SUMMITT TRUCKING FIRST A GOOD FACE THEN...
 

Hi. I'm the boyfriend, that drives for Summitt Trucking, of the one who uses this name. The reason I'm typing this is that I was real impressed with Summitt at first, but after the happening of the last few weeks, I'm no longer impressed.
The week before Christmas, I accidentally clipped a control post for an electric gate. I was in a tight place and trying to make a turn through a gate and keep from getting stuck in the mud. I thought "No big deal " since it was the first incident since I started with them almost 2 years ago. I was wrong.
They put me before their"Driver Review Board", without telling me, and their disciplinary action was a"Final Warning, termination is next action if any other incidents or citations happen.
The only things that I have on my record are 1 speeding ticket, 1 warning for speeding and the incident with the control post.
Me personally , I think this was a too drastic of a measure to issue to a person with a record as good as that. I have bailed them out on several occasions. Taking loads that other drivers fell off of or that they just couldn't get covered. Loads for some of Summitt's biggest customers but that doesn't seem to matter to them. I don't think that I will be doing any more favors. You can have a good record, always on time for deliveries helping out whenever asked but they don't care. All that they see is the bad.
That's why I'm looking for another job. Maybe with a company that knows that good drivers are hard to find.

Happens at alot of companies. I've done alot "favors" for my previous employer, including saving them from a pretty big claim, only to get fired when a trailer was broken into.

Most companies have a "driver review board". Also most companies put drivers who have been involved in an accident/incident through this. Also many times this "board" is often only one person, the safety director.

Finally, at many companies, it is in the employee handbook the company's policy regarding accidents.

The bottom line is that you had a preventable accident and getting your nose all out of joint about it and how the company is handling it is not going to do any good at all.

And if ppl continue to let these companies get away with it, they'll continue to do it. I know it's mostly insurance companies, but someone has to put an end to it sometime.

Rememeber, there are more jobs then drivers.

I've read this a few times on the forum recently. I still don't understand why someone would come here to complain about such things. This poster has a couple tickets, and now has an accident. He states in his post that he thought it was "No Big Deal", this after having a speeding ticket, a warning for speeding and now the post incident. Is it possible that the attitude of "No Big deal" has something to do with why some drivers have problems? Maybe I'm missing something, but, it seems some people just don't take the job very serious. I'm sure shit happens but speeding is something a driver has control over. Tearing up a post (I'm guessing the driver was going slow enough to stop BEFORE it was tore up) seems like something a driver would have control over. Are companies really this bad or is it some drivers don't care, and then blame the company for shit they had control over.

The speeding ticket was for going 75 in a truck that is neutered at 68 on the floor, the warning was from a cop who was going in the opposite direction on the interstate in an area where it is difficult to see across to the other side. As for this minor incident. I am human, I make mistakes, I thought that I had swung wide enough to miss the post. It was a very tight area to maneuver in and once I thought I had the gate and post clear I was concentrating on trying to stay out of the mud so as to not get stuck and need towed out. I guess none of you ever got a ticket that you thought was undeserved or made a miscalculation and hit something. My point in the post was to let everyone know that Summitt has done a complete 180 in the way that their drivers are treated. The did not take any thing else into consideration. Not all of the times that I bailed their butts out of a jam, not all of the times that I took loads that other drivers wouldn't take. They claim to be driver friendly but in the last few months that is less true every day. Just wanted to fill everyone in on the changes so they have the correct information when deciding what company to go to work for. The drivers handbook has not been updated so the information in it is no longer valid. It doesn't say anything about a review board. Apparently it is something that they just started in the last 3-6 months. As for the "tearing up a post" where exactly was it that I said it was tore up? I said I clipped the post and that is what I did, I CLIPPED it, it was very minor. That's OK this is a message board and for each person that agrees with me there will be 5 who don't. I didn't come here to start a fight or whine I came here to let drivers know about changes in a company. I thought that I was doing someone a favor and I still do. If you don't like what I have to say then don't read it. Better yet if you think that I am wrong come to work for Summitt and in a few months you will sound just like me.

At UPS we can be charged for a "chargeable accident" if we so much as knock over a broom leaning against a wall while moving sets of doubles and triples around our service center yards. It's tough, but you learn not to take chances. Your driving record is the ONLY thing you have to sell in this business. "Helping out" a company that has made bad dispatch decisions is never remembered or appreciated by anyone. Cover your own rear and let the company worry about theirs.

I totally agree with that one!!

Maybe Summitt was impressed with you at first but is no longer impressed after your series of speeding violations and running over a stationary object.

It works both ways whether you like it or not.

I had written 2 paragraphs, but looks like they got lost :cry:



Basicaly, I also work for Summit.

I am a happy driver so far.

This thread was edited 'cause I didn't want to write the derned thing again :wink:

Basically they HAVE to review you. If they didn't and you got into a serious accident, the company could go tits up from a lawsuit. Trust me, don't take it personal, they're just doing whats REQUIRED. You sound like a good guy, don't let this get in your way.

You have to understand that in the trucking business there's things that are just automatic. DUI? automatic cannot enter canada. Accident? automatically get reviewed. Log violations? If your company doesn't catch them and notify you, the can be fined from the DOT to the tune of $10,000 or more!!! Fail a drug test? Goodbye!

Well after being with Summitt for about 1 1/2 years I was still pretty happy. Then as I got closer to the 2 year mark things went downhill fast. They have changed they way that they operate to the point that the driver handbook is pretty much useless. The have changed both their pet and passenger policy, their insurance, and if anything major goes wrong with your truck have fun getting it fixed. Supposedly they are supposed to be handing out new driver handbooks soon but I won't hold my breath. Just like the new terminal that was supposed to have been completed by now that hasn't even been started or the tripaks that were supposed to be put on all of the trucks. You know what, I am not going to get into an argument here. Just letting everyone that things have change dramatically there and it isn't a change for the good. I realize that every company has its problems. When I was looking for a new job 2 yrs ago I choose Summitt, for several reasons, over a couple of good companies. All of the reasons that I choose them, the things that I liked about them over the others, are now moote point. None of those things exist in this company any longer. Just too many straws and this was the one that broke this camels back. I am headed elsewhere unless major changes for the better happen here.

I have already headed elsewhere :lol:

Well, companies change. Drivers get bored. Happiness fades. Sounds like your looking for a new company before the post incident.

My advice. Quitely, get another job. Leave on good terms, with the standerd 2 weeks notice. If they ask why, just tell them you want something different. Do everything you can to be nice to them before you leave. They MIGHT feel somewhat bad when they screw over your DAC report.

And IMHO, never bail out your company by doing FAVORS... They just don't care, and won't remember. If they need you to bail them out, let them pay you extra. You've earned it. :wink:

Well said :) :) :)

From Cluggy; And IMHO, never bail out your company by doing FAVORS... They just don't care, and won't remember. If they need you to bail them out, let them pay you extra. You've earned it.


The only people whom know about a driver bailing out a dispatcher ARE the driver and "The Dispatcher". Unless Management was directly involved in you pulling butts out of fires, it never happened...cuz it never made it to them. That's trucking.

what is Summitt's passenger policy ??

Amen; agree 100%

now, to the subject of REVIEW BOARDS or PEER REVIEW?

@ OP- how was the review board made up? safety director and a couple of their million milers? or random cross-section of their driver base?

The worse thing a company can do, IMHO, is cater to a few of these "more perfect than now" type MMSD(million mile safe drivers) who could very well go out and make a stupid mistake themselves next week( I've seen it happen)...just to keep these "over inflated" ego's happy. Of course, they are going to come down HARD on you)

Far better to just have your safety director review it, have NTSB review, or
have a non-ego driven cross-section of their drivers comprising a few seats on this review board. This fosters a 'safety dialog' within the ranks of the fleet, especially when they are chosen at random whomever's in the terminal( problem is-- it's usually the Brown Nosing Ones always hanging
around the terminal all the time or the one's that are such professional drivers that they keep tearing the equipment up(always in the shop))

Yes, chaps your ass don't it- if you have a clean MVR and only this little
incident on your record---seek Life else where. Nothing worse than working under the treat of emminent termination.

They put you on a final written warning that's something I never got from Werner at 2.3 years they just told me to dead head to freaight in Dallas and canned me...But you are on a final written ,and if anything happens that they decide to put you at fault for then you will be Terminated , And trust me finding a job with your last employer as a termination is not easy ...My advice is to jump ship before you're tossed overboard ,and have to explain a termination on your record to perspective empoyers :wink:

another advantage to having the company owner for a dispatcher, I didnt think I would like that, but it's working pretty well so far.

Even last year, most of all the old timers have gone. My training there was horrible :cry: I may go back only because they kept me rolling and they are close to the house. I learned a few lessons there, which I will not repeat again :wink:

They only use the Flying J's which I liked. Too bad we don't get shower credit when we fuel at the terminal even though Flying J delivers the fuel :roll:

Did this post jump from Feb. 11, 2007 to Dec. 23, 2007, with no replies in between? :lol: :lol: