Truck driver, Andre Walls had been trucking over the road for two and a half years. He had never had an accident and had never received a ticket. Two and a half years of perfect driving and being an excellent employee. Then, he was terminated by his company for violating a company policy : having an “unauthorized passenger” in the truck with him. The company reported it to his DAC Report and just like that . . . Mr. Walls found himself out of the job he loved and now, cannot find another employer to hire him.
Yes, he made a mistake by allowing an unathorized passenger to ride in the truck with him . . . but here’s the rest of the story:
Andre had been running hard all week with very little rest in order to make extra money for himself and his family. He was taking every run he could so they could get “back on track” with their finances. He was dispatched on a load to Northern Arkansas and even though he had little rest, he headed off under dispatch. During the run, he received a phone call from his brother-in-law who was on his way home, but his car broke down. The brother-in-law’s child, Andre’s nephew or neice, was dying. He asked Mr. Walls if he could give him a ride home. Andre did.
Andre completed the load to Arkansas, but was then called in to the company and was advised that he was terminated due to violating company policy. He was asked to write a statement explaining his side of the story, which he did. He was still terminated and with an “unauthorized passenger” on his DAC report, he has not been able to find another trucking company that will hire him.
Before the next morning, the baby died.
What would you have done?
This driver is now at the point of “losing everything.” I mention often that there are good and decent trucking companies. I know there are, because I’ve worked for several of them. Is there one trucking company out there that will prove me right? Will you give Andre Walls a job? Will you look past the fact that he had an “unauthorized passenger” in the truck? Will you understand that a baby was dying?
Help prove me right. If you’ll hire this driver, email me at : allen@truthabouttrucking.com and I’ll forward your email to Andre. I won’t post about it . . . I won’t talk about it . . . it will just be between you and this driver.
What would you have done? What if it had been your child?
Will you hire Andre? email me . . . and thanks.
Allen Smith
© 2009, AskTheTrucker. All rights reserved.
: andre walls, company policy, dac, hire, report, truck driver, trucking, trucking companies, trucking company, unauthorized passenger, violating
AskTheTrucker
DAC must be stopped. I don’t know how we’re going to do it with the ATA being as powerful as it is, but it has to be done.
Thanks Don,
It’s the real life stories like this that will create awareness and make people WANT to fight for THEIR rights.
Allen,
Hope you don’t mind this:
http://www.tachoblog.com/news/tachoblog-outraged-needless-driver-sacking/
Regards,
Tachoblog.
Don’t mind at all . . . thanks for getting the word out – Allen
DAC must be stopped or regulated better! Companies can report what they want and no one questions it or even checks to see if it is true. They can basicly kill a drivers career and there is very little he or she can do about it. I been there trying to fix errors on my DAc, but no one cares. They side with the company 100% of the time. They said I need to prove it’s wrong. Thats such bs, the company needs to prove its right!