A serious discussion - safety and CLink

ihamner · May 7, 2009

I'd like for us to have a serious discussion about the safety department CLink messages. First of all, I have no problem with an urgent CLink msg if something is going on in the company - like the phones are not working or something.

Here is how this works for us: We are on a run. I'm driving in heavy traffic and my co-driver (husband) is getting his rest hours in the sleeper. The CLink beeps. I make my way over through the traffic and pull over on the shoulder to check the msg. If I am on an explosive load I have to wait for a safe place to pull over. I figure this must be either a pre-dispatch OR something urgent about the load I am currently on. Our other option is for me to get my husband out of the sleeper to check the CLink and mess up his hours.

I then check the msg and it is a reminder about driving carefully in fog or checking before backing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Urrrrrrrr!

Are these safety messages REALLY needed over CLink? Couldn't they send us email or even phone messages? Can we opt out of non-essential messages on CLink? Who can we discuss this with? Would you start with a CC? The thing is - if a person has never driven a truck and had to keep logs I'm not so certain they will get it, you know??

Any thoughts?

mypie · May 7, 2009

Agree 100%! It never fails that I will begin driving, hubby will have just passed out from his driving hours, and BEEP! It always happens, of course, when there is no time or place to stop.

I would prefer a text message to my phone, an email, anything as opposed to the BEEP on the CLINK.

You could call FedEx and on their VRU phone number they have an option for suggestions.

aileron · May 7, 2009

Very annoying, but to be honest, shhhhhh, I peek at the message while driving.

LDB · May 8, 2009

I also peek when driving. I pick it up and hit the next message button. If the 0.1149 second long glance (note that is barely over a tenth of a second not eleven and a half seconds) reveals the first two words are Fleet Message I drop it in the floor and keep going. If it's something immediate I can find a stopping place and deal with it.

TeamCaffee · May 8, 2009

In the back of my mind I am wondering if that QC message is considered part of a weekly safety meeting that we are required to have? When with USX the safety messages were just as brilliant and we were lucky enough to receive one just about every day but weekends. One beep meant fleet message multiple been meant load!

I would rather glance at the QC then get a recorded message on my phone that I have to answer right now and not wait till I can pull over and read the whole message.

The way we have our QC mounted it is very easy to look over see fleet message and know it is something that can wait till later.

piper1 · May 8, 2009

I've never noticed but are the safety messages sent at exactly the same time every week?

Kind of like the tornado siren test, if you knew that every Tuesday at exactly noon the beep was the safety message you could ignore it until safe to do so. A beep any other time is a pull over and check it deal.

Would that work?

nightcreacher · May 8, 2009

I once replyed to the safety msg,said this was very dangerous sending these messages over the clink.Got no response.

FJK1954 · May 12, 2009

I asked about this once and was told its safetys way of conducting weekly or bi-weekly safety meetings or messages to the fleet to comply with dot regs??? dont know if thats true or not but makes it easy for them to comply if it is true..frank

sweetbillebob · May 20, 2009

In our last truck I built a shelf on the dash. It was not initially intended for the C-Link, (it was for chip dip, with hook for the bag of chips). My wife started using the shelf for the C-Link when she was filling out the BOL's. Then I started throwing it up there when the local directions would not reconcile with my PC based GPS system. Later I added some wire to the C-Link, using the two screws that hold the cable in place. (longer screws, 3-4" of solid wire, two eyelet crimp connectors.) I put a hook on the lower dash so that the C-Link would be on edge on the floor, against the dash, without falling over. There is also a hook on the passenger side for paperwork, which the C-Link can be hung on.
So when I start driving, I put the Link on the hook on the floor were it can be easily reached without taking my eyes of the road. If I need the link for whatever reason, I reach down and put it up on the shelf. Given the location of the shelf, it is easier to access than the radio or the heater.
In our current truck, the Transicold box is the shelf. (Just got lucky in the previous owners placement of the box. (It also holds chip dip and has a hook for the bag/box of munchies.) I have no slip shelving material on top of the box.

interstategar · May 21, 2009

PAG- Pat in Safety has to keep busy so she sends us these msg's. Notice you never get them in the middle of the night. Sending this via email- that would be too cheap and a common sense thing to do, so therefore it WON"T be done by Fedex CC