Trucker's Safe Haven becomes a Nightmare

[got mud?]

I am a 53 year old female solo long haul trucker who was finally getting a decent income. I worked for Werner Enterprises as a company driver- all 48 and I was enjoying my life for the first time in years. I was under a Just-in-Time load heading for Texas and my driving hours were nearly gone. I stopped at the TA in Montgomery, AL for safe haven and rest as I have done a million times all across the country. I drove through the lot and found no regular parking so I improvised once again as I have done a million times all across our great country. I pulled in behind another truck alongside the scale and went right to sleep. A couple of hours later I was awakened by a security guard who told me that I had to leave. I explained that I had no legal hours to drive. He asked me if I was retarded. He told me to drive down the road. I attempted to call my fleet manager and to raise someone on the qual com to no avail. I knew that if I left and had an accident that resulted in a fatality that I would go to prison and my company would face a lawsuit. I chose to do the right thing and not drive tired. The night manager of the TA came out and said that because I drove for Werner and because I was female that I was not welcome there and I had to leave. At that time a regular parking spot opened up behind me and I put the truck into it and went back to sleep. A while later I was again awakened this time by the police and I was arrested and taken to the city jail. Even though the prosecutor, the judge, and every police officer that I had contact with said that it was ridiculous and that I should not have been arrested, I now have a misdemeanor (criminal trespass 3), I was suspended for 5 weeks with no pay, and fired on Christmas Eve by Werner. I have been rehired by my former employer of 8 years but that is not what I want to be doing. I have a spotless motor vehicle record and had a spotless criminal record. I feel so wronged because I used to stand up for Werner against the complainers. I gave Werner a second chance when they left me stranded 200 miles from my home after a bad experience with a trainer. I have no safety or customer issues. I am clean, don't drink, don't smoke, don't do drugs, or engage in any other risky behavior. I am discouraged and am looking for advice and legal help to get this off my record.

i bet this is a really good story. its unfortunate that we will never hear the truth

[Windwalker]

I am a 53 year old female solo long haul trucker who was finally getting a decent income. I worked for Werner Enterprises as a company driver- all 48 and I was enjoying my life for the first time in years. I was under a Just-in-Time load heading for Texas and my driving hours were nearly gone. I stopped at the TA in Montgomery, AL for safe haven and rest as I have done a million times all across the country. I drove through the lot and found no regular parking so I improvised once again as I have done a million times all across our great country. I pulled in behind another truck alongside the scale and went right to sleep. A couple of hours later I was awakened by a security guard who told me that I had to leave. I explained that I had no legal hours to drive. He asked me if I was retarded. He told me to drive down the road. I attempted to call my fleet manager and to raise someone on the qual com to no avail. I knew that if I left and had an accident that resulted in a fatality that I would go to prison and my company would face a lawsuit. I chose to do the right thing and not drive tired. The night manager of the TA came out and said that because I drove for Werner and because I was female that I was not welcome there and I had to leave. At that time a regular parking spot opened up behind me and I put the truck into it and went back to sleep. A while later I was again awakened this time by the police and I was arrested and taken to the city jail. Even though the prosecutor, the judge, and every police officer that I had contact with said that it was ridiculous and that I should not have been arrested, I now have a misdemeanor (criminal trespass 3), I was suspended for 5 weeks with no pay, and fired on Christmas Eve by Werner. I have been rehired by my former employer of 8 years but that is not what I want to be doing. I have a spotless motor vehicle record and had a spotless criminal record. I feel so wronged because I used to stand up for Werner against the complainers. I gave Werner a second chance when they left me stranded 200 miles from my home after a bad experience with a trainer. I have no safety or customer issues. I am clean, don't drink, don't smoke, don't do drugs, or engage in any other risky behavior. I am discouraged and am looking for advice and legal help to get this off my record.

That T/A is one that should have been shut down, rather than the one at Cordele, GA. I remember staying there overnight right after I first started driving. Last year, I stopped in to make a few phone calls and was amazed to find that they had wasted the money to put in "IDLE-AIRE". I don't expect that one to survive much longer. Generally, I don't even slow down for that one. I don't know what goes on there at night, but I normally plan my trips so that it's about the middle of my hours. I will be hundreds of miles away from that one when I stop. Other than to suggest you get a good attorney, about the only thing I can say about it... It's a good place to be from... As far away from as you can get.

[jonp]

I think you are referring to my post about my going to Swift academy and time with my mentor. LOL. I didn't write fiction and have never changed my gender. Please quote the information that you found unbelievable. I'll be more than happy to support anything I wrote.

In the future, you are probably better off commenting on the thread you were trying to claim as false instead of bringing it up, off topic, in another thread. .... just saying

No, I was commenting on solofemtrucker and the moving the truck getting arrested thing in this thread. I don't mix threads. I don't know what your talking about with the Swift Academy. I went through the Swift Academy in 1992. When did you? Be interesting to compare and see how it has changed.

[solofemtrucker]

There was no mention in my PRIVATE reply to the poster about a Manatee. I was advised by the judge to take the misdemeanor to avoid a long stay in that Alabama city jail. I am from the Northeast and a "Rookie", I had no idea that the TA was a bad place until after the fact. How can you say that there is more to this? It happened just as I stated it. I have been throughout our beautiful country and ran into no other bad experiences. I was hoping someone with more experience would be able to help.

Thank you to the private message that I received. It was very encouraging.

[Rev.Vassago]

How can you say that there is more to this?

Because the story doesn't smell right when you add in all the "they called me this and they told me that" nonsense. Let's look at the concrete facts as you have presented them:

1. You illegally parked on private property.
2. They asked you to leave as a result.
3. You argued with them that you couldn't leave.
4. They told you they didn't care, and they wanted you gone.
5. You moved to a different spot, still on their private property - against their request.
6. They called the police, and had you arrested for trespassing.


Now please, tell me - whose fault was it that this happened?

[solofemtrucker]

If I were illegally parked, wouldn't the truck directly in front of me also been illegally parked and been subject to the same rules? However, that truck was not a Werner vehicle.

[got mud?]

If I were illegally parked, wouldn't the truck directly in front of me also been illegally parked and been subject to the same rules? However, that truck was not a Werner vehicle.

its just hard to believe that they singled out a female werner driver to have arrested for parking in a none parking spot. I also find it hard to believe that the police arrested you for that. usually when called out for a trespassing call they will give you every opportunity to leave. an arrest in that case is typically a last resort. also it is very unlikely that a judge gave you legal advice. they typically don't do that. if you pose a question regarding legal advice he/she will tell you to discuss it with a lawyer. A trespassing conviction is rarely a jail able offense. your story doesn't add up. and yes you are dealing with people that have a lot of experience both with trucking and many other backgrounds, they tend to smell a fishy story from a long way off.

their is usually three sides to every story. yours, theirs and the truth. your story just doesnt add up

[BigDiesel]

[Rev.Vassago]

If I were illegally parked, wouldn't the truck directly in front of me also been illegally parked and been subject to the same rules? However, that truck was not a Werner vehicle.

You sure like to point the finger at everyone else. First it was that they were discriminating against you. Then it was that someone else did the same thing. Neither changes the fact that it was still private property, they told you to leave, and you refused.

[Uturn2001]

The bottom line is that as a truck driver you are responsible for only your truck. Regardless of what a million other drivers are doing to or with their trucks it is your responsibility to do the right thing with your truck and only you will reap the rewards or suffer the consequences of what you do with your truck.

Regardless of where you are or the state of your log book, when an authorized rep of the property you are on tells you that you must leave then you must leave. You may of course attempt to change their decision, once, by informing them of your situation, but when push comes to shove you must go.

When this happens send in a QC message or call your current dispatcher and tell them what is going on and make a note in the remarks section that you were told to vacate by whomever it is that told you to leave then go to the nearest location you can safely and legally park.

[Rev.Vassago]

There is a Flying J eleven miles from the TA in Montgomery, AL. You could have legally driven there without ever changing your duty status. All that would have had to be done is to flag it with the amount of time it took.

[BIG JEEP on 44's]

There is a Flying J eleven miles from the TA in Montgomery, AL. You could have legally driven there without ever changing your duty status. All that would have had to be done is to flag it with the amount of time it took.

If over your 14hr at Werner there is no moving 11mi ,as werner will not allow ...werner does'nt even allow the 2hr adverse driving rule, But they without hassle will send a cdl-A driver out to bring you to safehaven if out of hours .But if you read her story it actually reads she was 2 tired 2 move ...Now I understand tired ,but I doubt this driver was incapable of driving to the J just south on I-65 after rolling through the T/A lot and finding no slots ...

[Jumbo]

She said her driving hours were "nearly gone". Could she have driven the 11 miles and still not been out of hours?

[BIG JEEP on 44's]

She said her driving hours were "nearly gone". Could she have driven the 11 miles and still not been out of hours?

If you have 15mn left you can make the J ...but you really have about 22mn ,because as long as you're off ln 3 before the halfway point on the 15mn grid you don't get charged that time .

And werner will over look 15 minutes over ...but if it's say 1hr since your 14 was up then you're over 1hr/15mn ...infact I went over on my 11 by .5hr a few times ,but still had time on my 14hr ,and no trouble was had ...it just seems like a stubborn driver with an attitude who ran the lips too much to the wrong folks ...I'm a sarcastic *****, But I know when the other party holds the power ,and when to kiss ass to my benefit ,sometime you get much further in situations like hers kissing ass and boosting an ego rather than attempting to kick ass ,and deflate an ego ...but that's just me I'd rather get whatI need than be stubborn and screwed .

[Orangetxguy]

If over your 14hr at Werner there is no moving 11mi ,as werner will not allow ...werner does'nt even allow the 2hr adverse driving rule, But they without hassle will send a cdl-A driver out to bring you to safehaven if out of hours .But if you read her story it actually reads she was 2 tired 2 move ...Now I understand tired ,but I doubt this driver was incapable of driving to the J just south on I-65 after rolling through the T/A lot and finding no slots ...

She drove tired right past the J at exit 158 and the other truck stop, Spaceway, at exit 165.

BJ is right...she lost her cool and paid the price.

[Biscuit Lips]

The cops do not just come out and arrest people like that without provocation. Why did you not just leave when the proper authorities directed you to? I am with everyone else, there has to be more to this story than you are letting on.

[Musicman]

You know, all this talk about scummy truck stops has me aching to post about some of the crazy things I’ve seen at some of these disgusting places over the years. Can we please have a new forum dedicated to this purpose? Can we? Please? Please, please, PLEASE???????

[Rev.Vassago]

You know, all this talk about scummy truck stops has me aching to post about some of the crazy things I’ve seen at some of these disgusting places over the years. Can we please have a new forum dedicated to this purpose? Can we? Please? Please, please, PLEASE???????

We already have a forum for that:

http://www.classadrivers.com/forum/a...al-stories-23/

[Musicman]

We already have a forum for that:

http://www.classadrivers.com/forum/a...al-stories-23/

Rev., I'm aware of that one, but I can't be the only one who has at least a couple hundred "OMG, you'll never believe this" stories specifically centered on truck stops. That forum, at least what I have read there, is much broader than that and tends to have more of the "funny things driving down the road," "Chemical Brother's," and “my company / shipper / receiver / dot officer did such and such to me” genre. I'm thinking that there are enough truck stop stories to merit their own forum, so as not to clog up the more general category.

BTW, you should go buy a Lotto ticket. You notice you have 7777 posts at the moment?

[Rev.Vassago]

I'm thinking that there are enough truck stop stories to merit their own forum, so as not to clog up the more general category.

Go right ahead and clog it up.


To be honest, I think we have too many forum categories as it is. If it were up to me (and it isn't), I'd get rid of quite a few of them.