Interstate Distributors shananigans

I have been driving for almost 16 years and I am not at all done learning or being taught.I consider myself to be humble and open to the ways of the old rather than the new.I am old enough to know better and have reached that point in my life to care also.I am a young veteran in the industry.I am giving due where due needs to be given.A true veteran of the trade is someone who has been in the industry for 30 years or more.My granfather THE "LLINOIS CRASH"drove for 53 years(A MILESTONE ALOT WON"T SEE)and I consider him to be the one and only "ILLINOIS CRASH.AFTER THAT MANY YEARS OF SERVICE HE DESERVES IT. They know first hand how much the industry has changed and the actual open rode.Can you imagine just how open and free it felt in the good 'ole days..Although I cosider it fun and I have a feeling of freedom(especially on a 2 lane in the middle of nowhere at 2 am in the morning.I used to love that feeling and to describe it today,makes me on the sad side.I pray that I do get better enough to drive the open road and have that feeling hit me once again.It's a feeling that any driver who has it runnin thru his veins know.It's the feelin that makes us want it more an adrenaline feeling that is just like a drug.I didn't do it just for the money(LORD KNOWS I AIN'T GOIN TO GET RICH).I did it because of the love for it.The satisfaction of never being late on a load(OTHER THAN THE OCCASIONAL BREAKDOWN OR WEATHER).I was there that night or mornin after driving all night.Getting unloaded first thing was always a priority to me and then to sit All because the shippers load was either not ready or ready and they was just to lazy to load me had me there for hours and to turn it down or swap wasn't in the equation.I know I'm not the only one who has had this happen,or will we be the last it will continue to be a problem in this industry until we adress it in a way that the shippers and consignee's will get it.No matter what it takes.My answer to legally logging 4000 miles without cheating would be highly unlikely as would be 3500 although it has been done on perfect weeks,but I along with every driver that is long haul hasn't seen to many of them.I do understand that drivers who have dedicated routes may be able to log this.I dont know because I have never been a dedicated driver.I can say that I still feel it would be a struggle to log 4000 miles legally even for the dedicated run.I was a one sided team player.I kept our customers happy for the company and it would seem to me they would recipicate that feeling back to me.I never sat for more than 8 hrs for a load,other than a load I picked up and made clear to them I wouldn't take it to New York City amd they said no problem,just drop it on the Atlanta yd.Only to be told the next day to get back under it and I said no.I will wait for something else.I sat from Saturday to wensday morning before I got underneath another load.I Love my dispatcher and love her still,even though I'm off work at the moment.I don't blame her I blame the load planners and the ones who kept me grounded.I know they slapped my hand.It didn't work though and after that I said if it ever happened again I would be gone.I don't turn down many loads and you are right it is not forced dispatch,but I feel like I have a job to do and I'm going to do it.They do not know how to dispatch.I believe alot of companies out there hasn't one clue how to dispatch their drivers in a manner that would be benficial to both.I also understand that this concept is really in the making of becoming reality.What I mean by that is that the larger companies are expanding and building more terminals,all for the purpose of keeping the driver going and more of the drop and hook aspect of the job.This would be the best way in my eyes to keep a driver more log book friendly.My hope is that all drivers will get more cents per mile and be able to legally log it, or get paid by the Hr what they make driving the cents per mile way and get paid overtime.At .36 cents a mile and 60 miles an hr on an 11 hr day.We would be making $1866.00 with overtime for a 70 hr week.Take a 34 hrs off and do it again.What I am getting at I suppose is that every man or woman driving a truck get's angry or feels completely used by a company as I feel they have used and abused me.I know there are more in the same company who feels the same way I do and some who don't like yourself.I wish you 2 the best and I feel I need to say to not count your chickens before their hatched.I am a DAMN GOOD DRIVER and I'm sure he is also.One thing to remember is if they have done it to me and others like me,chances are the same will happen to you.Unless you know how to rub it just right to make it coo.I am not an ass kisser and I'm sure he's not either and I be damned I rub something that aint going to rub me back.Get it.THEY DID NOT RUB ME BACK.Good luck and best wishes.


Yours Truly,
THE CLIFFHANGER

Category: General

So here is the injuries I recieved from a fall in Sept of 2006.I fell out of my truck and broke my back.I have that along with 2 herniated discs in my back and the doctor said I can go back to work in 8 weeks of physical therapy(BULLSHIT).I can hardly do anything with my pain not trying to be a pussy but shit look at my x-rays I can't believe a doctor could say this.Their own doctor said I need further testing and my doctor is the dick that said I would be ready in 8 weeks.Well I am going to try my best at therapy and I just wish they could wear my shoes for a week and know what this has done to my life.One I can;t sleep in my own bed with my wife.2 I can't get my game on because I hurt to damn bad.3 I have gained 40 pounds not from eating but from trying to do shit and can't.I am so pissed at everything that doctor said.I know what I go thru he don't know.I know I have pinched nerves and the longer it goes on the more damage it's doing.Again I am no doctor but look I have a piece of bone misssing for crying out loud and he wants me to get off my pain pills.FUCK HIM WHAT A QUACK!!!!!I am going for a 2nd oppinion will keep uall posted!!!!!

Category: General

The life of a truck driver is the hardest life,I believe is the hardest life to lead especially if the family involves little ones and they are the one's that suffer the most.I have been an over the road driver for 15 years and the hardships and struggles have been many and due to one bad marriage it has cost me everything,from bad credit to paying child support to a woman who knows and I know I'm not the biological father.I am finally in the process of trying to get this takin care of,but with the way life is going right now it makes it very hard to do financially.I would also like to add that I have not saw or talked to the child in over 5 years and would like to say I tried evrything I could to save the marriage and it wasn't over trucking either.It was over the woman being unfaithful to say it lightly,but that's another story.
I finally found a good woman and one that I love with all my heart and she has sacrificed alot just to be with me and has suffered from it and me being the type of man I am still hurts over it.She made a descision to leave the kids at Grandma's and travel with me.We really had no other choice.I had a accident 3 years ago to my upper back and neck while fixxing a tarp on a flatbed and am still suffering from it,due to working for a guy I've known all my life and him canceling his workers comp,right before my accident(HARDSHIP#2).I was off work 3 months struggling with a wife and 3 kids.I finally said piss on the pain and I will just eat pain pills and go to work local,hauling asphalt,rock,and coal for a man I have drove for 3 times before.I was living in my hometown during this time helping take care of my grandmother who raised me and was in bad health.The landlord never fixxed the plumbing so we lived there rent free for about 4 months and went to grandma's to take showers.Well my boss felt sorry for me I guess and told us we could move onto his property in a nice 3 bedroom 2 bath mobile home.It was a hard descision to move away from my grandmother but we had to.So here we are living in a nice mobile home and me working for a guy who basically is using me and paying me so little I couldn't even pay my bills.My grandmother knew this and was in the process of buying us a home.She died in a house fire in January 2005 and a few days before that my mother said she was crying and said she was so worried about me and before she could get my uncle off of the power of attorney she passed away.I am still yet not recovered from this.I nevefr did anything to my uncle he was so jealous of me and now since my granfather didn't parish I will not get anything until then if there is anything left,even though I remember my grandmother showing me when I was a teenager money she had for me,but me being not to smart in this area I will just wait and see(Hardship#3).Well I finally got tired of my boss doing this to me and confronted him and told him he would have to start paying me right,thinking he would not want to loose a good driver.2 weeks later he fires me and tells me to get out of his house and this was around the hollidays.Here we are a family of 5 with no one to help us and little money.We put all our possessions in storage and a church helped us with Christmas and a hotel(WHAT A WAY TO SPEND CHRISTMAS)(HARSHIP#4).At the beginning of 2006 we decided to let the kids stay at grandma's and we would go back on the road.All was going pretty good and making decent money,but it was really hard to save alot due to my wife not being a driver and me really not blaming her and helping out at home with the kids.$320.00 a month comming out for child support burned my ass but I couldn't afford an attorney.

Well Sept 20th I fell in Little Rock and broke my back and the company was reluctant on paying me workers comp and I didn't recieve my last check.Due to me not turning in my hotel receipts that somehow was takin out of a truck that they already had in the shop giving it a P.M.That was the day we was to leave and we took all our stuff from the hotel and placed in the truck while we went to get a loner car.It took them a whole week to get me home and everyday I was being ran to a truck stop gettin an advancement for the room.Their own doctor told them they was causing me more damage.They even wanted me to sleep in the truck.Can you believe that.So we make it back home and with the money we have saved which is a couple of thousand and not knowing if we were going to get workers comp are right back in a motel.(HARDSHIP#5).We finally get $4000.00 saved up for a contract for deed home(AL THE MONEY WE HAVE)and my truck get's bad gas and it cost me $500.00 to get it fixxed.It messed it up bad.So here we are still in a motel and have $3500.00 already paid on home and so broke.We are hoping for a miracle and wondering if we made the right decsision on the home.The workers comp nurse is saying I should be getting better and I tell her she is nuts because I am still dying.Even my doctor don't know how to take her.All i have had was x-rays and due to get a MRI soon Which i know is going to blow that nurses mind.With me and her being at home we have decided when I am able if ever to go back to work I will stay local.
Times are tough and I know there are people out there who have it alot harder than I do and I am not the type to let all these trials to get the best of me.It's my family who I worry about.I know in my heart my wife will always be by my side.She has proven to me in the 5 years of us being married what type of woman she is.I pray for all of you drivers that are single to find a woman like mine.An angel that God has given to me and through him all things are possible.I stay positive almost all the time,but at this very moment the reason I am bearing my soul is that I'm scared.I don't have the money I need or the time to get it on my checks before this house closing and it has caused me about a weeks worth of sleep.Everything was fine until that dang bad gas and just that small amount of money has got me behind.I can believe it though look at all my hardships in this blog.Something is bound to happen and it did.I just am glad the kids got all they wanted for Christsmas this year because last year wasn't so good and even if we are in a motel it is a better one.I be damned if I ever stay in another roach motel.So I will pay the extra money for my kids sake and my sanity.Thanks for listening all you drivers out there and may God bless you on your travels and he keep your family safe while your gone and I wii pray every night for you all and please do the same for me.I will miss you all and the west so much,but my family needs me and I cannot let them down.I do have an attorney for everything and I know the lord is going to bless me soon.Until then I will endure what I have to and become stronger each step of the way as I wish this upon you all .Until next time all my trucker friends be save and remember the CLIFFHANGER and family in your prayers.One more thing,Take a good look at the beauty of our great nation and relish it as I already know you do,because you don't really know what tommorow may bring.I will always remember the peace I had out in the west and how close toGod I felt.It is a magnificant country we travel and please stop throwing the piss bottles all over it.LOL!!!!!![summary][/summary]

Category: General

I have been a driver for over 15 years and started to work for Interstate Distributors in Jan. of 2006.I went to work for this company for two reasons.One Iv'e heard they was a good company and two,they wouldn't leave me alone.I enjoyed it at first and never had a problem with getting home,unlike other drivers I talked to.Me and the wife would stay out for one month and come home for three days(she does not drive,but makes an excellent seat cover).I stared the 3rd of Jan. and about 4 months later I started having problems with me and my truck.I started to complain it wasn't running properly.I thought it was either a fuel injector or something wrong with the turbo.It was neither.I am not that mechanicly inclined,but know enough to get by.I continued to complain at every terminal I pulled into and all they did was change a fuel filter,which did not help at all.They never ever went further into the truck and I wreckon they thought I was crazy.Well needless to say me and the wife started getting sick and wanted to sleep all the time.I never was late on a load,but i did have to turn down a few due to being sick and tired.Even in the end of finally realizing something was wrong.My fleet mngr made the remark,Joe whats wrong with you and I told her I think I have cancer.Well we were sent out to New York and that's when it happened,the exhaust finally had all it could take and broke.we were getting monoxide poisoning all this time(4 or 5 months worth).The company told the mechanic to put a piece of tin and bailing wire on it and send us on our way and he repied with,no way.There's no telling how long they was exposed to it.This was the turning point on how I felt about this company that broadcasts so much about how they care about their drivers.I made it ti Denver and asked the terminal there to check it out and it was still leaking.Me and my wife went to the hospital and got our blood gasses checked and even though we had been out of the truck,they was still high.The doctor said we were very lucky and can you believe they made me pay my wives visit even though I think they are at fault due to all the complaining I did about there being something wrong with it.I also have bills coming in wanting me to pay my side of it,isn't this the most craziest thing you have ever heard.We stayed in the truck and had it fixxed 3 more times for the same problem then finally out in Sparks Nv. They said the manifold was leaking to bad for us to sleep in it and we got a new truck.To this day we still suffer from being tired to my wives chronic cough.Now next they ran me like a team driver which I didn't want to be ran that hard,I asked for 3200m to 3500 a week and the way they run,I had to cheat and move this and that around till I just told them look I am a single driver,but still they have a big problem with planning loads.I am currently off of work due to a broken back I recieved while on my 34 hr restart down in Little Rock.Can you believe there was a dispute about me getting my benefits,unreal.I did get them and now they have hired a nurse from workers comp to go with me to my doctors appointments,which really ticked my doctor off.She stated enough time has passed for me to be healed.BULL SHIT.I am still in the same amount of pain as I was when iy happened and it was probably the companies fault.Instead of being laid up they had me run everyday to the truck stops to get money to pay for it and also had enough balls to tell me to sleep in my truck.It took them 1 week from the injury to get me home which was only about 350 miles away.Their workers comp doctor who saw me down there wrote them a nasty remark about how they treated me.She told them the more I'm on my feet in the beginning it could cause more damage,which I think it did.Now they are trying to rush me BULL SHIT!!!Not only that they sent me log book violations that were 5 months old when I got injured,isn't that nice of them to do.It's their fault because of how they pushed me.I recomend everyone to take a good look at this company before they decide to go to work for them.I am not the only one who had the same type of problems with them.I don't know what's going on with them,they used to be an outstanding company and now I believe their trying to get to big to fast.

Category: General