This is x-posted from r/Truckers. Little bit of info for context for those not familiar with the trucking industry :
Company driver is an employee of said company, drives company truck
Owner Operator is an independent contractor, drives their own truck, not bound to all of rules/policy put out by company.
Was a company driver for this guy a few years ago, and he leased my truck on last year; the Cabover i've posted before. So, before you assume, it's *my* truck, and if I don't want to do something, I am not required to.
The Condensed version is:
Dispatch called and was speaking on behalf of the owner. Owner wanted me to take someone with me to load, to show how to secure and throw tarps. I said I wanted training pay; $100. I didn't think it was a lot. He said he can't afford to pay me to train someone, so I said I can't take anyone with me.
The owner himself called me not long after, cussing up a storm, he's letting me use his headache rack and securement equipment, and asked me if i wanted to look for a new job.
I told him it's my truck, and i had a receipt for the headache rack. He was being an asshole, and I was terminating my lease effective immediately. and i'd be up shortly to get my shit.
Caught an uber there, took his shit off my truck, and was nice enough to lay it all out for him so it wasn't a messy pile, and left. While I was there, I talked to the driver who was supposed to go with me, and he mentioned he wasn't ready to pull a flatbed, he's been on van for decades. I said I know a guy, and got permission to pass info along. I was supposed to go load 2 hours after this happened.
Talked to my old boss (the one who lied about stupid shit), he wants to lease me on, and I passed the other guys info to him. He called the other guy around the time I was supposed to be getting loaded, and dude was in the shop I just left, and apparently the owner was bitching up a storm about me, MFing me left and right. My old boss said I pissed somebody off.
Here's the thing.
If you're reading this post, and you're the owner of a fleet, don't treat your company drivers like shit, and def don't treat your owner ops like shit either. They just might leave you high and dry, and not give a flying f*ck about it.
You want to say I was in the wrong for asking for $100 to train someone?
Don't care. It's my truck.