I have worked in the trucking industry for almost 4 years. I am a technician, safety inspector and part time driver. At our small, family company, I have seen some pretty lowlife people drive our trucks. This in no way reflects on my opinion of professional truckers, you and I both know there are some lowlifes out there. Why we keep hiring them is beyond me. I thought I had seen it all until I met Randy:

Randy was hired 3 weeks ago. I had just finished cleaning out the truck he was assigned to when I met him. I introduced myself. First thing out of his mouth:

"I was an owner operator"

K, that's great. Long story short he said this 3 more times in our short conversation, to which I finally replied "yeah? I used to delver pizza" :lol:

I don't talk with many OOs, but I was not aware this is something former OOs openly tell other people in normal conversation. If he was indeed an OO, why was he here?

Randy is quite the badass. One of those guys who knows everything. We gave him the benefit of the doubt and assumed he knew how to perform his duties, you know, having been an OO.

In 3 weeks, he has managed to:

rip a light cord off on a trailer
rip a turn signal off
drag off 2 new trailer tires ($600)
steal $1,000 worth of advances
wrap his air lines and light cords around his driveshaft
drop not one, but two trailers without lowering the landing gear
trash his truck with more garbage than I have ever seen in a truck
swear at customers
run unsafe/faulty equipment... when I performed a state inspection on his truck I found all kinds of stuff most of us would notice and like to have fixed, fire extinguisher, wiper blades, dashboard lights, low tires...
run a reefer with a frozen load out of fuel


Yesterday he turns in a fuel receipt for 4 gallons and $12 worth of fuel. He changed the 1 to a 5 to say $52 and tried to pocket the $40 difference. Problem is, most of us were not born yesterday like he apparently assumed. Hell, he changed the 4 to a 22 to make it look like he got 22 gallons of fuel, and the math didn't even come out right! He was terminated on the spot. I spent most of the morning cleaning out the poor truck for the second time in 3 weeks.

Our operations manager told me the people who brag about having been an OO are usually the worst drivers. I see what he meant. The guy didn't even have a CB. I don't trust anyone who doesn't run with a CB.

Hats off to the real OOs who do their jobs right and keep the roads safe. It's people like this guy who make us all look bad. My friend Randy doesn't belong anywhere near a truck.

And, now you know why he's not an O/O anymore. Actually, I don't think, from what you've said, he ever really was one. Maybe got into one of those "lease/purchase" deals for a month or two. That's not exactly a real O/O.

yea we have all met people like him and the more that get fired the better for the rest of us out on the big road

I've found that the people who constantly have to remind you of their past accomplishments are the ones who are the laziest. They expect to be rewarded for things that have already come and gone, by someone who wasn't even present for it.

If I even hear the words "I've been doing this for XX years" from one of my labor, I know it's not gonna be a good day.

Just another one of those know it all Super Truckers on the loose.

I used to have to give check rides for new employees where I worked, had one guy come in stated and verified that he had driven for 5 years. Okay I figure no problem right? Wrong. This guy goes to hook up the trailer backs underneath catches the kingpin, now I like to see a guy stop and make sure of height before just going underneath, I have highlined before and have learned. Guy jumps out ,racks up the landing gear, jumps back into truck ready to go. I am still outside with a dumbfounded look on my face. He looks at me gets out of tractor says whats up? I suggest we might need to hook the airlines up before leaving. Whoops. He does so and starts to go back to truck. Whooooo you forgot the electrical line. Needless to say he was not going to even pretrip his trailer. Got on the road couldn't even drive a 13 speed did not know how to shift. I asked him if he had driven a 13 before, he goes yeah in my own truck. I could go on but thats enough

Did not hire this guy.

Ouch
Sorry to hear that-Like the saying goes one bad apple spoils................
This idiot was never a O/O or if he Was he wasn't one for very long.

There should be a better way of reporting on these people without fear of getting sued. It could save the rest of us from having to deal with the likes of him.

Hey Gman he is probably lookin for a job am sure carterbeauford can get his # for you if you need a driver. :lol: :wink:

We recommended he look into a career in fast food.

I think I will pass.