You are responsible

Responsding to a recent post of "What would you do in this situation" kind of made me think back as to the difference of how I thought when I first started driving, and now. So many rules and regulations, and big trucks are routinely sent to places they don't belong, sometimes in severe weather, so how do I know when to follow my gut or someone else's direction? It seems like the deck is always stacked against you.

Remember, you are responsible for the safe operation of your vehicle and you can do a lot of damage with 40 tons, even @ slow speeds. So here are just a few situations I have run into.

Weather - Snow and ice are scary but how do I know when to park it? I am doing 35 and breaking traction and trucks are flying by me @ 60. Maybe there are loaded have better tires, or more experience, or maybe they are going to end up in a ditch on the side of the road. Bottom line you must decide when it is unsafe for you to be driving. Not your dispatcher, trans manager or broker, but you. I have been threathened with writes ups and possible suspensions for "parking it", but none have ever happened. If I feel it is unsafe to proceed for any reason I am parking until it is safe. If your going to write me up or fire me for that I shouldn't be working for you anyway.

Just back it in here - Yeah but in there is full of mud and it looks like I'm gonna get stuck. I am texting my dispatcher a picture and want a return text in writing that he wants me to back into mud that I think is going to stick me. Verbal is not good enough. He can change his story later.

I don't think my truck is going to fit here - Oh we get 53 footers in here all the time (If I only had a nickel for everytime I heard that one). I had one customer tell me "Just drive over those concrete parking slabs (many of which were damaged) that's what all the drivers do". I noticed a piece of rebar sticking up that could have given me a flat so I asked them to take a baby sledge and knock it down. They hand me the hammer (ha ha). I am not doing this, you guys need to, I told them. Oh we can't do that, those slabs belong to the resteraunt not us. I made them unload me in the road.

Comon move that truck - Bridgeport CT I pulled up to utility workers pulling new wire, it looked low to me. I stopped. Female police officer told me to move I could fit under, I said it looked too low to me. She insisted I move, I moved as close as I could to the wires and then got out and told her to go to the driver's side of the truck and she would see I would not fit. The utility workers thanked me, she went away with egg on her face.

There are plenty who will try to tell you what to do, but remember YOU are the one that is going to be held accountable. There will be many times in your career where people ask you to bend the rules and/or be unsafe. Just remember it is not them that is going to get the ticket, get in an accident, get fired, or worse incarcerated for your actions, whether you had their permission or not. The buck stops here, with you. Be Safe.