earthdog
Cave Dweller 
Don't eat yellow snow
Member since June 2006
Posts: 2,731
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Post by earthdog on Oct 27, 2007 10:24:43 GMT -5
I need to rant for a minute.
Our company has 18 cement mixers and 18 drivers.
Out of those 18 drivers there is at least 6 that like to drink heavy after work. I would say on average 4 days a week we have 2 drivers show up for work that are still hung over and stink like liquor or still drunk from staying out till 4:am drinking and then show up at 6:am for work. Our dispatcher sits right there and hears all this talk about how wasted they got or still are. Our dispatcher doesn't say anything about it, he'll let them fire up their truck and work or sometimes he will switch loads around so the wasted person can go home. No write up, no days off and no firings for coming in drunk or smelling like liquor.
We are supposed to be professional drivers with a professional attitude.
Well this morning I went to work and one driver had a hell-of-a hangover and didn't want to work, so they switched loads around and let him go home. Another driver passed out in his car, in the driveway of another drivers home, he shows up for work this morning so drunk that they again switched loads around and let him go home. Again no write ups no warnings and no firings. I am and got so tired of this happening that I snapped when I got back from my load and I said something to the dispatcher. All of a sudden I am the bad guy! I was told that I should mind my own business.
I'm tired of covering for these drunk, alcoholic pricks.
I even asked the dispatcher what the owner of the company would say about it all and he says, "call him, he was just in here""
I ask for a day off on Tuesday since we are getting slow so my wife and I can go do something for my birthday and I get a rash of chit for wanting a day off. I asked to have a couple hours off last month so I can take my daughter to get her physical so she can play high school basketball, and I get a rash of chit for wanting to take a couple hours off.
I have never worked for a company in all my 28 years of driving trucks that would allow you to come in drunk for work and just let you take the day off without any ramification. I could be a little bit more understanding if it happened once with a guy in say, 15 years of working there but this happens every week with the same people.
Favoritism in the workplace sucks big time.
I think it's about time to find another job.
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Post by BAZ on Oct 27, 2007 10:36:12 GMT -5
Sounds like they need to do randoms (or more of them if they already do) and screen for alchohol along with it. In my opinion a liquor hangover is worse/more dangerous than anything else. They are endangering the public with loads like that behind them and are probably still legally drunk operating a commercial vehicle. If you feel like being a really bad guy contact DOT or OSHA and let them know what is happening. Although in my opinion you wouldn't be a bad guy for it, you might just save some lives.
Cement mixer vs. school bus full of nuns and kindergartners - cement mixer wins.
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Post by BAZ on Oct 27, 2007 10:39:56 GMT -5
I cut way back on the late nights last year when I started hauling Propane. Our loads are a lot lighter than yours except that when we f'up and come to work drunk our cement blows up. Eeek!
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Member since January 1970
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Oct 27, 2007 10:43:01 GMT -5
I think it's about time to find another job. Definitely. Life is seriously to short to be dealing with crap like that. And lets not forget about the danger it puts you and the general public in when there are drivers on the road in that condition. I think a new job is in order. Dealing with that on a daily basis is just going to bring you down. It would make me want to give the drunk/hung over drivers license plate number to someone you know, anonymously. Have them make a 911 call saying there is a drunk truck driver on the road. I mean, if these are friends of yours it might different but these guys need a wake up call. Funny how the person that is just trying to maintain a professional attitude becomes the bad guy in a situation like this. Shannon |
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earthdog
Cave Dweller
Don't eat yellow snow
Member since June 2006
Posts: 2,731
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Post by earthdog on Oct 27, 2007 11:06:04 GMT -5
Every quarter they pick 3 drivers for random tests and alchohol test is included. The problem with that is they pick mostly the same drivers to go test. Danny, one of our drivers has gone 4 times this year while others like myself haven't had to go since I have been there,(3 years)
These guys aren't my friends, I just have to work with them.
These guys will rat you out for anything they think you do wrong. I brought a load this week to a contractor tht was a little to wet, like a 5" slump and he wanted it at a 4" one of the other drivers goes back and tells the dispatcher that I was way too wet. Back stabbing like crazy. I didn't get any trouble but I got talked to about it. The contractor had to wait maybe 15 minutes more to get on the slab to finish it, thats all.
If I was to call DOT about it I'm sure the finger would be pointed at me because I'm the only one that has the "nads" to speak up about it. The other drivers don't want to rock the boat. They can talk to me about it and say how fed up it is that they allow it but they won't stand up about it.
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Post by krazydiamond on Oct 27, 2007 11:48:28 GMT -5
i worked with a girl that drank on the job...i realized it, told my boss and he didn't believe me! i showed him proof (vodka in her coffee cup) and he said he would "talk to her about it". a few days go by and she's at it again. this went on for weeks and weeks and the boss just let her get away with it. she screwed up and was totally out of it when he was in the office one day and she finally got the boot.
thank goodness she was a secretary and not a cement truck driver!!!
KD
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Post by Michael John on Oct 27, 2007 13:47:26 GMT -5
The difference between a 4" slump and a 5" slump aint diddly. If anything, the guys who had to cut and screed the mud probably loved you for it. ;D
I'm sure you deal with many of the same concrete contractors on an almost daily basis. You're probably even on a friendly, first name basis with a lot of the masons. If you know any of them well enough to trust that they won't "rat you out", you might suggest that they make a discreet call to the cops if they know that one of your drivers shows-up drunk. Believe me ... they know who your good drivers are, and who your bad drivers are, and they'd like nothing more than to get rid of the bad drivers. A bad driver with a poorly-batched load of mud makes a mason's day a living hell.
If more than one of your company's drivers gets busted for operating under the influence, OSHA and your state's Department Of Transportation will be all over your company like flies on poop.
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earthdog
Cave Dweller
Don't eat yellow snow
Member since June 2006
Posts: 2,731
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Post by earthdog on Oct 27, 2007 17:08:08 GMT -5
MJ, I take it you have poured concrete before.
We deal with the same contractors day in and day out except for the do-it-yourselfers.
I can lay down 10 yards of crete like a pillow as long as it isn't stiffer than a 3" and the puddler's love that.
Some of time when I pour a driveway at 5" they don't even have to strike it off, just float it.
I would hate to call DOT or some other place and be labeled a rat.
Alot of the other drivers don't even care that they have to cover for the drinkers. They also fail to realize that if one of the drunks hit or kill someone the whole company could be shut down and we all would be out of a job.
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Post by LCARS on Oct 27, 2007 17:26:23 GMT -5
Next time you want some time off in advance and they give you 'chit' or if you're just sick of it and want a new job, just call the TSB right in front of the dispatcher and tell them there's a bunch of drunken a-holes driving tons of concrete around.  |
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Post by docone31 on Oct 27, 2007 20:20:12 GMT -5
Edog, I know the drill. When I was on sabatical from the corporate world, which I never returned to, I drove.
There is no worse frustration than working for a company who you feel will not stand behind you in case of a worst case scenario. If the company you work for wants to take the risk of having drivers substantially not in compliance of BMCS, that is their gig. If I were you, I would look for another gig. I ended up driving roll offs. I loved it. It was always different, year round, and home at night. I hauled containers from construction sites. I was always over weight, scales knew me by first name. I mean, when you pull up to get a container and it is full of concrete demo, over the top, and you get tapped, things change. I had more fun going to landfills, getting free food from upscale resteraunts (sp?), just getting to a job, making it happen, and getting on with it. Each night, I would have to pull my tires and pull nails, a gazillion of them. I made a good living.
I would get into work, get a call sheet, and drive all over the state, going from job site to job site. Then going to the landfill. It was great.
Mud hauling is ok, but I really enjoyed tri axle demo. I drove an old Autocar with that upside down 25 speed three stick. I got pretty good at it. Imagine, 8 speeds in reverse!
A good driver can call his shots in this new driving world. It seems more important to pass written tests than road tests. I cannot tell you how many drivers I have trained who had only 10hrs behind the wheel of a class 8 and had been hired as a lead driver! You know what I mean. They can pass all the written tests but cannot drive a B model Mack.
Hang in there. The right way will make itself known.
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Post by catmandewe on Oct 27, 2007 21:15:58 GMT -5
I am one of those contractors, and a drunken cement truck driver dropped himself in one of my septic tanks after I told him that I had parked my pickup next to the septic tank so he would know where it is.
The big boss showed up and made all kinds of apologies and said they would take care of it all.
After a couple days went by, I called to see when they were gonna take care of it all, and they said that they had decided that it was not their fault. Convenient now that I can't have his driver tested. Something like that happens again I am calling for a breathalyser on the spot.
Needless to say I don't use that company any more.
Covering for drunken bozos only enables them to continue the behavior, someone needs to put a stop to it before someone gets killed.
Ok end of "my" rant............................Tony
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Post by pho on Oct 27, 2007 21:35:00 GMT -5
In Texas, any State Trooper can pull over ANY commercial vehicle with or without cause and give it an inspection. Maybe a call to your State Police explaining the situation might help.
Worth a shot. Besides, what do you have to lose? It could save a life or two. And, the dispatcher could also be held liable if he lets a drunk driver leave the yard. Just my opinion.
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RockyBlue
fully equipped rock polisher
Go U.K.
Member since June 2006
Posts: 1,719
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Post by RockyBlue on Oct 27, 2007 22:36:21 GMT -5
Hey edog!
nobody likes to be called a rat,but under these circumstances it might save a childs life maybe your own,your good at your job,and when your good you can go anywhere and get a job. Osha can do wonders and the state police,to the people you work for i would say this,what goes around comes around................Rocky
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emyhro4048
spending too much on rocks
Member since March 2007
Posts: 396
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Post by emyhro4048 on Oct 27, 2007 22:54:46 GMT -5
Wow! That's a lot of "chit" to put up with. I'm with everyone else, turn their asses in. You can call and not leave a name.
I have a sales job where they do the same thing, look the other way at problems.
Granted, it's nowhere near the same as driving a truck drunk, but everyone seems to look the other way. You can only be pushed so far!
Good luck.
You probably feel better now that you got that off your chest.
Ed M.
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raqy
freely admits to licking rocks
Member since March 2007
Posts: 799
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Post by raqy on Oct 28, 2007 11:04:25 GMT -5
My father was killed in a mining accident. He was 6 months away from retiring. Why? Because the man driving the cart they were in was stoned. Turn them in, the life you save may be your own.
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Post by cpdad on Oct 28, 2007 16:11:38 GMT -5
damn jim....kinda a messed up situation there....sounds like pure greed to me if they let them work....they dont wanna miss a load ya know if it can be helped....pure greed.
turning them in...thats up to you....wouldnt fault you if you did....i probably would....but wouldnt fault you if ya didnt.....maybe your town is small enough word would get around....and you might not drive anything else there...i know it happens here....whether people beleive it or not.
i really dont understand folks much i reckon....if 1 of my guys wanted to go do anything with there family....and needed time off....i always will find someone to cover for them....if i cant find someone... i cover for them myself.
if someone comes to work hungover {badly}....they go home for a week...no questions asked...if they should happen to have to go to a jobsite...and show up like that....and i get a call about it...they are fired....no questions asked.
but as rocky said...what if 1 of those guys hit a vehicle and kill a child...or a mom and child...or a whole family......then what ya gonna think?....tough call my friend.....kev.
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adrian65
Cave Dweller
Arch to golden memories and to great friends.
Member since February 2007
Posts: 10,790
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Post by adrian65 on Oct 29, 2007 0:42:25 GMT -5
Maybe you should simply act like drunk when you need a day-off.
Adrian
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Terry664
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since March 2005
Posts: 1,146
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Post by Terry664 on Oct 29, 2007 8:42:28 GMT -5
Well I wish more people would report these things and not just the people doing it, but also the company, because at this point they are as guilty. I live in Michigan, and our main companies, I am sure you all know who I mean and there unions condone this all the time. They pay for a person who is drinking on the job or doing drugs to go to counseling and come back to work 4 times. But I know a counselor who sees these people and he says they have let people come back to work who have been to re-hab as many as 12 times. Letting this and your situtation continue causes another problem besides being dangerous, it keeps people that need a job and would not do this from getting a job.
Terry
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KG1960
has rocks in the head
Member since August 2008
Posts: 512
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Post by KG1960 on Oct 29, 2007 11:48:57 GMT -5
I agree with with what everyone else is saying - it's a tough call in a nasty situation. Here you are trying to do a good, competent, and safe job and others are trying to sabotage you.
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stefan
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2005
Posts: 14,113
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Post by stefan on Oct 29, 2007 12:33:16 GMT -5
Yup I think it's time to find a new job-
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