jammers in company trucks
 

my friend told me that the company he drives for has had numerous violations for drivers using jammers in their trucks. It has gotten so bad that the company sent out a news letter stating that if any driver is caught with a jammer or detector you will be fired no questions about it. they say this goes against the company DOT records and the driver record. I know this company has some fast trucks because i was driving up to macon ga running about 74 and this one particular truck blew by me like i was sitting still he had to be doing at least 85-90 mph or maybe faster because he was in the far left lane passing four wheelers like they were sitting still also. this is a mail contractor company and i was wondering are they under different standards as far as speed of the trucks. do they govern their trucks because it is hard for me to pass this company truck even at 74.

Re: jammers in company trucks
 

I drive for a mail contractor here part-time on Sundays. The runs by federal law I believe must be paid hourly at a prevailing wage. This one pays $23.00/hr. It's an easy-money run...just hop on the turnpike and turn and burn. The truck is ungoverned but I don't push it...I keep it at a steady 65 mph on the pike.

And yes, it's illegal to run a bird dog in any commercial vehicle nationwide. Your CB is the best tool for finding the bears. It's always proved more beneficial in that regard than any bird dog unit.

Re: jammers in company trucks
 

Hmmm...sounds to me like the company should be more concerned with the speed of their trucks (hello governor!) than the jamming ability of a driver's equipment. Think it through.... Just sayin'!

There really is no call for a mail truck to be going that fast. While there is not a lot of screw off time built into those runs, there is more than enough time to get to your destination and take a break every few hours while in route.

Anyway I know of several companies that have a zero tolerance policy when it comes to jammers or radar detectors and will fire you if they even see one in the truck.

All I know is that if I was being paid $23/hr, I'd run 100% legal. I def wouldn't be trying to get my job done faster.

:lol: :lol:

Well said, Malaki86, well said :mrgreen: 8)

what exactly does his run and pay have to with the question that was raised???? and why does he need to work extra since his big time union gig pays so well, and we should all quit any other driving job to get one like his?? he rags my job but i don't have to work two jobs.

Why does everyone feel the need to speed? I just don't get it. If you just run the speed limit then you would not have to worry about getting pulled over and getting a ticket OR the company finding out that you have a "Bird Dog" in the truck and firing you. I run the speed limit every time and I still get there on time with time to spare. Its called proper trip planning. Plus I still earn a decent wage in the process.

Not everyone feels the need to speed Fireman, but some do. So you make all your runs on time and never speed. I'm betting you've never been dispatched at 850 miles a day. Understand I'm not endorsing or condoning anything here, but it's totally short sighted of you to somehow believe that the entire industry works just like your job. The truth of the matter, a truth that everyone is afraid to admit in public, is that there are still a lot of outlaws out there, and likely always will be (unless the feds mandate governors on all trucks, which is coming soon.) Most guys do it for the money. The hard truth is that you can make a lot of cash quick by pushing the limits, especially if you are getting a percentage of the load. There are other guys that do it for the adrenaline rush. Some guys just can't sit at truck stops all day, they have a need to be running and running hard. These people still exist, and there are plenty of companies that wil lgladly put them to work and let them run. Maybe it's not the safest thing in the world, maybe it's not a good image for the industry, but it is reality.

Now as to why the driver in the op was high balling it, I'm stumped. When one gets paid by the hour, driving fast only serves to cut down on ones hours and thus shrink ones paycheck. Makes no sense to me.

Re: jammers in company trucks
 

It must have been AIR MAIL. :wink:

Chasing Daylight wrote:
The answer to that is actually easy. Even though the driver is paid by the hour, the driver is still under pressure to get the load to the consignee by the appointed time. His job depends on it.

The "outlaw" driving is what is wrong with the industry. Drivers that run legal arent "blind" to what is happening with shippers/receivers pressuring drivers to run "outlaw". As long as this practice is accepted it will continue. If a driver is dispatched 850miles a day, the driver needs to say no...or run the load but advise dispatch that the load will be run legal. It will get there when my logbook and speedlimit says it gets there.

Fireman was just making a statement that it is possible to run legal and succeed in this industry, however, it takes a coordinated effort between dispatch/brokers, shippers/receivers and the driver to make it so. IMO drivers that give into the pressure or even thrive on running illegal is as much of a problem as the "cheap freight" that is so prevalent.

I'm not sure if outlaw freight is really the problem, or a result of a bigger problem. There is a minor, but prevalent dynamic in the industry that is often either overlooked or downplayed. Small fleets have to run higher dollar freight to cover overhead and make a profit. For good or bad, outlaw freight tends to pay better. If a shipper wnats his product delivered in an unreasonable amount of time, he'll often pay better for it. This is one way for a small fleet to survive, and it's an easier way than the other options (mostly specialized freight.) Even if the freight doesn't pay that high, a lot of fleets will try to turn it quick by bumping up dock appointments. If you can't make big bucks on a load, run more loads. As long as there is money in it, it will continue to happen, and as long as these companies make the deal sweet enough, there will always be drivers willing to run it. The hard truth is that the prevalence of cheap freight causes this problem as much as anything.

The future may look a lot different. If they push through EOBR requiremtns and 68mph mandated Governors, outlaw freight will be a thing of the past. I suspect when that happens, fully half of the small fleets will be bankrupt in short order. It will be a world of mega carriers and niche market players. I'm not sure whether that is a good thing or a bad one.

Jammers
 

Besides, they don't work. Another scam perpetrated on ignorant drivers by people seeking a quick way to separate a driver's money from him.

Navy EWCS (E-8 electronic warfare tech) Carrier Electronic Warfare Officer (EWO), Carrier Assistant EWO. Spent from 1967 thru 1992 in the game.

P.S. Not only will a LEO take your "jammer", the company will probably take their job back. Travel light. BOL

Sealord is right. Most people are referring to Rocky Mountain Radar units as jammers. They are nothing but garbage. There are several forums out on the net and plenty of folks who have tested these units and you would have as much luck jamming with an RMR unit as if you used a brick taped to the dash. They are just junk... And they are illegal in a commercial vehicle(not because they actually jam, but because they have a cheapo radar detector in it).

Why risk your job over a piece of garbage? I run a Valentine in my car, but wouldn't risk it in a truck. If you want some good info on this topic for your personal use or hobby then I would check out radardetector.net and guysoflidar.com. Besides all of that with the cost of fuel these days just slow down and save yourself and your company some bucks.

Longsnowsm

And I say Amen to that! :)

What are the prescribed penalties for having a Radar Detector in a CMV?

edit
Hey......I made it to Senior Trucker.......only took me almost 4 years! I wonder if I'll feel different tomorrow :D

I don't see anything from the OP in the first post about the drivers being paid hourly.

Regardless, I don't run a jammer or radar detector. If I'm in a rush 5 over is about it, and only in certain non-congested areas.

You will. Better get some Advil for those aches and pains. :lol: