"They'd Rather Tell A Lie Than Eat When They're Hungry"

"They'd rather tell a lie than eat when they're hungry." That's a line I remember hearing my mother say when I was young. I wonder if she was referring to trucking companies? I don't think she would have known many truckers back then but, who knows, if the shoe fits.....

It's beginning to seem that's the norm instead of an exception when it comes to trucking .

When my old Peterbilt finally gave up a couple of months ago I decided it was time to let someone else worry about the bills. I was tired of truck payments, repair bills, licensing, insurance, and even routine maintenance costs. I guess my number one complaint was the outrageous taxes our government throws at us. It was a comfortable life for Diane and I. We weren't getting rich by any means but we enjoyed our life. Once the truck was paid for and I settled in at Schneider I pretty much did what I wanted to do. I went where I wanted, when I wanted. I chose my own loads and didn't have to deal with dispatchers or company honchos unless I had a problem. I did what was expected of me and delivered their loads on time in a courteous, efficient manner. I liked my customers and they liked me. The last eight months I delivered to the same customers and was actually requested by one major company as their "emergency" driver for loads they were having a problem getting shipped.

I have worked at some great companies throughout the years. My first real job in this industry was with Westinghouse Electric when they ran their own trucks. I left a Police Department as a detective making $284.00 a week to driving for Westinghouse making between $700 and $1100 a week. I was rich! My co-workers from the traffic manager and dispatchers to the other drivers were all good people and we worked together as a team. They shut down all their trucks and I went back to police work as an undercover deputy. I worked at Standard Trucking as a cover and once again worked with excellent people. I also worked at G&P Trucking as a casual driver even after my undercover assignment was over. I stayed a total of 9 years with them. Another good group of people.

After leaving Law Enforcement after more than 23 years I went to Castleberry Foods where I stayed until they also decided it was more feasible to contract out their trucking operations to Penske Logistics after a company wide buy-out. I am still friends and in constant contact with the traffic manager, dispatcher, and some of the drivers from Castleberry.

Penske Logistics was where the first of the lying trucking companies came in. From the first day they attempted to get the Castleberry drivers to stay on with them they began making promises they knew they not only wouldn't, but couldn't, keep. The bad thing is most of us drivers knew from what they were saying that we were being lied to but we needed to keep food on the table at home and were hoping for the best. I guess the best lie was that we were going to be home every night and every weekend and would only be driving a max of a 300 mile radius. I even ask the question then were we going to be trading our sleeper trucks for day cabs since we wouldn't be needing a sleeper. I was told that we would be keeping sleeper trucks, "just in case we happened to get stuck out." My very first run for them was from Augusta, Ga to Amarillo, Texas. 1250 miles, one way. Some drivers didn't make it a month before leaving and some lasted a little longer. I made it six months. It seemed a lot longer and I told them I quit so many times that when I actually did give them my notice I had to show the terminal manager the contract where I had bought my own truck before he would believe me. I hated that company.

Now I have come full circle back to where I started from. I knew when I shut my truck down I would have an adjustment going to work for a company and being at their beck and call. I mentally prepared myself, realizing I was no longer going to be the boss. I looked for several weeks before finally settling on a company. I spoke with them on the phone before applying and believed I would find a new home with them. They were friendly and seemed to be up front while talking with me. I told them the job was advertised as a regional run and advised them I don't run the north or northeast. I was assured that as far as they went in that direction was Roanoke, Va. Okay, I can live with that. Was I being picky? You betcha! I believe I have a right to be. My record is perfect with no accidents or tickets and my CSA score is 0, which again is perfect. My inspection record with FMCSA is 100%, again, perfect. I'm 61 years old and it's time to slow down a little. I don't mind working but I don't want to run in the northeast and have to deal with the constant headaches.

I was told I'd be home one night during the week and every weekend with an occasional run to Texas. Again I can live with that. I think the good Lord was telling me not to take this job from the beginning. I went to Dublin, Ga where I met the office personnel. Keith, Kelly, Melinda, and Brad were all nice, personable people doing the best they could with what they had. I should have walked away when I learned the senior man on this contract had only been with the company for four months. That was the first sign something was terribly wrong. But I needed a job, now, so I stayed. I filled out a mountain of paperwork and then went for the DOT physical. Second clue was when during the physical I had to do a basic stress test and then had to lift heavy objects starting with a container with 10 lbs of weight in it and continuously adding weight to over 50 lbs. Oh well, the job will have some heavy lifting. I needed to get back in shape anyway. 12 years of sitting behind the wheel of a truck will get you out of shape. I realized that when I tried to put on a pair of shorts I hadn't worn in about 5 years and the waist was about 5 inches too small and wouldn't zip up. How do you women do it? The next clue was while working on an old project car in the yard I got metal in the pupil of my eye. After a trip to the VA emergency room I learned I wouldn't be starting on Monday after all since I had to return the next day to have the metal removed. I contacted Hogan and they were overly accommodating. After another 10 days I was ready to go to work. The doctor said my vision was good enough to return to driving and I called Hogan. They set me up with another driver to go on a training run and I finally got to see first hand why they couldn't keep drivers. The total run wasn't 400 miles over 2 days at .36 cents a mile and had about 10 stops. Some of the pallets we were taking off the trailer weighed 3000 lbs and had to be manually removed with a hand pallet jack. Okay, again I need to get into shape and this will help as long as someone will help me at some of the stops. Not going to be getting paid a lot but I need the work. Another clue before I left on this load was that it was a beautiful day and I decided to ride the bike. When I pulled in the gate the bike started clattering like crazy. Apparently something was coming apart on the top end as that was where the noise was coming from. When I got back in Diane and Tammy brought the pickup with the toy hauler attached so I could drag it back home. 8200 miles on the bike so it shouldn't be having problems.

When I returned this is what the trailer looked like. They had added 5 stops to the load and just threw the extra boxes anywhere they could fit them. This photo was taken after the first two pallets had already been removed. Even the receivers complained at every stop about the way the trailer had been loaded. Several even took their own pictures to send in letting them know how poorly the trailer had been loaded. What should have been a one and a half day trip turned into two and a half days. It was finally beginning to sink into my thick skull that maybe I had better start looking elsewhere. I got home and cooled down some. I decided to give the next load a try, maybe it would be better. Wrong again. It was loaded a little better but the places I was having to take a big truck were crazy. Small mom and pop convenience stores and markets, strip malls with no loading docks, it was the craziest thing I've ever done. The next morning I was called with the information they had finally set up my permanent route. I would be doing the North Carolina load on Monday and Tuesday and pick up Wednesday with my first delivery being in Lexington, Ky and ending up in Peoria, Illinois. Since when is this the southeast?When I stopped that night I got on the computer and started looking.

I put in an application  for a southeast regional run at Heartland Express and the first thing the next morning I was called by a recruiter. I explained what had been happening and he stated it wouldn't happen at Heartland and they had a preliminary approval done. He stated it usually took a couple of days to get everything completed and he was off on Monday, so it would be Tuesday before I would hear anything from them. I after a couple of more stops that pallets had to be broken down one box at a time and taken into a building I called Hogan and advised them I was quitting. I let them know that I would go ahead and do the Monday - Tuesday North Carolina run so as not to leave them in too big of a bind but what we were doing wasn't worth what we were making. As soon as I hung up from them I got a call back from Heartland saying that my record was perfect and they had finished with the background checks. I advised him again of the problem with Hogan, including not being a southeast run as promised and told him that under no circumstances did I do runs to the northeast. Virginia was my limit and if that would be a problem to let me know as I would keep looking. He told me that would be no problem as they had plenty of drop yards where the loads going there could be relayed to a driver who runs that region. I accepted the position and was able to free up from the Monday load with Hogan.

During orientation again I brought up my concerns with my dispatcher over the northeast runs and was again told it would be no problem. So far I like the company. The equipment is top notch and very well maintained. Each and every time you go through one of their terminals you are expected to go through an inspection lane and have your truck and trailer thoroughly gone over. Then you take it though a wash bay where it is washed. The pay is good although they need to go to practical miles instead of the old Household movers guide to get point to point miles. They ran me hard but legal and I don't mind that, especially if I'm getting paid well to do it. They ran me hard enough that I'm now in Virginia and out of hours until tomorrow morning.

They sent me my dispatch for tomorrow, Baltimore, Maryland. Uhmmm is that really in the southeast?

I will say they did take it off me when I called in about it. Now let's see how long they make me sit here to "teach me a lesson" about complaining about loads.

I'll keep you updated. As I said, "It's always an adventure."

"Effective immediately, no more traffic stops..."

"Effective immediately, no more traffic stops until further notice unless the driver is intoxicated, reckless driver, or driving at a high rate of speed." This was a July 23rd internal memo from Sheriff Adell Dobey of the Edgefield County Sheriff's Office to his road deputies. This memo was leaked to, and reported on, by WRDW, Channel 12 news in Augusta. According to the news report the Deputy who leaked the memo stated this policy was hindering his ability to do his job. When contacted by News 12 Sheriff Dobey appeared to somewhat walk back his memo by saying the Deputies have discretion as to whether to pull someone over for minor traffic offenses and the memo was taken out of context. There does not seem to be a whole lot of ways to take this. It's pretty clear and concise. Appears to be only one way to read it. NO TRAFFIC STOPS

What initially surprised me after reading the article and seeing the newscast was the overwhelming positive response to the policy by citizens. The general public's only negative contact with Law Enforcement is when they're stopped for a violation. They have no clue how valuable those seemingly "wasted time" stops are. By the way, a normal traffic stop takes approximately 4 minutes.

My real shock came when I read an editorial on EdgefieldDaily.com not only agreeing with the Sheriff on this policy but totally demeaning News12 for airing it. They then attempted to narrow down the possible "leaker" in the Department. I enjoy reading the Edgefield Daily and probably agree 99% of the time with what is written. The Editor is pro-law enforcement as can be read into his writing. I know everyone has their own opinion, but, I believe he really missed the boat on this one. Let's take a look at some of the editor's own more recent headlines:

July 28, 2014 "Two Traffic Stops Result In Five Drug Arrests"
July 19, 2014 "Traffic Stop Leads To Drug Bust"
July 8, 2014   "Ambulance Driver Arrested On Outstanding Warrant" (After being stopped for a traffic violation)
July 1, 2014   ""Habitual Offender" Facing Multiple Charges" (After being stopped for speeding)

These are only headlines from July. If you keep going back you'll find many, many more articles where a simple traffic stop leads to major arrests. One of the statements in the editorial reads, "His concern is focused on reducing property crimes, burglaries, thefts, and drug problems more than worrying about if your tag light is out." How many crimes have been solved or even averted because of a stop for a tail light being out. When the deputy can't see the tag does he know if the tag light is burned out? Or is it removed? Any good officer will look at the circumstances, time, location and a lot of other factors and make a stop based on that. The officer doesn't know if that light is burned out or has been removed to keep the tag from being read during a home invasion, armed robbery, or drug deal.

Let's take a look at a few cases over the years.

I know a lot of people are too young to remember David Richard Berkowitz or the "Son of Sam" as he, and the media, billed him during his murderous crime spree in New York in the mid seventies. He is serving six consecutive life sentences. It is known he killed six people and wounded seven others. How was he caught? A simple traffic violation, in fact, the simplest of violations, a parking ticket.

How about Ted Bundy? Remember him? He confessed to 30 murders but the total is believed to be much higher. He decapitated at least 12 of his victims and kept their heads in his apartment for a time as trophies. Even his own lawyer, Polly Nelson, described him as, "...the very definition of heartless evil." He was caught by a Utah State Trooper who pulled him over on a simple traffic violation. He was alert and noticed several inconsistencies in Bundy's vehicle contents and explanations. During his trial for murder he escaped and was caught in a stolen vehicle after, again, committing a simple traffic violation.

Timothy McVeigh is a name that should still be fairly fresh in the minds of every American. April 19th, 1995 a massive bomb exploded in front of the Alfred P Murrah Federal Building in downtown Oklahoma City killing 168 people and injuring more than 680 more. The blast damaged or destroyed 324 buildings within a 16 block radius and burned or destroyed 86 vehicles. An alert Oklahoma State Trooper by the name of Charlie Hanger stopped a vehicle on a simple traffic violation, no license plate, and arrested McVeigh who was in possession of an unlawful pistol. Further investigation proved that McVeigh had orchestrated the bombing. Oh yeah this happened within only 90 minutes of the bombing.

I, personally, have made arrests for narcotics trafficking, burglaries, armed robberies and even murders off simple traffic stop investigations. Two particular ones come to mind immediately.

When you're newly assigned as a detective or investigator with a department you don't have a lot to do until you start answering calls and building your own cases. So to pass the time you start looking into cold cases and current cases that haven't gone anywhere and need a fresh set of eyes. I was given one such case as a new Detective with the Greenwood Police Department. It was not what most people would consider a major crime spree. There were no dead bodies or shoot outs, just dozens of coin operated machines being broken into over several months. There were thousands of dollars in stolen money, products, and damages done and no suspects. I was speaking with another detective about the case and told him that if I could just find a set of bolt cutters that matched the marks on the cut locks I would have my man. He told me that a traffic unit had stopped a car for a traffic violation and saw what he believed to be bolt cutters in the vehicle. A reasonable explanation was given and he didn't pursue it. I contacted the owner of the car and was given a consent to search. I found the bolt cutters under the driver's seat and marks on them appeared to match the marks on the cut locks. On questioning he stated that the night the car was stopped he had loaned it out and gave me the names of several people who would have been in the car. I knew one name and picked him up. On questioning he gave several other people up. At the conclusion 6 people were arrested, including the car owner, on nearly 75 charges. All because of a simple traffic stop.

One night in Aiken County while working narcotics I noticed a vehicle illegally parked. The first thought I had was that they were using drugs in that particular area. I turned around as they pulled off. They became nervous and turned without giving a signal. Probable cause for a stop. The driver was a woman who stated they had stopped there because her male companion had walked into a field to urinate. While attempting to interview him, he could not remember the same SSN or birth date he had given me. I called in the stop and asked dispatch to check several variations of the social security and birth date along with the name. After awhile I was contacted by the Chief Investigator and asked for a description of the man. Once I gave it I was told to use caution and bring him in. After confronting him with his real name, SSN and birth date he "fessed up." He had outstanding warrants for two murders in California. Again, a simple traffic stop.

Over the years I made hundreds of narcotics cases, closed investigations, recovered stolen property and arrested wanted persons and all because of simple traffic violations. Thousands of these cases are made from traffic cases throughout the country daily.

I know this article is tilted toward the help traffic stops are for investigations into crimes but it wasn't too long ago the EdgefieldDaily was reporting on the great job all agencies, including the Sheriff's Office, were doing in having a zero fatality rate in the county. Part of the reason for this is the knowledge that if people disobey the traffic laws there will be consequences. Let's keep the outstanding record Edgefield has in traffic enforcement and keep our roads and neighborhoods safe. Don't let people think there will be no ramifications for disobeying the laws or they will take advantage.

Sheriff Dobey and I have disagreed on things before and this is no different. I do not, and have not, worked for him. It is his department and I respect him and his position. Please let's not go backwards at this point.