This happened about in May of this year.
Context: I am a truck driver, have been for 15 years.
Company drivers are exactly that – they operate the company trucks, and don't pay for any expenses for the truck, only their own.
Owner operators (O/O) are the drivers who own their own trucks, pay for the fuel, plates, insurance for the truck, any repairs, etc. Sometimes, they have their own trailer as well, but that isn't relevant here. Generally, they are not under forced dispatch, because they are driving their own truck; though if they constantly turn down loads, they can get in trouble and have their lease terminated.
Carriers are the trucking companies that have company drivers and some will lease on an owner operator. The O/O will make a higher percentage than the company drivers, but that is because of their expenses. The carriers find the loads and dispatch drivers. Some companies are “forced dispatch” meaning the driver has to take the load they are given, and have no choice in the matter. Some companies are not forced dispatch, and drivers are allowed to turn down loads.
A dispatcher is someone who contacts the drivers to divvy out the loads.
I was a company driver up until a couple of months ago. Bought my own truck in '19, put it in the shop, and fixed it up. put it on the road with a carrier I used to drive for as a company driver.
Okay, on to the story.
I took some time off, and my dispatcher called asking if I could cover a load during my time off. I had explicitly said I was not taking any loads that week, and was taking it off. A bit later, the owner called me and said he needed me to cover the load. I mentioned my time off, and I had no idea if something was going on during the days I would be out on the road.
He said “Figure it out bitch.”
I said okay, and hung up.
I texted the dispatcher a couple of hours later, to let them know I was supposed to chaperone a school trip to the zoo on the second day that I would be out in the truck, and they said okay, they'd find someone else to cover it.
Call me a bitch, and I am not doing you any favors.
This is a perfect example of why I stopped driving someone else's truck. Were I a company driver, I would not have had a choice, and had to take the load.
Also, side note, I did not actually have to chaperone her trip; I volunteered, but the school never called me about it. Not posting this about my revenge (yes, it's petty revenge), but moreso about how I am tired of being treated how I have been. My goal is to have my own carrier, and have a handful of drivers myself.
I fully intend on paying drivers a respectable wage, and offering something like they do in Europe for benefits.
Upon hire, you automatically will get 2 weeks of PTO, to use however they would want to.
After 6 months of driving, you would qualify for 4 weeks of vacation time to be used up within a year of getting it. 6 months after getting vacation time, if you haven't used any, would get a reminder. if none is used at 10 months, you would get pulled aside and informed if you don't take any within the next 4 weeks, your vacation would start at month 11. You would not be permitted to work through it and have it paid out. You would have to take it.
Obviously, bereavement would be handled completely differently.
Also, if the employees (drivers and mechanics) wanted to unionize, I would sit down with them and let them know I felt they didn't need one because of the level of pay and benefits they would be getting, but I would not retaliate in any way if they did, and would be respectful about it.
But with situations like this one (which is tame compared to other crap I've had to deal with over 15 years), I still don't understand how some of these companies are still in business.