I've been working for a printing company for 2 1/2 years now delivering their materials in central and south Florida, I drive a 2001 Freightliner FL70, with single rear axle, with a GVW of 33,000lbs, they, since day 1 have overloaded the truck at least on 25% of my runs, I just last Tuesday confronted them with it, & now they are getting a little vindictive about the whole thing, I guess because they'll have to dig a little deeper into their wallets to pay me for extra runs, they saw to it that I only got in 37 hours last week, and are starting to cut my hours already this week, I guess they think it'll make me quit, they have always made sure I got at least 40 hours work, and up till the last few months I was working about 5 hours of legitimate overtime, any feedback??????? Thanks, Rick

 

Some options:
1) look for a new job.
2) GO to your boss (or whoever you advised that the truck was over weight) and explain that your weren't trying to make trouble but if they understand the penalties for an overweight truck and want to cover you for that, you don't care if it is over weight and your like your hours back.
3) See 1 and report them to the local DMV or whoever handles overweight vehicles in Florida when you've got it as well as hiring a lawye* (damn I used a dirty word). If you're really mad offer the lawy** 80% of whatever he/she can collect.


Bob
'66 7 Litre Convertible, top loader, 3.25 Traction-lock, 427 Sidewinder Intake, 780 Holley, Windage tray, SCJ Exhaust manifolds, H-pipe, MSD, Line-lock, AM/FM/8-Track/CB
'88 F150 XLT Lariat, 302, 5 speed, 3.08
'98 Mustang, 3.8, 5 speed
'99 Ranger, 3.0, 5 speed, 3.73 posi

 

stick to your guns, you done the right thing

 

Supercab , do they pay your over weight fines ?? if not i would refuse to haul it and call the DOT or boys in brown as there known around here.Thats whats wrong with Trucking Now , nobody standing up to these companies.

 

Folks, Thanks for the feedback so far.
A little more info:These people that I work for are VERY well off financially, it is a family run buisiness, in that I work directly for the owners Father/Father in law,(by the way he is a retired NJ cop)and up until last Tuesday when I finally got up the nerve to confront them with the weight issue, my boss (the wife)always would say when she had a chance that she wanted me to stay with them for ever, things literaly changed overnight.
I've been driving professionaly since I was 17 years old, and am now 43, have always had a deep respect for all the rules and regulations concerning comercial trucking, and thought with the way these folks have treated me for the last 2 1/2 years that I'd finally found my last job.
They claim that that they have not known that the truck was overweight, which isn't true, the owner several times has looked into the truck, and seen the loads, and covered his head with his arms and said "I don't want to see it" then walked away.
They (not me)were fined about a year ago for an overweight load, and right then I told them that they needed a hevier truck (GVW) (with tandem axles)on their next truck, which by the way the lease was up on less than 6 months later.
I also, when I heard that they were talking to RYDER about a new lease truck, wrote the owner a note suggesting that he lease a hevier truck, AND attached a copy of a weight reciept, showing that the 33k gvw truck had grossed 41,840lbs, so they knew!
I have received countless complements from their customers on my customer service as I make their deliveries, and have never refused to do anything they have asked me to do.

 

I would just confront them on it and if you do lose your job just give the department of labor and relations a call, I know i dont want trouble at work either so the latter kinda sucks, but blackballing and favortism shouldnt be tolerated in the workplace and it usually is there are always a couple of people that will try to get ya whatever it takes (especially in family owned companies), so just watch what you do and dont give them any reason to mess with ya, or maybe look for a new job there are tons of truck driving jobs around here ccx is always looking and thats a local run home everynight deal too, good luck out there