We're getting hammered by snow in Ohio and I'm in a dilemma

[Droopy]

I drive a truck for a living. If you think driving on snow and ice is stressful in your four wheeler, try driving in it for 500 miles in an 18 wheeler. That's what I'm looking at tonight if they don't cancel work and I don't call off.

We've got 3 or 4 inches on the ground right now and it's going to snow all day and all night before it tapers off tomorrow afternoon. They're expecting snow fall totals to be 12-14 inches.

I work 11pm to 11am (if everything goes well). What I'm thinking is going to happen is that they'll go ahead and bring the second shift people in to load the trucks not taking into account any snow fall we are going to get over night and into tomorrow morning, then ask us truckers to do our routes like we normally would.

I've worked for this company for a year and three months and I have not taken a day off since I've been there. But I want to really bad tonight. The problem, if they choose to run, is that other drivers are probably going to call in and they only have two extra drivers to cover them. That means that freight is not going to get delivered if more than two people call in.

I have over 11 years truck driving experience and I've driven all over the country on all types of road conditions. But big snows never cease to scare the shit out of me.

If they don't cancel I'm leaning toward calling in, freight be damned. The last blizzard I drove in it took me 16 hours to do what normally takes 8- and I was lucky to get done in that amount of time.

What would you do?

[soleft]

1. That's a tough one

Hopefully the state will call an emergency and close the roads. Otherwise, go with your gut. Getting into an accident isn't going to get the freight there any quicker. ( Not that you'd get into one, but you're wise to know that that would be a possibility ).

[sasquatch]

2. Dude, it isn't worth it

Stay at home and chill out.

[Orsino]

3. Let the freight be late.

Unless you're hauling live organs for transplants, another day or two won't cost anything but money.

Live. Snuggle. Drive another day!

[mainegreen]

4. Unless your freight is needed to save lives, freight can wait.

[Droopy]

5. Yeah, it's just car parts

I just called the boss on first shift to see if they were going to cancel. Had to leave a message. I'll post his response when he calls back.

[question everything]

6. Will you get paid for the extra hours that you will end up driving?

If you can have enough hot supplies, and blankets, and satellite phones or other reliable means of communications, and salt to get you out of a icy patches - maybe - I think that you will be glad you've done it, after it is over.

Wishing you luck.

[Droopy]

7. Nope

We get paid by the mile and by the stop. We do get delay pay for breakdowns and hold ups at the dealers, but nothing for bad weather. It's a crime when you think about it. I think all truckers should get paid by the hour.

[question everything]

8. This is really bad. Perhaps being paid by the hour may open the door for

abuse, but certainly bad driving conditions because of weather should be factored in.

[Droopy]

10. Most truckers work 60-70 hours a week

On the books anyway. There is more incentive to cheat when you are getting paid by the mile, because the more miles you run the higher the pay. Getting paid a decent hourly wage would elminate that and keeping the 70 hour limit would greatly discourage truckers from cheating on their logs. That is because if it takes the driver 11 hours to run 300 miles he/she still has a decent pay check coming. Currently you just get paid for the 300 miles no matter how long it takes you.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

9. My dear Droopy...

I'd say, Safety first...

Don't do it.

Your life and the well-being of your truck are more important than car parts...

Call in, and be safe...:hug:

[Droopy]

11. That's what they always tell you: safety first.

Then when you hop behind the wheel of one of their rigs the next thing they tell you is, "We need you to work 16 hours today." Not all companies are like that, but enough of them are and I've worked for some of them.

But you are right. That should be the trucker's motto. I've got a call in to my boss and left a message telling him the deal. He hasn't gotten back to me yet. I'll let you guys know when he does if I am still awake.

[lizziegrace]

12. What's the company policy if there are snow emergencies?

Several counties around Columbus are already at level 2. Level 3 is rare but I'm watching snow blow horizontally out here in the strong winds. We're at near-blizzard conditions in Delaware.

[SallyMander]

16. Glad to hear you're at home LG

It's getting CRAZY here!!!

Stay warm! :hug:

[lizziegrace]

17. Our office closed at 12:30

took 1 1/2 hours to get home...

Glad to be here. :hug:

[SeattleGirl]

13. Stay home!

As others have said, unless you're hauling organs for transplant, the freight can wait. Your life and limbs are more important.

[Inchworm]

14. I'd push for some "hotload" bonus

and take the experience to the road. You can always stop if it's too bad. My dad was an owner-operator though. I'm not sure if this is a barganing tool for a company driver.

Either way, good luck. Be careful.

:yourock:

[LSK]

15. stay home

Unless you are transporting life saving emergency equipment, what difference does it make to you if its late?

Its your life, not the companies.

PS: you might be interested in getting a copy of John Edwards Four Trials as one of the trials deals with a trucking company.

[soleft]

18. Blizzard Warning - Stay Home

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=105x7545136

[lost-in-nj]

19. I would stay home

the state will probably issue a state of emergency anyway.....

be careful if you end up going....



lost



:hug:

[Karenina]

20. Stay home, Droopy.

:hug:

[Droopy]

21. THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

I talked to the 2nd shift boss before I went to bed at 3 and he was trying to force me to come in. I argued with him for a bit and told him that the freight was just going to have to wait. So I got up a little bit ago and I had a message on my phone from the big cheese saying that we didn't have to run tonight as long as the freight got there before Monday morning. So I'm going to head out Sunday evening. The storm will be over by then and the roads should be clear.

Thanks again, everyone. You helped give me the courage to stand up for myself and if I hadn't called and told them to stuff it along with some other drivers it might have meant that the other 3rd shift drivers would have been forced to come in tonight as well.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

23. Droopy, I tell you the same thing I told my drivers (out of the boss's hearing)

If it's not safe, DON'T GO OUT. He can only fire my ass for not making you, but you will be dead forever.

:hug:

[mwooldri]

24. Yay !

Good to hear your boss was happy to play it safe.

Leave the daft condition driving to those "ice road truckers"... those guys on that TV show are crazy to go out driving on ice in a blizzard. However I understand they get paid more to do stuff like that, and if you're not being paid to cope up with crazy weather then definitely, you and your boss did the right thing.

Mark.

[Jamastiene]

22. Stay safe.

I'd stay in and get hammered a different way instead. :P

[ThomCat]

25. Please stay safe.

And stay warm. :hug:

[Generic Brad]

26. Been there, done that

Take it real slow, Droopy. Pack extra food and dry, warm clothes. Drive extra cautiously and be safe. You're in for along night.

I had to do the same thing many times when I was a young man. The only time I turned around and did not run the route was when the highway department closed the road. They can't fault you if the police close the roads.