Some advice needed plz

[Greeneyed Trucking Girl]

I need advice. Up until I needed a tow for my truck I never had a problem in the two years I have been with this company. I misjudged the edge of the pavement and the truck slipped off the pavement and the drives dug into the gravel shoulder. I realize this was my fault and I accept responsibility. I was due to be home on this day for my husband's surgery in Mo. but instead I was in Wi. I was off for 10 days. Never heard anything about this. All I was asked was were the police involved which they were not. I come back on the road and given a load which in itself was weird the way I was told to run it but I didn't complain. After the load I was told "there are no loads in the Indianapolis area to dead-head to Gary for a load. I pointed out that I needed a PM anyway so it was arranged to have it done there. (my home terminal is in Marshfield, Wi)
Next day truck is ready, I call my DSR to tell her truck is ready do I have a load.
I am told that first I had to speak to the Gary terminal manager about the tow and then I would go on my load. I thought fine.
I go to the manager and he brings me into a room where I sit down at a table. He places a paper in front on me as he is calling my DSR on the phone to have her in on the conversation. At the same time I start to read the letter where it states the events leading to the need of the tow in error. It read that I "failed to park the truck on secure pavement" resulting in the need for a tow. They are making it sound like I purposely drove the truck off the pavement and had the entire truck on soft ground. Also in the letter it stated "consider this your last chance." I never had any other issues with this company. Never had any verbal warning of any kind for anything and now it's straight to this is your last chance.
When I told them I disagreed with the wording and tried to defend myself I was told that it was obvious I didn't want to "work" with them and therefore they are terminating me that day. There was no reasoning with them.
My husband's surgery was due to an injury my husband received on the job when we teamed. W/C denied his claim which required him to get an attorney.
So should I tell future companies I apply to that I was fired or should I just say I left?
I was denied unemployment because they said I fired for misconduct leading to insubordination.

[repete]

I would just say you quit and if questioned about it, lay it just like you did in your post. What ever you do do not bad mouth them or dwell on it! Most people with half a brain would see that you worked there without a problem for 2 years. I would also check out your DAC

[Greeneyed Trucking Girl]

Thank you repete.

[Jumbo]

If Roehl terminated you then that is what I would put on the application. You can always explain your side of the story to a perspective employer. But if you say on your application "I quit Roehl" But Roehl says "We fired her for this reason......" then it looks like you are lying. But if you come clean and say "Hey I worked there for 2 years without a problem but I messed up and needed a tow and I got canned over it". Honesty is the best policy.

[Scoe]

If Roehl terminated you then that is what I would put on the application. You can always explain your side of the story to a perspective employer. But if you say on your application "I quit Roehl" But Roehl says "We fired her for this reason......" then it looks like you are lying. But if you come clean and say "Hey I worked there for 2 years without a problem but I messed up and needed a tow and I got canned over it". Honesty is the best policy.

A Big X 2!!

[Greeneyed Trucking Girl]

Well we've just started looking for another company to team with and I have told them the truth. I'm waiting now what their safety department will say.

[Greeneyed Trucking Girl]

I was watching a show called Wrecked. It's about a towing company out of Chicago, Ill. and to my pleasure it had a piece about towing a Roehl truck and trailer that got stuck in the snow up against a pole and by a ditch at a receiver. I wonder how that got passed Rick. At least my tow wasn't televised on national TV.

[LifeIsGood]

Im sorry that they fired you, but look on the bright side. Now you can find a better company. I worked for Roehl, and the best thing that ever happened to me was quitting. I quit without having another job because I couldnt take any more disrespect from them. I found a great job in no time. Every time God closes one door, he opens another.

[zipy46]

I was terminated from my last gig...the company where i applied and now work was only

concerned if i was terminated over a rear end collision or a rollover....other than that they

seemed to care less about my DAC and they hired me.

Most companies will hear your side of the story.

[Glad Hand]

I was terminated from my last gig...the company where i applied and now work was only

concerned if i was terminated over a rear end collision or a rollover....other than that they

seemed to care less about my DAC and they hired me.

Most companies will hear your side of the story.

Who you work for in case I ever get canned I'll know who to apply with?

[Greeneyed Trucking Girl]

I had my unemployment appeal hearing and to my amazement Roehl didn't participate even through the judge called them 2 times and only got a voice mail box so she informed them she would be proceeding without them. That meant anything they sent in as their evidence would not be considered and only my testimony would be admissible. So that is one victory.
Also I was pre-hired along with hubby to team with another company. All I have to do is pass the physical. Please keep good thoughts.
There is life after Roehl.

Also as a side note Roehl only put that I was discharged and made no other comments.

[gazoo64]

Next time if anything like this occurs TAKE PICTURES. Always cover you butt. Don't lie on an application. A company can say you were terminated, but thats about all. Be honest if a new employer asks what happened keep it short, drifted off the road, got the drivers stuck, no damage, just a wrecker to pull me out.
Best of luck. Hope the surgery is/was sucesseful.

[headborg]

Interesting..

Yes- good advice always CYA and take pictures.

Now when they placed that paper in front of you to ( I assume ) Sign & it probably involved something to the effect of deducting from your payroll the $$ expensive of that tow bill. Did you sign it? surely whenever you read the... your "last chance" .. You SHOULD have said the magic 2 words and beat them to the "you're fired" part.

Did they really want you gone.. or did they just want $$$ to cover that expense? Seeing as you're connected to your husband's medical expenses they probably just wanted you gone right? Because you're sueing them(Worker's Comp). How about medical insurance? they probably wanted you off that too and figured you'd fail to get on the cobra fast enough-- and they could cut their loses.

If the truck wasn't DAMAGED-- if it was simply towed because it was STUCK-- then technically-- they can't even charge you with an accident. So your DAC should be safe there. It's just too bad- you had to let them "fire you".

[cdreid]

wanted to get rid of drivers. And probably a whole lot of sexism in their too. That they didnt get you home for your hubbys surgery.. wow. Id have quit right there. Star once deadheaded me 500 miles to get me home for thanksgiving. Say what ya want but i still love that underpaying company.

I dropped a trailer in a parking lot in kentucky. Came back 2 days later and the landing gear punched through. The weird part.. on both sides of me there were big dirt hauler trailers. I call the company.. get a tow truck to lift it out. Tow truck driver says they built this parking lot on sand and it pretty much happens weekly. Company never said a word about it and didnt dac it. Same company though once calledm e up and tried to charge me for a "jumpstart at home" when my battery died in a truck stop 500 miles away from my house in the middle of a blizzard where i literally had to stand out in the blizzard to wait for the tow truck (bad cell service). Trucking company office scum are just that.

Consider yourself lucky. Sounds like your company has a lot of slime in it. And honestly it blows my mind the junkers some roehl drivers get saddled with.

[Greeneyed Trucking Girl]

Thank you all. I did take pictures of the truck and I tried to show it to the terminal manager who sarcastically told the VP of the division that I was waving the pictures around and VP then said he didn't care how it happened just that they had to tow the truck. In the paperwork they sent to unemployment he stated it seemed I was more interested in showing the pictures than listening to what was being said. I'm a woman and a mother, I can multi-task. I didn't sign anything which is probably why they got pissy. Good riddance to Roehl. They have become very sneaky and underhanded. I have been honest and up front about the situation and thankfully we have been pre-hired. Onward to the orientation and physical.

[jonp]

wow GEGirl. We were just talking about how Roehl sucked and then this happened. Since they just put discharged down and you are already on your way with another company put this behind you and just be glad you got out of that garbage company like you did. Sounds to me that they already wanted to get rid of you and were just looking for a reason to do it.

Good luck in your new job and keep us posted.

[b00m]

Best of luck!!

Let those bastards from roehl rot!If every driver would not put up with this kind of nonsense, then maybe we as drivers would be way more appreciate it by these companies, that are more like scumbags.

[Musicman]

Next time if anything like this occurs TAKE PICTURES. Always cover you butt. Don't lie on an application. A company can say you were terminated, but thats about all. Be honest if a new employer asks what happened keep it short, drifted off the road, got the drivers stuck, no damage, just a wrecker to pull me out.

No, next time get on the CB and find somebody with a chain (like me) who will be a good Samaritan and pull you out. Actually, you should carry your own chain and that makes it a lot easier. Years ago, before I grew a brain, I got stuck and found tons of drivers who'd be glad to pull me out, IF I had a chain. After that, I went out and bought a good quality chain and since then I have never needed it except to pull a few people out.

Don't go to Home Depot or Lowes for your chain, BTW. They carry wimpy stuff. A cheap chain will break. You need to go to a farm and equipment supply store. I was able to pick up twenty feet of 26,000 lb working load chain with hooks for $75 a few years ago.

No matter what it cost you, it's cheaper than being unemployed while you search for a new job.

[Greeneyed Trucking Girl]

No, next time get on the CB and find somebody with a chain (like me) who will be a good Samaritan and pull you out. Actually, you should carry your own chain and that makes it a lot easier. Years ago, before I grew a brain, I got stuck and found tons of drivers who'd be glad to pull me out, IF I had a chain. After that, I went out and bought a good quality chain and since then I have never needed it except to pull a few people out.

Don't go to Home Depot or Lowes for your chain, BTW. They carry wimpy stuff. A cheap chain will break. You need to go to a farm and equipment supply store. I was able to pick up twenty feet of 26,000 lb working load chain with hooks for $75 a few years ago.

No matter what it cost you, it's cheaper than being unemployed while you search for a new job.

I wish I could have found someone with a chain. Unfortunately this happened at a small shipping outfit and I was the only truck there at the time. But I will get a chain to put it on our truck with the new company. JIC

[Greeneyed Trucking Girl]

Well, I have my drug test tomorrow along with hubby then it's off to orientation this Sunday and onto our truck. There is life after Roehl.