbehavior at that terminal, Con-way Freight still does do many, many things right and for those things, I wish I could have stayed. (That's not a political statement, either. I really mean that.)

Just so you know .. ...? My first reaction when we hung up:

-mountain girl

Hey, thanks for the thoughts Brett, MRC, RT, HM. You're right, Brett. Nothing went right, starting with the night before my first day when I was sick as a dawg and then sick throughout that week. Followed by the next Monday when one of my kids went to the hospital in an ambulance. Blablabla. The whole thing was never-ending chaos management. In comparison, when I went to CDL school, everrrrything fell into place, every day.

I did get my answer on the "out of service" status. It means I'm still employed with the company but not earning any pay.

However, it's all moot now. They finally let me go. Terminated.

I was a good girl. I said nothing derogatory. I simply had a few questions about the contract and he said it's stated in that contract that if I'm terminated, I don't owe the 3k. I asked for a copy of that and he said they'd provide me with it. I offered the fact that I still had the keys to the shed (a shed in the back of the yard with supplies for the drivers to make minor repairs with). He was surprised that I brought it up myself and didn't know I still had them but sounded grateful. I asked how the company was going to report my termination to the DAC and said he'd get that answer from HR for me but that it sounded fairly generic.

I kept it really low key. I wanted to leave him wondering if they'd made a mistake. I wanted to leave them with them wishing I could have stayed, as the terminal manager will still have the issues he does, with the trainers themselves. When I'm gone, their problems will not leave with me because terminating me does not end their problems.

This has been an extremely long 2 and a-half-weeks. NOT working is exhausting. Sheesh.

Although I've complained about some misbehavior at that terminal, Con-way Freight still does do many, many things right and for those things, I wish I could have stayed. (That's not a political statement, either. I really mean that.)

Just so you know .. ...? My first reaction when we hung up:

-mountain girl

Good for you MG for being the professional we all know you are to the very end! It is Conway's loss and another companies gain in my mind. You are going to go out there and blow someone's socks off and find the right company for you and your family. I can't wait to hear who the lucky company is that gets you!!!!!!!

Tha-anks Jolie. Just learn from my mistakes and don't make the same ones as I - and I made many. The biggest one was that I allowed my integrity to be questioned (big, personal no-no) and that I didn't defend my own judgement as a driver, when the bureaucrats don't understand my job. My gut instinct and judgement are not to be questioned. I'll learn from every mistake but when I've come back, no one hurt, no harm done, nothing wrong, I shouldn't be questioned as to why I was cautious or whatever. Obviously, because nothing happened, I must have made a good call.

I have to admit: I'm ready for the next chapter as the adventure continues!

I do MISS being behind the wheel.

-mountain girl

In a past life I was a paralegal not a lawyer so I'm not going to advice but if anyone at the school witnessed the handshake or even a verbal agreement about the $3000 bonus I might be incline to start playing a little hardball with Conway. It might be in their best interested to cancel your debt to them if they are threatened with a breach of contract suit. This isn't legal advice but if this happened to me I would be incline to take this route. I not sure what out of service is in the trucking industry but I know what out of service is other industries and it ain't good. It does sound like they are ****in' with you.

-Colleen

Thanks Colleen. You have a good, legal mind. Luckily, we ended peacefully. And you know how long proceedings take. Blech. I had a good case against them but ma-an, who wants to fight and fight? I'm pretty sure they were tip-toeing around over this 'cause they knew I could easily call them out on all their stuff. In the case of defending someone like ...one of my children ...no worries. The mother bear in me is quite a force and I'd go for the kill but pthlthlthlthlthlthlthl.

I just want to make a living driving a big 'ole fun truck while the majority of them are still manual trany's. Right?

Thanks. (sigh) It's over.

-mountain girl

Amen. Next!