Answer to trucking questions about comments on rip off report

Some insight about the complaints and comments your read posted by some drivers

This page is in response trucking questions asked by Dan about what he read on Rip Off Report Website

Dan if your ask me there is a thin line between constructive criticism and whining. The first comes from a person trying to get a problem acknowledged with the hope of bringing about a solution. Whining is usually the result of hurt feelings by an emotional windbag only wanting to vent or sometimes hoping to inflict some type of injury to the person or entity who caused the discomfort to him or her. Or it could be a person who is actually wrong but refusing to take responsibility and so tries to shift the blame to someone else.

You decide which category the stuff you read is likely to fit in best. After you determine that, then you can also pretty well determine if that person's side of the story is complete and unbiased or if it is one sided and/or exaggerated.

Now obviously there will be bad apples in every industry holding any position, so of course there are some legitimate complaints on rip off report but let's take a good look at what you pointed out.

1. I just don't know why a person would not get copies of something they signed if he or she wanted copies. I just don't see a business being able to get that type of contract signed and not having to provide a copy to all signing parties. In fact I think it is illegal. Not sure but I think so, in any case, now that you know that this situation supposedly exists all you have to do is ask before you sign one if they will give you a copy, if not don't sign it.

2. I wouldn't say this never happened, I am sure it has. I don't know why it would be a widespread problem though. So if you think this might be something that hinders you, research the school that you plan to attend and ask them will they review your background before you sign.

Sounds like there may be a little fudging of the truth going on in answering the questions. In any case we don't truly know what went down with that except the disgruntled complainers comments.

3. I have no ideas what that is . There is one physical that was taken when I started. You passed it or didn't. The company depending on their policy you may be required to lift so they may have a physical strength test or even another physical but that wouldn't bother your CDL unless you tested positive for drugs.

4. Don't know why this would be necessary, but it seems like something avoidable. Why would you need an arbitration. What circumstance took place that prompted a need for arbitration?

5. Out of 11 years never drove overweight and only once did a shipper try to imply that I should take a load that was overweight on an axle. I wouldn't and he took a pallet off, I scaled out and was on my way. It's not worth the time or trouble in my book to be driving around scales. I wouldn't work for a company that played that game and I can't see a lot of companies taking that chance.

Maybe in certain sectors like if they haul rock or livestock, or something heavy all the time and use brokers they may play that game but then usually the driver is willing and is compensated, just don't go to or stay at that type of company. Problem solved there.

6. I am sure this happens. I always advise drivers to have a serious talk with the trainer in the beginning. Let him or her know what to expect from you and what you expect from him. New drivers are sometimes intimidated because the trainer has history with the company already. Most companies has a system in place to keep from having trainers that grossly abuse the process. If a trainer is not handle things right, first off document times and dates of violations or mistreatment, that way if things end up in a law suit or otherwise debatable situation you have a more credible argument with documentation.

Next talk to the person in charge of dispatch and find out the procedure for filing complaints and or switching trainers. Good companies understand that incompatible personalities are counterproductive. The also don't want trainers abusing their position as trainers. They know that there are some trainers out there that will so there is usually a system for addressing it.

7. I don't know what that is about. Why would you fail your physical exam? Could it be a positive drug test result? If that was the case I would not fault the company for not paying for the trip back home. The guy is an idiot. Not passing the road test I would say the company should pay for but we don't know what happened the reason the guy didn't pass the road test. To me that is relevant. If he couldn't pick it up that's one thing. If he refused to do certain things asked of him the reason he wouldn't pass that's another thing.

I was supposed to meet a driver last week in Chicago to get a piece of furniture because they said the would not deliver it to the people. Then they said he would not stop to switch it off. I never got it. Don't know what happened. If I was running things at the company that driver wouldn't have a job when he got back. We will always go to places that we don't want to at some point and it may be in rush hour or at any other time. If a person wants to ultimately call the shots he needs to start his own company.

People can't plan and coordinate with clowns refusing to do simple task just because they are inconvenient or unpleasant.

8. I started not to even respond to, We don't know why the driver was quitting but one could assume that their was probably some unpleasant conversation prior to him quitting over the road like that.

A grown man must be mature enough to restrain himself at times in his life, right or wrong it may be in his best interest to behave a certain way in certain situations. I would say quitting out on the road instead of waiting to getting back to the terminal is stupid.

Having said that, if a person is so ignorant as to think that a company should cover all the expenses of sending him straight home just because he wants to quit, it also leads me to believe that it is highly possible his unreasonable expectations or inability to think rationally about something else probably lead up to the conversation which resulted in the words being uttered, “I quit” in the first place.

Furthermore, (Let's pretend I am the trucking company) If you take it upon yourself to treat my $80,000 equipment like it is your greyhound against my will then I would have the police there to greet you too. And remember, we don't know what other words were said in what seemed like an ongoing exchange over the phone. You can't just look at what the complainer stated and believe there isn't a lot more to the story. So the driver might have stated some ill intentions for the truck.

After it is all said and done, If I am the company yes you would get a bill. None of this probably had to happen. I could go on and on but why? I think I've said enough. People get caught up in seeing things from only one perspective.

Sometimes people intentionally exaggerate or omit information so they seem to be in the right when they complain. Sometimes they are delusional and really believe their perception of what happened to them and they feel victimized but for both these reasons you can't put so much trust and weight on a person's endless complaints.

Take them with a grain of salt.

As far as DAC reports, It's common for drivers to get things put on their DAC usually for poor decision more so than accidents. Abandoning loads or equipment, intentionally missing appointment times, etc. These are not unwarranted things. The reason for the DAC report is to notify other companies of drivers with those traits, who needs them, they hurt us all. Now could the DAC be abused, of course, so there is an process to check your DAC and dispute it and some companies who specialize in helping to clean abuses up.
more info about DAC Reports

I wouldn't say everything written on rip off or any other complaint is a lie, you just need to realize that everything is not the whole story. Take it with a grain of salt talk to drivers face to face. Think about it this way. The same way that they would talk reckless on the CB about anything and anyone is how some people will put up a post on the Internet. If the drivers you talk to from the same company say the same thing in person then you know it's a problem, if they have an opposite story then you know something is fishy about what was posted or at least you know not to expect the same thing to happen to you just because it supposedly happened to him. In any case the postings on there give you something to ask about when you talk to a driver. I never mentioned the site before because I didn't want people to feel the way you did after reading it.

The fact that you are researching and asking questions leads me to believe you'll be just fine, find a company you like and let's go kid.

Don't let the ignorance of another have you saying woulda coulda shoulda 5 or 10 years from now. because you never took the plunge. You said you have no kids, no wife and you have your property rented to a good tenant, Dan, I say you are a great candidate for the road, if you end up not liking it then just do something different after giving it a whirl.

Good luck, happy trucking Top of Page - answer-to-trucking-comments-on-ripoffreport