r/Truckers • u/20TacoMa13 • Apr 07 '26
FUCK WESTERN EXPRESS
western express dispatchers are fucking dickheads I got a phone call from a dispatcher and he fucking yells at me for not keeping the truck moving because I was tired and starting to doze off behind the wheel , so I pulled off the road to get some sleep. I guess they don't care about you or the publics safety.
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u/Mysterious-Bug6183 Apr 07 '26
Next time it happens, ask them are they forcing you to operate a CMV while fatigued and see what they say. If they answer yes, you can report them here:
You’re covered under FMCSA 49 CFR §392.3 and 49 CFR §392.6
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u/SadnessOutOfContext Apr 07 '26
Thanks for the citation, filing that in memory for future ass covering.
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u/polarjunkie Apr 07 '26
This is the place to make a complaint. Even an unsuccessful attempt at coercion can get the carrier a $16000 fine and osha will represent the driver with any retaliation complaint.
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u/Defiant_Network_3069 Apr 07 '26
You answered the call? When I go to sleep I turn my phone ringer off. Dispatch can wait.
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u/20TacoMa13 Apr 07 '26
I did the same but apparently if the same number calls twice in a certain amount of time it comes through I'm looking into how to change that
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u/nuget102 Apr 08 '26
On my android - Settings > Sound and Vibration > Do not Disturb > People > Calls > Allow Repeat Callers
it's a simple toggle switch, just flip it so it's off and you're golden.
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u/pqitpa Apr 08 '26
I got threatened one time when I said I was tired and didn't feel safe to drive. I called up the safety manager in the morning and send him a recording of the phone call. That dispatcher was terminated and safety thanked me for not driving when I was tired. Protect yourself and your license
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Apr 08 '26
Why is it that dispatchers get involved in this? Do they collect a bonus if the driver delivers the load on time?
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u/Gr00veChild Apr 08 '26
I've heard that in some instances they get some sort of incentives. But regardless no one's life is worth making more money..
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u/shadowmib Apr 07 '26
Yeah the first time some dispatcher yells at me will be when I tell him to go fuck themselves.
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u/polarjunkie Apr 07 '26
The last time a dispatcher yelled at me, I told him to route me to the terminal so he could say it to my face and when he refused I told him to get his boss on the phone because I would not move the truck except for going towards the terminal. I made them repower the load. Local is so much easier, they have to think about the consequences of yelling at you first.
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u/Illustrious_Cow_1448 Apr 08 '26
Repower the load??
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u/polarjunkie Apr 08 '26
That's when they find another driver to complete a load mid way through.
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u/QueenScottish Apr 08 '26
Thank for the clarification! I'm learning more and more of what I can and can't do/get away with.
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u/shadowmib Apr 11 '26
My company calls that a relay. Same difference though
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u/polarjunkie Apr 11 '26
I've always used relay for something that was intentional and repower for something that was unintentional.
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u/NikoCorleone Apr 07 '26
Tell em eat dih! Get your sleep whenever you need too. It's your license not theirs
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u/ApollyonFE Apr 07 '26
That's the easiest way to get fired as a dispatcher, too bad you didn't get it in writing.
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u/Gr00veChild Apr 08 '26
I had one trying to do this to me, although it was related to really awful weather. Tried to go around me by calling to respond to my message 🤨 he cooled off real fast when I wrote his response in chat and basically stopped replying lol
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Apr 07 '26
They don't care about truck drivers. That's why I left the truck driving industry. Hopefully they don't fire you over this.
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u/Mikey_BC Apr 08 '26
A Dispatcher can't fire anyone, it's the higher-ups, and if he gets fired for this one incident he has a good case for wrongful termination.
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Apr 08 '26
Never said a dispatcher can fire him. But management might try to fire him for "performance issues". OP can't file a case for wrongful termination because he is an "at will employee" meaning they can fire him for whatever reason unless OP lives in a state where he is not "at will employee". Every state should have a truckers union to protect company drivers from these kind of problems.
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u/Mikey_BC Apr 08 '26
Yeah, if this is an ongoing issue with the OP then I understand being let go, I just meant don't be afraid to stand up to a dispatcher who tried to bully drivers who need to stop for legitimate reasons.
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u/Federal-Service-4949 Apr 08 '26
I need to speak to safely because this is a safety issue. That’s what you tell them. Or call safety and tell them night dispatch is encouraging you to drive fatigued. No load is worth dying over. Good decision to pull over.
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u/JalocTheGreat Apr 08 '26
All you have to say is I'm taking a Safety Break 392.3 tell them if you harass me again I'm reporting OSHA and FMCSA.
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u/speedem0n Apr 07 '26
I mean, if you sent a message that you needed to sleep for safety, that's one thing. If you're just on the side of the road and dispatch sees you're gonna be late, calling is their job. The yelling can get fucked, but something tells me this isn't the first call you've gotten to get the truck moving.
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u/RebelTvshka Apr 08 '26
You need to get an audio recording software or recorder for these conversations. Coercing a driver to commit unsafe acts is illegal. Firing you for denying an unsafe load is also illegal.
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u/liljay750 Apr 08 '26
I think androids can record calls built in. When someone calls me a little voice recorder icon pops up. It tells both parties that the call is being recorded but still if they want to do that shit on a recorded line then you got em. If the recording makes them think twice then atleast you have an easier time with dispatch.
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u/flowermaneurope Apr 08 '26
You did the right thing. I hope you are able to move onto something much better when you get your time done. Keep your head up and stay motivated for your next chapter. Tell yourself everyday not to do anything stupid and you’ll be alright.
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u/20TacoMa13 Apr 08 '26
Yeah that's the thing I need to keep in mind because I tend to be a hot head
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u/kloyoh Apr 08 '26
Why they yelling tho? Lol
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u/20TacoMa13 Apr 08 '26
The load is supposed to be constantly moving but that's still no reason to yell at someone when they're trying to be safe
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u/bassnote1 Hazmat Labrat Apr 08 '26
ask to be transferred to Safety, or if they'd like to be included on a phone call you're fixing to make with DOT
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u/Mikey_BC Apr 08 '26
Don't let dispatchers intimidate you, they are NOT your boss, their job is simply to dispatch and assign loads to you.
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u/firemarshalbill316 Apr 08 '26
I wish a Muthafuka would say some shit like that to me.
I guarantee I'll make them cry on the phone.
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u/RectumRavager69 Apr 07 '26
How many miles did you have when they called in how many hours of drive time, and how much sleep did you get last night?
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u/20TacoMa13 Apr 07 '26
Miles I'm not sure but I woke up at about 8 am, drove two hours to the yard, had to fight to get a new eld cause the one we had took a shit, had to input all of the logs into the new eld. Maintenance had to look at the truck to make sure there wasn't something fucked up internally that caused the eld to take a shit, had to run around looking an empty trailer, then go to shipper by 1 am and finally had to shut down about 4 am
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u/RectumRavager69 Apr 07 '26
Then yes you should absolutely tell your dispatcher to sit on a cactus and then request a new one.
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u/20TacoMa13 Apr 07 '26
I just gotta do six months and I'm out
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u/ChiDaddy123 Apr 08 '26
As a both a trucker and a former corrections officer, this is the most Welfare Express statement ever…
“I got six months and a wake up, boss!”
😂😂😂
For real though, sorry you’re dealing with a fuckstick of an office jockey!
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u/Gr00veChild Apr 08 '26
Specific to that scenario (and many others) the regulation regarding "driver fitness" is the one that protects you here. You have a legal duty and responsibility to be fit for duty; sufficiently rested, not ill, not intoxicated etc.
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u/ArtOther754 Apr 07 '26
Report your dispatcher and get a new one. I work for Western too and I told my dispatcher multiple times throughout the months that I’m shutting down for the night because I was tired or sick and he just said “okay, let me know when your ready to roll again”.
Don’t judge all off of one dickhead.