Terminated for DOT violation (working over 14 hrs)

[Brownpride816]

I am a preloader and also an air driver, at least i was because i just got fired... this morning i clocked in at 3:40am and worked my pre load job until 8:35am then i went on and clocked back in as an air driver untill 11:00am, before i got back to the building i got a message on my DIAD saying to go deliver some LIB packages. so i did. then before i came back from that i got another message saying that i was supposed to go help a driver because he was too backed up. So i did, I went to meet him (and while iI waited for him at the meet point I took a break and ate) , then I took 50 stops off him and i went to deliver them. I knew i was gonna be over my 14 hrs so i called my center, I told them I needed to talk to my supervisor. they said he was on route and there was noone else there. I called him to his cell phone several times and he never answered, I had ten stops left and i got them delivered because i didnt want to get in trouble.. by the time i got back it was already 6:25pm. They fired me on the spot saying that I violated the DOT requirements by going over 14 hrs and since I had been trained on it I didnt have an excuse....

I was told by my union store to go and take a grievance to the Teamsters building and go from there.


Has this ever happen to anybody? if so, did you get your job back?

 

[104Feeder]

That isn't a cardinal sin. You'll be back.

 

[Jones]

When you called your center, did you tell them that you were going to go over 14 hours?

 

[Brownpride816]

I just told them that I needed to talk to a supervisor, and they said everyone was out helping.

 

[Brownpride816]

I hope so, I didnt do anything dishonest, I didnt lie to anybody, I was just trying to help that driver. I just started driving about 4 months ago, I had no idea it was that bif od a deal

 

[Jones]

I just told them that I needed to talk to a supervisor, and they said everyone was out helping.

You probably should have told the first person to pick up the phone that you were about to go over 14 hours and asked for instructions. You should get your job back but lesson learned, don't ever make your own decisions. Always let management make the call.

 

[upser1978]

UPS gets a huge fine if they get caught

 

[Brownpride816]

you are absolutely right. I should have but i didnt know better. but I really hope I get my job back, Im going to take a grievance to the union building first thing tomorrow. Lets hope everything goes well.

 

[User Name]

Why are air drivers delivering ground?

 

[Brownpride816]

because all drivers were out delivering and they were overwhelmed so they asked us to help

 

[Brownpride816]

they said $10,000 at least. thats why they reported it and fired me, to cover their back

 

[gotbrown]

UPS has to report the violation, its worse for them if they get caught during a audit. More than likely you get your job back...

 

[Anonymous 10]

Printout your cell phone records for your business agent.

 

[Buck Fifty]

How were you trained ?

 

[anonymous6]

one day in 7 you are allowed to work 16 hrs as long as you don't drive over 11 hrs. we work over 14 hrs all the time in the winter about once a week.

am I missing something here ?

 

[anonymous6]

i was just looking at the dot regs to refresh my memory and i don't see how you did anything wrong even if you drove after being on duty 14 hrs..........as long as

you did not already invoke the 16 hr rule within the previous 7 days.

an interesting note. you can work more than 14 hrs twice or more in one week as long as you hadn't driven after the 14th hour on any day.

i didn't know that before.

please let us know what happens. i think you'll be OK . cell records for the day sounds like good advice. however it is ultimately the drivers responsibilty to follow DOT Hours Of Service Regulations.

good luck.

 

[rod]

If he is terminated his management team should be too. Its not a very good job of managing if you ask me.

 

[Scottyhawk]

I do the same thing frequently as the op does and my sups are very good at making sure I am off the clock by 14 hours. The couple of times they kept giving me additional work which would have put me over, I am calling sups or center manager to say hey let's go, where am I meeting a driver to give what's left, if I could not get them, I would tell the OMS I am going over I need you to get them on the phone. But as stated above you are allowed a 16 hour day once a week

 

[brown bomber]

because all drivers were out delivering and they were overwhelmed so they asked us to help

then that is a problem for management to deal with...you went over, due to poor planning..........and the inability of management to correct an ongoing problem

after all is said and done............we're still just dumb truck drivers

 

[BMWMC]

You shouldn't be off the job because its not a cardinal sin. You need to keep track of your time and learn from this lesson. UPS want's to nit pick you to death but also doesn't babysit you either. Next time forget sending messages. Just tell them when they want you to do more work that you'll be out of time and can't do it. Stand firm.