Abandonment can get you in heaps of trouble
The graduate with a science degree asks "Why does it work?"
The graduate with an engineering degree asks "How does it work?"
The graduate with an accounting degree asks "How much will it cost?"
The graduate with a liberal arts degree asks "Do you want mustard with that?"
By DEREK HINTON
The Trucker News Services
8/26/2008
The graduate with a science degree asks "Why does it work?"
The graduate with an engineering degree asks "How does it work?"
The graduate with an accounting degree asks "How much will it cost?"
The graduate with a liberal arts degree asks "Do you want mustard with
that?"
I’ll add another statement to this old joke: drivers who make a habit of abandoning their load are going to have much in common with liberal arts graduates.
“Abandonment,” as used in the trucking employment history world, is when a driver quits by leaving the load and/or truck somewhere. This is one of the worst ways you can quit a driving job if you want to keep driving. Abandoning your load/truck ranks up there with failing a drug or alcohol test in terms of affecting your future driving employability.
But last month, I wrote about two e-mails I had obtained — one from a driver who was being treated unfairly by an employer and another from a small company that was treated unfairly by a driver (go to thetrucker.com and search abandonment to read the column).
Both drivers might later have “abandonment” on their record, but the circumstances can vary so greatly that there are degrees of “badness.”
Many carriers typically classify abandonment under four sub-classifications. While any abandonment isn’t good, the following sub-classifications are listed from “best” to worst in most carriers’ views”
• Abandonment at company terminal with notice. The truck and/or cargo was left at a company terminal and the driver does notify the company of termination.
• Abandonment at authorized location with notice. The truck and/or cargo was left at a location authorized by the company and the driver does notify the company of termination.
• Abandonment at company terminal without notice. The truck and/or cargo was left at a company terminal and the driver does not notify the company of termination.
• Abandonment at unauthorized location without notice. The truck and/or cargo was left at a location not authorized by the company and the driver does not notify the company of termination.
Some companies also further define abandonment:
• Unauthorized location with notice. You leave the truck and or cargo at a location not authorized by the company, but you do notify them of the termination.
• Authorized location without notice. You leave the truck at a location that is authorized by the company, but you do so without notifying the company of termination.
• Left vehicle with team driver. You leave the truck and or cargo in the possession of your team driver.
When you want to move to greener pastures as a driver, it’s best to look for a job while you still have a job. If you can’t do that, try to leave on the best terms you can. This will help your employment history be such that you have the most employment options. If you don’t know what your employment history says — find out. If you have an abandonment, make sure yours is properly classified.
Derek Hinton is CEO of TIES LLC, better known as DOTJobHistory.com. DOTJobHistory allows drivers to obtain and verify their employment (DAC), driving and criminal records. They may then make this information available over the Web to employers who can access the information instantly.
Hinton has more than 20 years experience in the areas of employment screening, the Fair Credit Reporting Act and Motor Carrier Safety regulations. He began his career at DAC Services in 1984 and is the author of “The Criminal Records Manual,” a book that details criminal records in the hiring process. For more information, contact information for Hinton can be found at dotjob-history.com.