My former co worker and friend is a very lucky man.
 

id'e say he's lucky he could have been dead. he should have known better than to operate a cmv in an unsafe manner though. he should have found the nearest place to pull off and get some rest. as no one can force you to operate a cmv in an unsafe manner. thank god it wasn't any worse than it was as it could have went up in flames. he will be in my prayers not being disrespectfull but it's things like this that make more rules and regs. holy sheet!!

Don't know if I'd want to drive again, after something like that.
Good thing he missed that bridge, and maybe that hill took the energy out, so he didn't flip.

Hog,
Eagle was running the hell out of him, and the guy has a family to support so he took it, As Eagle here in Central Florida is not a very forgiving company... He says he does not remember driving the last 10 miles before he fell asleep.. When he did the trailer clipped a railroad bridge cement wall causing the truck to swerve and then YES he did roll this truck and luckily landed on the wheels only one compartment was comprimised spilling 1100 gallons.. He is so lucky it did not spark on him.. He has no plans on returning to fuel, & not sure about driving at all at this point.. We worked together for two years at FLorida Rock and he is just like every one else doing a job to support his wife and two kids.

Timberwolf

Thanks for the details, I can see how it happened now.
I should have looked closer at the photos, but it's amazing someone survived that.

Reefer ran us hard too, and I've caught myself more than once.
Real unnerving and scary knowing how close you can get to nodding off.

Question:
I'm a broker, not for fuel but non-the-less. What can I do on my part to decrease this stuff from happening? On an operational standpoint, I need a shipment to arrive on time and keep tabs on the location of said shipment. I limit my calls to the driver for location updates, if dispatch allows, and talk with dispatchers about enough time for transport, given DOT regulations.
It is true that we care about our customers and all that crap, but we have to remember that you guys are the ones carrying our freight so we need to work with you guys to make sure our freight gets there on time, safely. The only way to do that is look out for the drivers safety first.

Suggestions?

I'm glad your buddy is in better shape than that truck, regards to the driver and his family.

Jedi,

What got dicey for me is once dispatched, getting calls to pick up a partial load along the way.
Even still, in my case, I only accepted a load I felt I could deliver as promised, but that practice is what pushes a schedule hard.

In grocery warehouse, your contract load out is usually loaded to the limit, and the schedule routine.
The back hauls sometimes got creative, and that's where the driver is already worn and near his reset.

Some drivers can run hard and take that extra load, others probably shouldn't. It's hard for a driver to turn down making extra cash.
Some brokers don't keep their word and after the driver follows through, you guys (or dispatch) make the extra money, and stiff the driver.
We give our word over the phone, nothing in writing, so you push a good driver and put them away wet.

I think the bottom line though, a driver needs to know his limitations and have responsibility to a load they accept.
We mostly just want people to keep their word and treat us with respect.
Drivers go through a lot of headaches a Broker never see's, in order to deliver.
Could be having to reweigh several times, or even return to the dock to adjust a load, or a flat tire. Brokers just see a contract with a time and date.
100 miles to them is only an inch.

There are also companies that will punish the drivers for trying to operate by the rules. I was once given a short run, followed by a long one. I delivered the load in MA on time, but then only had 3 hours left on my 70. Not enough time to get to the next pickup. That was on a Friday morning. A 34 reset and I would have been good to go again, but they left me sit there till Monday afternoon. A thousand miles back to the terminal, another 34 reset, and for months after that, nothing over 1100 miles a week.

Now, keep that in mind when the driver accepts the load. If he is honest about his hours, the company isn't going to like it. If he takes the load and tries to keep it on schedule, DOT isn't going to like it. Often, brokers are of the opinion that the driver taking the load is fresh with a full 70 available. That may be true in some cases, but certainly not all. Expect that more than half the drivers are picking up a "backhaul" and have used up half or more of their hours on the way out. On top of that, the driver is generally picking up your load near the end of his 14 window and will have to find somewhere to park for the next 10 hours. I've had brokers, rather than the company, schedule the delivery times and had to run as though I was fresh off a 34 reset.

I've also had brokers that required me to call them. When I did, they got my hours available. Then, they scheduled the delivery time according to my logbook, and even allowed for a 34 reset along the way. Then, they would call me back and give me the details. Those were the guys ( and gals) I liked working with the best. I didn't have a problem at the shipper, I didn't have a problem with the broker, I didn't have a problem with the consignee, and I didn't have any problem with DOT. I also did not get brokers like that very often. Usually, it was someone that was a retired driver, was very well acquainted with the driver's side of the transaction, and worked with the driver as much as they worked with the shipper or consignee they worked for. But, like dispatchers, brokers are not required to have any time behind the wheel.

One company I worked for would send out the dispatchers on a "ride-along" with a driver about every 6 months or so. If I were to come out of retirement, I wouldn't mind going back there.

My hats off to you. I've never seen anyone in dispatch or the broker actualy make an effort to ask that question. Honest communication between the broker and driver would go a long way.