Recently I had a conversation with a newer driver, he had been given a dispatch that he could`nt do as he was tired and didn`t have enough hrs available, Accepting the load was his mistake and my suggestion to him was to contact his safety dept and see if the load could be reassigned, failing that talk to dispatch and have the appt changed to something more realistic Then if that failed refuse the dispatch. His reply was he would be fired.

Maybe he would be fired but he would be alive. What advice would you give a newer driver in a similar situation?

 

If it's a forced dispatch company, one of the ways to get out of the load is to say that you cannot take the load due to insufficient hours - but if you can change the delivery appt to this -- I can. If not forced dispatch then (he shouldn't have taken the load) his only recourse is to convince dispatch and safety that he is not HOS compliant.

On these conversations with dispatch, try to do all of these over the QC if you talk with them record the call. That goes for safety as well.

I think almost everyone has been threatened with termination if we didn't take a load. It's a common ploy used by desperate dispatchers to cover a load.

If he did take that load he could have killed somebody else, had an accident , etc etc etc.

Another response for him to give to dispatch would be, I can pick the load up and get to here - legally and safely. Can you arrange a swap or an extended period for the delivery.

 

Excellent answers dle. I've been in the rookie's shoes before and accepted a load I could no way make legally, all because I was tired and not doing the math. Luckily arrangements were made to swap or drop or delay delivery. One bit of advice to new drivers, don't accept the load until you've had the chance to pull over and completely work the math.

 

Personally, I haven't, but you may very well be right. I usually hear "Just do the best you can." Rarely, if ever, do I catch crap from either dispatch, or the customer. Then again, in such instances, I'll call the customer personally and advise them of the situation. Most of them are glad that they got notified, rather than left in the dark.

Well spoken.