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Originally Posted by ssoutlaw
Here's a question for you guys posting to this topic, some of you drive now and some don't even drive yet, and your telling this guy he is wrong? To you glasman, If you get to go home for 34 hrs and you cant park your truck and trailer at your home, where are you going to park? Oh wait, you don't have that problem, you don't even drive yet! Are you guys telling me that if you cant park at home, you just wont go home, so you can babysit the company's equipment, talk about something you don't get paid for! I think the original poster is barking at the moon if he thinks by suing the company he will get his bonus back. Remember, a driver has to be let loose of the responsibility at some time during the week. If the land owner, and the company agree to let you park, your responsibility is GONE. Remember you have to use reasonable care to safe guard the equipment, you don't have a crystal ball to know when or where a thief will strike, and our court systems know this too! so if the company says you can leave it, its their responsibility Be smart though, always record your conversation with your company when they allow you to do this. If the original poster had done this, he wouldn't be in the place he is now! A thief can jack your truck in a truck stop while you are using the restroom and you're truck is parked in the lot, Remember glasman, that will be YOUR FAULT, in your way of thinking! just remember if they want it they will get it, and its not the drivers fault. These company's would make out like bandits letting the driver take the fall and not even get paid some of the profit. When I work for a company, they get the big money and the risk of doing business! NOT ME! A lot of drivers don't live near their home terminals and will have places setup where they can drop or leave their equipment. I also would have tarped the load, but hey, that's just ME! You can NEVER keep your equipment safe 100% of the time, and if you think you can then you are a fool!
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Best of luck to you, but I have yet to hear of any state's labor and wage laws that counts bonuses as wages (except for tax purposes).
Excellent observation. One I had not thought of, there goes my attempt at collecting my "bone us".Best of luck to you, but I have yet to hear of any state's labor and wage laws that counts bonuses as wages (except for tax purposes).
So the money is no longer the issue.
So what I am to understand, however, is that on any weekend I am home with a load I take the risk of thievery, I am going to be responsible during my 34 hour reset. That limits the camping trips and out of town trips w/ the wife and kids...."sorry honey...you and the kids go...I'm going to guarantee the security of my load and visit it every other hour , for no pay or benefits....thank God this fine company offered employment to me and pays me so well for the time away from family, you all go now and enjoy".....
BTW...I forgot to mention I resigned as soon as I found out about this company policy. I have contacted 3 different companies for employment, and NONE of the 3 hold their drivers monetarily responsible for theft or damage when they are on off duty status.
Had I parked the load in an "unsecure area", one known for a high crime rate and such, there would not have been this discussion....thx for all the input, some knowledgeable, and some not.
ssoutlaw: you are correct...I should have tarped regardless of the company refusing to pay..I would have only been out $20...lesson well learned.
Only being in this profession for just shy of 2 years I am still frustrated at the low rate of pay and lack of benefits for the time one is away from family and home. C'mon...some real intelligent poster please state.."well quit then and go find another line of work!"...easily stated...with a bit of truth to it...however...is that the only recourse to better understand how, by accepting employment as a truck driver, you now have NO TIME OFF, unless you are parking in a company lot.
Perhaps your level of gratitude for employment is higher than mine...but I think w/ a 60% turn over rate average I am not the only one questioning this profession's policy. "IF YOUR COMPANY HAD SPELLED OUT THIS POLICY AT THE BEGINNING, WOULD YOU HAVE ACCEPTED EMPLOYMENT? I can honestly state....NO. There is a multitude of companies that relinquish you of responsibility to the load when on a break/reset. It is your responsibility to secure the load in a manner satisfactory to you and dispatch...it should end there.