Quote:
Originally Posted by Roxie
In your company, is the company not liable for the safety of the driver?
As has been my experience with companies....
They have one thing and one thing only in mind....The bottom line on the Profit and Loss statement. Make it as big as possible. The driver is nothing but a tool just like the truck. Between that steering wheel and the nut holding it, there are a ton of regulations that must be complied with.
Unfortunately, unless it's involving EPA, OSHA or something like that, your husbands safety is the last thing of consideration to anybody but your husband and you. Weather is irrelevant to dispatchers. Their task is to ensure a load is on-time to the customer. Anything that disrupts that or makes it be rescheduled is a service failure and a hit to their own job performance.
And for the record, I am an independent O/O for a reason. It's amazing the look on a receiver or shippers face when they are told, "why don't you call my dispatcher and tell them the problem." and they suddenly realize that they are talking to you. Changes a lot of attitudes really quick.
Drivers in this industry are looked down upon as a second class citizen as if they are not capable of bringing themselves up. I see that attitude time and again. With dispatchers, brokers, receivers and shippers.
One thing your husband needs to realize is he is no longer a driver. He is a business owner. Plain and simple. It just so happens that about 25% of his duties involve driving. If he is not allowed to operate his business as he deems, then he needs to move or change his practices. If they are not letting him be home every other weekend, then he needs to change companies he's leased to. His truck, his rules. If he accepts what they say, then he has changed his business practices.
I mostly run my loads off of load boards, It keeps me busy enough that I don't have to be leased to a company. I have regular brokers I work with that keep me busy I am using the boards less and less. I am not making a million a week, but I am paying off debt and making progress. So that's good enough for me.