# Got myself pink slipped...



## Sledhead00 (Feb 24, 2016)

I drive, well drove, for a local dump trucking company. Been there about 2.5 yrs driving in total about 7yrs. Last monday I had to back in and up a driveway about 750ft... Straight shot for the most part but extremely tight even for a car. 
Anyways up 8-10ft in the air are quite a few large branches and whatnot. So Im backing up watching these branches on both sides scratching the truck/trailer and bending over my antennas. Meanwhile Ive got telephone poles right off my pass side mirror he entire time. Going along I see a small snow pile on driver side but think nothing off... Well turns out there was a small(2') pine tree buried in there. Grand kid of the owner watches me back into it  then flags me off...I pull back up and get out to check out the damage while saying some expletives to myself not in direction of anyone. I laid it over some but didnt snap it as it stands back up. 
Start backing up again and now the kid decides he's going to direct me. Points to go one way, I'd turn the wheel the little bit i can then changes his mind to go back other way. This happens a couple times before I stop paying attn to him. I get just about into where i need to be when of course there's another telephone pole right at my pass steps and a section of old iron gate to navigate around. i get out to move the gate piece mumble a couple words to myself yet again get in where I need to be and load up.
Well............3 days later I get called into the office... The people heard me swear the few words, called, filed a complaint and I was terminated. I was a bit shocked, I didn't deny it happened but tried to explain the scenario and i was merely disgusted with myself but they werent interested. Same with explaining it's not spelled out anywhere that this is a one and done type offense. Suspend me, yea sure but firing??
I had a clean record and kept a spotless truck/trailer combo as weather permitted. So the branches scratching everything up already had me irritated some before i got to the small tree. We only do a handful of loads a yr there and my boss questioned why no one ever said something about it prior(I'd never been there) and I responded that they dont care about their truck/trailer like I do. I wash once a wk they wash a few times a yr..
Decent gig, good benefits but crazy hrs. One day Id start at 3am, work 12hrs, next day 5am work 10, then 6am work 10, next 3am work 13, next 7am work 9. Or some variation of that it was just all over the place.
I had been having reservations about the job lately anyways and had started just looking around at different job websites. Guess this just speeds up the process... 
Not sure what info Im looking for by posting, more just to vent I feel...


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## Highbeam (Feb 24, 2016)

Good luck moving forward. Wishing you a happy and short search.


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## heat seeker (Feb 24, 2016)

My opinion --- you're better off working elsewhere. Bunch of spineless idiots to work for.


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## jb6l6gc (Feb 24, 2016)

Sometimes Im very glad to not have to deal with the public, I think I would go bat chit crazy if I had too. Good luck on the search! Keep positive!


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## Babaganoosh (Feb 24, 2016)

Deny till ya die in the workplace. If they have cameras just keep saying that's not me! I'd have told the boss, nope, not me, I definitely did not curse. You can generally  only talk yourself  into trouble, not out of it. A few years ago I'd say to do the right  thing and own up, however  it seems employers care less and less about their employees  anymore. Better to save your job and paycheck while you hunt for a better place to work.


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## mass_burner (Feb 24, 2016)

jb6l6gc said:


> Sometimes Im very glad to not have to deal with the public, I think I would go bat chit crazy if I had too. Good luck on the search! Keep positive!


The nonpublic can be a pita too. 

OP, just cause folks are in charge don't mean their not dumb asses.


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## jb6l6gc (Feb 24, 2016)

mass_burner said:


> The nonpublic can be a pita too.
> 
> OP, just cause folks are in charge don't mean their not dumb asses.


yes very true, I have a coworker whos been driving me crazy and causing me all sortsw of extra work lately.
But my boss says he's a good worker, meanwhile if he'd even look at the paperwork he'd see that I'm doing majority of the work.


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## vinny11950 (Feb 25, 2016)

That sucks, Sledhead.  Good luck.

Don't forget to file for unemployment benefits.  It's a pain to do, but its some money and sometimes you can get access to other programs that are beneficial for the unemployed (likes training, seminars or access to job filings databases).


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## firefighterjake (Feb 25, 2016)

Heatseeker said it best . . . if they don't even give you a chance to explain things and go right from no issues right to firing you (no verbal or written warning, etc.) I would say you're better off working somewhere else with someone else.


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## jb6l6gc (Feb 25, 2016)

And you may have a case for wrongful dismissal. May be worth a consult with a lawyer


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## heat seeker (Feb 25, 2016)

jb6l6gc said:


> And you may have a case for wrongful dismissal. May be worth a consult with a lawyer


Sometimes applying for unemployment will cause the powers that be to lean on the employer. I still wouldn't work for long for those bast***s. But you might have a job while looking for a better place to work.


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## billb3 (Feb 25, 2016)

I'd try to collect if for no other reason to raise his  contribution.


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## semipro (Feb 25, 2016)

Personally, if I was the folks that heard you swearing I would have taken that to mean that you actually care about what your doing and that you respect their property.   I would have been much more upset had you got out of the truck, shrugged your shoulders and said "oh well".
As you employer I would have asked you to tone it down a bit. 
Finding good employees can be tough.  Finding good employees that actually give a damn -- even tougher.


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## Sledhead00 (Feb 25, 2016)

Thanks for the response all...Appreciate it...


vinny11950 said:


> That sucks, Sledhead.  Good luck.
> Don't forget to file for unemployment benefits.  It's a pain to do, but its some money and sometimes you can get access to other programs that are beneficial for the unemployed (likes training, seminars or access to job filings databases).





heat seeker said:


> Sometimes applying for unemployment will cause the powers that be to lean on the employer. I still wouldn't work for long for those bast***s. But you might have a job while looking for a better place to work.


I hear what you guys are saying and some friends/family tell me the same. This is probably going to send pretty arrogant of me, but i'm kind of hesitant... While the money certainly wouldn't hurt, I still have to job hunt and apply. Well,I'm pretty confident that if I go apply for any run of the mill driving job I could get it and work for some cheap hr rate... I've got some standards and dont to be forced or jump into anything that being on unemployment would do to me. I'm nowhere's near rich but ok to sit tight for a bit and visit some places that have interested me before or I've heard good about in passing.Just working on putting a resume together(never done one before) before i start calling.  Full disclosure: I did take several days to decompomse(seinfeld ref.) and stack up 5fc of hard maple/hickory mix for '17/18/19..



firefighterjake said:


> Heatseeker said it best . . . if they don't even give you a chance to explain things and go right from no issues right to firing you (no verbal or written warning, etc.) I would say you're better off working somewhere else with someone else.





heat seeker said:


> Sometimes applying for unemployment will cause the powers that be to lean on the employer. I still wouldn't work for long for those bast***s. But you might have a job while looking for a better place to work.


Agreed and that idea did cross my mind but I dont want to be that guy... "Hey lets agree this played out wrong on both sides so will give you your job back",then  3 months later I quit for better gig. Because going back I would absoultely be looking for something else because i know I would be watched like a hawk. 
It's odd, I'm typically the trust noone, need noone, every man for themselves yet my buddies had to convince me that I needed to think of myself in this situation and if I could get my job back for the time being that was my best option. so I did reach out to the president (who is generally accessible) to apologize and explain my side but I didnt hear from him so screw it..


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## saskwoodburner (Feb 25, 2016)

If that's how quick they turfed you for doing something that at most required a talking to, I'd say they did you a favor.


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## mass_burner (Feb 25, 2016)

OP, you paid for unemployment out of your check everytime you got paid. It's your money, go get it. So you have to jump through a few hoops, its not a big deal. 

If NY is an "at will" state, you they can let you go for any reason or no reason. The times employers get into trouble is when they don't apply the reasons fairly across employees or violate eocc rules.


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## shoot-straight (Feb 26, 2016)

if you are drug and alcohol free and can show up for work dependably, there are literally hundreds of truck drivers needed down here. anymore it seems the pool of people who can do that is small and getting smaller. contractors down here cant find decent help. everyone is worthless for the most part. not dependable.


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## sportbikerider78 (Feb 29, 2016)

That stinks.  Take it as a learning experience.  Cursing might be part of your everyday life, but others don't see it that way.  And you can't argue that it is very unprofessional to curse around a customer.


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## Z33 (Feb 29, 2016)

Sledhead00 said:


> Thanks for the response all...Appreciate it...
> 
> 
> I hear what you guys are saying and some friends/family tell me the same. This is probably going to send pretty arrogant of me, but i'm kind of hesitant... While the money certainly wouldn't hurt, *I still have to job hunt and apply. Well,I'm pretty confident that if I go apply for any run of the mill driving job I could get it and work for some cheap hr rate... I've got some standards and dont to be forced or jump into anything that being on unemployment would do to me. *I'm nowhere's near rich but ok to sit tight for a bit and visit some places that have interested me before or I've heard good about in passing.Just working on putting a resume together(never done one before) before i start calling.




Thats not how it works. You do have to apply to a certain number of openings a week but that number is VERY low. I think its less than 10. These jobs you apply for don't have to be in your field. You can apply for another trucking job or you can apply to be the CEO of IBM, they both count. 

That being said apply to the positions you actually want and then apply for a few "filler positions" to meet their number.


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