Arrow Trucking

[jvnd1953]

What is frustrating Arrow is that it's not a Workmen's Comp so none of their funny little rules apply. Whole new ballgame. I go to any local doctor I want. Starting cleaning out my truck today. How did I acquire all this stuff?

[jvnd1953]

Left at 0200 hrs for Phoenix. Got about 30 miles of the 350 miles and I could no longer drive safely. The therapy from yesterday left my arm so weak it was difficult to hold the steering wheel and shift. Holding it with my knee or elbow was out of the guestion. I turned around and told Arrow they would have to send a driver. My DM was a little upset but I told them I tried and that's all I can do.

[danske]

Originally Posted by dewercs2

Heyyyy Guyssss!

Just a quick stop... I'm in Santa Nella and have a drop appointment at 1600 hrs in Lathrop and I cant be early??? for a drop??? Dont know why not but ohwell. Sounds fishy to me but heck i'm still running and not throwing tarps around. I do miss the excercise!

JVND, careful Arrow doesnt say hey we'll get you a load to Tulsa and we'll have another driver secure the load for you.. All you have to do is drive it here. Then they say your on workcomp and have to see there doctor in tulsa and have to sit in the hotel room till your better.

I stopped in Lost Hills for fuel and as I was about to get on North 5 i saw a flatbed running north. The flat bed was an old freightliner mid 90's it was pulling an old trailer nothing with Arrow on it anywhere except for the two tarps covering his load. So either he ripped off the tarps or he bought off someone?????? Does arrow allow subhaulers to use there equipment??

dewercs2, I passed thru Lost Hills and Santa Nella last night. I have a load from Ontario going to Auburn, WA. The people in Ontario were very slow loading, then I had to return cuz I was overweigh on the drives. I was motivated to get to my brother in the Bay Area, so I drove it thru the night. Will spend a couple days here.

Hope to meet up with one of this days.

[Jay B]

I never heard of frozen shoulder either so I googled it on the interweb machine. Have you tried the cortizone shots yet?


Frozen shoulder, also known as adhesive capsulitis, is a condition characterized by stiffness and pain in your shoulder joint. Signs and symptoms begin gradually, worsen over time and then resolve, usually within a two-year period.

Your risk of developing frozen shoulder increases if you've recently had to have your arm in a sling for several weeks, or if you have had surgery in which your arm was immobilized in a specific position for a prolonged period.

Treatment for frozen shoulder involves stretching exercises and, sometimes, the injection of corticosteroids and numbing drugs into the joint capsule. In a small percentage of cases, surgery may be needed to loosen the joint capsule so that it can move more freely.

[jvnd1953]

No cortizone yet. The doctors seem to want to avoid this for as long as possible. Proper therapy is the best solution but as you said it takes a long time and results are miniscule. I had to laugh at the 3 stages, freezing, frozen, and thawing. Each stage takes many months to get through with therapy.

[jvnd1953]

Just got over a week of stomach flu. Man was I sick. Arrow came and picked up my truck finally. No problems. I got the disability forms from Arrow and I think it was a waste of my money. I paid weekly for this insurance thinking it was an additional benefit program to a state disability. I now find out it is a Federal disability program originally set up for workers who become pregnant. It was expanded for other disabilities. It's the FMLA Act of 1993. I'm not sure yet but I don't think you can collect this and state disability. I'll find out.

[jvnd1953]

May have spoken to soon about the disability with Arrow. The FMLA Act of 1993 has to do with Arrow giving me an unpaid leave of absence but guaranteeing me a job when I get better. The paid benefit is separate. I'll fill out the forms and send them in and see.

[Jarhed1964]

Good luck with the disability and your recovery jvnd1953. Sorry to hear that. I have been reading some new rumors that Arrow has laid off more office folks. Not sure if it is true. Bad trend.

[jvnd1953]

Thanks Jarhed1964. I miss driving already. Arrow currently has me on a medical leave of absence. I heard from a reliable source that layovers in the office occured. You're right, it's not good. Arrow is looking at quick fixes instead of the long run and all the fixes have failed. I don't understand why the owners haven't cut their losses and jumped ship yet. They have enough to set them up for life. Maybe it's pride or ego, I don't know. We flatbedders know that freight slows from October to March and March is a long way off. Time will tell.

[danske]

Originally Posted by jvnd1953

I heard from a reliable source that layovers in the office occured.

How much do office workers get paid to layover? Just kidding, I believe you meant layoff.

[jvnd1953]

Thanks danske, you're right.

[geargrinder]

Originally Posted by freebirdrfd

"layover pay after the third day"?????? are you for real?? $22. paycheck ?????????? " three weeks past home time" ?????? why do drivers put up with that s**t ???? Is there any other industry that would put up with employee's being treated that way? I DIDN'T THINK SO....... Trucking has some NOT so smart people. but then again, this is the same industry where drivers sleep in cold/hot conditions because they where told too. If drivers would learn to stick-up for themselves, maybe sh*t companies would not exist.

"lady's and gentlemen, they call me freebird, that's right the legiondary freebird, and i'm back in town"

I'd say you are more of a homing pigeon than a Freebird. Which legion of freebirds do you soar with?

[geargrinder]

Originally Posted by jvnd1953

Thanks dewerc2 for the headsup. Those tarps were probably sold. I know a lot of drivers abondoned their trucks, sold the equipment to get home. I'm not going to Tulsa. I am D/H to Phoenix and they are supposed to pay for the bus ride home. I will then go on a medical leave of absence. They kept trying to make me quit and I refused. I told them what the doctor said and that the ball was in their court. They are so afraid of having to pay unemployment. I was told by a therapist my flatbed days are over also. If Arrow cannot give me an job doing something else here where I live then I can quit voluntarily to seek other employment. Arrow must pay unemployment until I do. This came from the unemployment people themselves. I'll keep updating as I am home a lot now I miss the road already. Started therapy today, What painnnnn. I have months of this. Whats amazing is I can still do certain things. I just have a third of certain kinds of movement. This condition starts in older people starting at around 50 to 60. I just turned 56. It comes on gradually and can result from overuse or a injury from many years prior. They still know very little. My dad always said "gettin' old ain't for sissies"

The first hurdle in collecting UC is being physically able to work. You aren't collecting UC if you are physically unable to work.

[freebirdrfd]

Originally Posted by geargrinder

"lady's and gentlemen, they call me freebird, that's right the legiondary freebird, and i'm back in town"

I'd say you are more of a homing pigeon than a Freebird. Which legion of freebirds do you soar with?

homing pigeon ??????????? did i miss something here??

[jvnd1953]

Geargrinder, I think you missed something. I can't collect unemployment and disability at the same time. I'm currently collecting disability. I will never be cleared to work flatbed but will be to drive according to the doctor. When I am cleared to drive, Arrow must offer me a job driving something other then flatbed. They are flatbed only. Any other job they offer must be close to my home. The nearest terminal is 300 miles away. In essence, they will have no job for me. I can then voluntarily quit and with a doctors note saying I must seek other employment, I can get unemployment. There is nothing Arrow can do. Since this is not Workers Comp, they can't force me to Tulsa like they do. I'm also confused by your "homing pigeon" message. Anyway, as for me, I'm still waiting for my disability check from Arrow. Should be this week, retroactive back 3 weeks. Yes, I get a check from Arrow every week for 13 weeks for 2/3 of my average salary. I paid every week for a supplemental disabilty to go with any state disability. State is paying me as much weekly as I was making driving with Arrow 3 out of 4 weeks. Just saw the doctor again. Progress in some areas but still many months to go. Exercises are rough and painful. Throwing a ball is still impossible. Another tough thing is dressing. You should be able to touch the middle of your back, I can't. The best I can do is the bottom of my butt. Hard to tuck in a shirt or put a belt on. Many other movements are impossible. What is really tough is it's my left shoulder and I'm left-handed. Missing the road every day. Drive and be safe

[jvnd1953]

Got my disability from Arrow on the date promised for 3 weeks retroactive. They took out for the insurance premiums I owed and I guess FICA gets a share but still it was a nice sum of money. I'll get this for 10 more weeks. Still waiting for the State. Hopefully I'll be able to go back to work by then. I doubt truck driving. I'll probably have to quit Arrow and apply for unemployment. The doctor already agreed that another line of work besides flatbed driving will be necessary. I will update if anything changes and what Arrow does should I be forced to quit and go to unemployment such as if they fight it and how. This won't take place for awhile though. Since this is a thread about Arrow and how they operate supported by honest facts and I no longer drive for them I will have nothing else to add. I will say I'm happy with the way Arrow has handled my disability. They acted as they said they would. I want to thank dewercs2 for starting this thread and allowing me to continue it. I also want to thank those who participated and have been encouraging honest debate. Drive and be safe

[freebirdrfd]

Good luck. I hope everything works out for you.