My guess is that you've never had to work light duty. You may be under doctors care and receiving treatment, but you are *NOT* receiving money from workers comp. You are paid by your company to do work with limitations (such as lifting, sitting, etc).

He's not taking advantage of anything.

 

Just as I do not beleive in people claiming "entrapment" nor do I beleive that companies "force" drivers to run illegally. The problem is HUGE in the industry and always has been. This is what the drivers face though on a daily basis though. They have a choice to say NO and most just would rather gamble and be seen to be a "good employee" rather than not. I have been starved off my share of companies. Too some companies I'm seen as a bit of a "job hopper". But this is another thing like the DAC blackball that some drivers face. You either run legal and starve (companies try and pretend that they would never stoop so low) or you play the game the way some mid-level manager type wants you to play it. So to get you "back in line" they resort to a little pressure. That usually works because of all the threats of hanging the job hopper term or DAC blackball on a driver. Myself? I would always document everything and try my best to let those ABOVE the mid level bonus seeker know what was going on. You CAN in most cases get it down to where you work legal and make "enough" money. You won't make as much as the "dispatchers puppy club" and you will never be seen as "one of the boys" and you probably won't even get a free baseball cap, but whoop de doo! You have your sense of being, sense of pride (that your not a punk) and you'll be a lot healthier mentally and physically.... and in this case, you'll not be staring at living with killing someone the rest of your life, a possible criminal record and incarceration and or the losing practically everything that you and your family own trying to prevent that.

 

Let me add: If a driver is hurt on the job the company will not terminate their employment until the workman’s comp claim is closed or settled. They will terminate his employment after the workman's comp case has been closed if it the accident justifies his termination. Let me add not every driver that goes on workman's comp gets terminated.

The company in this case will be proven at fault pretty easily if they were paying drivers while they were not working. If the company was writing drivers out at the end of the day, but having them clock in at the beginning this is pretty fishy to. If this is the case the company will be held responsible and someone at the company will go to jail and the company will pay out some big cash. The driver will probably still get put in jail to make a good example to other truck drivers; this is what can happen to you if you log illegal. The jury might feel sorry for him and take it light. I doubt it because of all the P.A.T.D. is raising so much hell right now.

If a driver feels the company will let them get by with running illegal some drivers will run illegal. The company and the driver are at fault! Both know better and both are held responsible.

Many companies or dispatchers (sometimes dispatchers for bonuses) try to make drivers feel pressured to run illegal. If the boss says you can, MANY WILL!

I am sorry your friend is caught up in this mess, but unfortunately he didn't listen to the ones trying to tell him to run legal. Many drivers fall in this trap and many drivers feel if they pass their DOT on the road they are free and clear. Unfortunately this is not the case many of the times.

 

Okay everyone. Thanks for clarifying about the workmen's comp thing. I never had to make a claim for that in the past and I guess maybe my ignorance shows. I've been a laberer throwing boxes and running fork for a few years, which is really 'go nowhere' work and I'm trying to get into the trucking business which I think is alot more meaningful.

So, about Ray Green, he had the back injury first, was on light duty, then DOT released him to drive, and then he had this fatality accident? And what about pain meds? with back pain and being on light duty work, you'd have back pain and the pills for it, too. DOT let him drive while being on all that medication? And did L&H know about that too? because I would think that if my employer knew I had been taking Oxycontin, then I crashed my forklift into a truck driver from another company and hurt him, he could sue not only me (for being so @#$-ing stupid) but also my employer, for letting me drive the forklift while on all of those meds in the first place?

 

They should not have released him if he was on pain killers. That is definetely a NO NO! Did the driver state he was not taking them anymore? Maybe your friend is not telling the whole truth about the pain killers. To be released from a medical you must not be taking the pain meds/narcotics. You must be able to life the requirements of DOT Regulations (osha whatever?). Your friend should have never been released if he was legitally taking the pain meds. Now your friend could have been telling you he was taking them due to the doctor, but was not supposed to be taking them while driving a CMV. You can't be a 4 wheeler taking those meds. Sucks comes some people need them and they can only take them to go to work.
I am only letting you know what the law states, I am not assuming your friend is lieing to you. Check into it. If the Doctor released him while taking oxycotin maybe the doctor was not aware he could not driver a CMV while taking those? That could be a GREAT POSSIBILITY! Doctors do screw up :lol:

 

You guys are "assuming" he was on medication.
"IF" he was ( and that's assuming ) it could have been just Indocin.
Indocin will not impair your driving.

This topic went from blaming the company to a driver on drugs.
Do you know how to spell assume? ass-u-me.

 

I have an Idea. Why don't those of you whom are really interested in this particular incident, follow it. Keep the Forum up to date on what actions are taken against the driver, if he is found to have been in violation, as well as what happens to the company he works for, it's dispatchers, and it's management.

 

I agree with the above opinions, but I was wondering, are teams safer on the road because it removes the need to cheat and drive when tired?

 

Stae police say driver was over hours

http://www.landlinemag.com/todays_ne.../030207-02.htm

 

Thanks DoubleR for posting the Landline article. And yes I am Tony Hippensteel mentioned in the article. Hopefully now some of you doubters out there will give me a little credibility.

I have had the FMCSA, Pa DOT contact me as well as many local newspapers.

Hopefully now that the right authorities are involved justic will be served!