Your Truck Was Observed...

ATeam · Mar 29, 2008

We received a letter in the mail saying, "On 2/28/08, your truck was observed on I-80 West in Gary, IN. The average speed of the truck was 53 mph in a 55 mph zone, with an average following distance of 9 seconds."

The letter came from our carrier, FedEx Custom Critical. The information was provided by MySafeDriving.com, a driver monitoring service FedEx Custom Critical tells us they recently partnered with. We are told this service "...uses over 220 credited monitors in 36 states to observe real world driving behaviors and report on your driving."

It would seem that Big Brother really is watching. If you are one to push the limits out there, FedEx Custom Critical is not the carrier for you.

ATeam · Mar 29, 2008

Text deleted. It is no longer relevant now that the Code of Conduct violation has been dealt with.

davekc · Mar 29, 2008

Rich is correct in that they Roberts/Fedex has had a company following drivers and doing spot checks. That has gone on for years. I don't know for certain if the company is the same one, just renamed, or a totally new one. I'm not at Fedex so it isn't much of an issue personally.
As for going 80 in OH or (the communist state), that wouldn't just be a speeding ticket, that would classify as a reckless op ticket.

pjjjjj · Mar 29, 2008

ATeam said:
We received a letter in the mail
The letter came from our carrier, FedEx Custom Critical.
It would seem that Big Brother really is watching

That's kinda scary! Just wondered if it was just like a 'fill in the blanks', form letter (fill in date, speed, etc), or did it say anything else, like.. congratulations for being within.. or better watch how close you follow.. or any kind of comment from the company?

I always see stickers on tt's saying something like, 'how's my driving? call this number', and wondering if people actually do that.

Anyway, good to know..

nightcreacher · Mar 29, 2008

rich is correct,years ago i myself was reported speeding in nashville,85 in a 55 weaving in and out of traffic,and was told to call saftey at once,a coupe months later,had a letter saying how great my driving was coming thru nashville,that was my co-driver,probably.Roberts,fed ex has had a company watching out for years,oh and by the way,i may have been speeding,at the time i was spotted was rush hour,80 mph would have been impossible

RichM · Mar 29, 2008

Hate is a strong word Phil.I don't hate anybody but have a strong dislike for individuals who are always treatening to sue somebody or even EO for comments that they dislike. You constanly discuss items that you claim to have expertise in but sadly you don't . So before this thread turns into a useless finger pointing session this will be my last post on this manner. Thanks to Dave and Steve for their comments.

nightcreacher · Mar 29, 2008

ok wheres the eo logo from,cant find to insert

cheri1122 · Mar 29, 2008

Yes, Pjjjj, people really DO call - especially the kind of people who enjoy causing trouble, as long as they think they're anonymous. Years ago, I got a call from ConWay Now Safety, saying I'd been reported by a 'civilian' who said I was going so fast they couldn't catch up to me. (Didn't occur to me to ask how they got the truck or phone number, I was so surprised) I knew who it was, and why they were angry: one of those jerks who cruise past a mile of vehicles waiting their turn, then try to get in at the front of the line, ( they never try that at the grocery store, do they?) and I refused to let them cut in front of me.
The 1-800 number came off my truck right after that.....
I have no objection to being observed by professionals, (people do some nasty things, when they think they're anonymous!) but would like to know something about the credentials of the observers.....

nightcreacher · Mar 29, 2008

This reminds me,back in july,safety was called by someone saying while i was turning around i hit electric lines,knocked down a pole,a tore the lines from her house.Safety tried 3, times i was told, to contact this person,there has never been a claim for money to fix the damage,and i had told safety that i didnt do anything that would have caused that problem.some peope just like to cause trouble

Broompilot · Mar 29, 2008

This is why I took the Opportunity to peel the numbers off my Trailer and Tractor. Not gona have someone with a Bad Day just call and tell my company I cut them off when I did not.

The MPG prooves speeding is not an issue with me, but irritable Jerks in Rush hour may think its cute to accuse you.

Another tip, do not drive such an identifiable vehicle. Than no one would have observed that Flag on the truck going down the highway even if you were legally observing the speedlimit. But hey Phil just in your defense there are two things that since thinking the Govt has done a Great Job of, Dept of Interior and the Parks, and the roads. That IS U.S. not local such as libraries or Firedepts, which are more than 50% Volunteer. Nice try.

pjjjjj · Mar 29, 2008

Yes, I wouldn't doubt the 1-800 #'s get a LOT of calls from angry drivers who have no respect for trucks. Hopefully the companies have learned to take any reports with a grain of salt, like yours did.
In the past year when I was driving my vehicle (not a truck) home, on the highway, I can't remember the exact specifics, but I went into the next guy's lane, by accident, becuz he was sitting right in my blind spot, and I didn't see him; in the dark, I apologized and gave him the peace sign, but of course, he wouldn't have seen. I got back into my lane. Finished driving home.. this is like 11pm-midnight on a weekday.. about 10 minutes later, a knock at my door, I was really freaked becuz I was home alone, and nobody comes to my door at night. It was the OPP, asking if anyone had been driving 'that' vehicle in the driveway this evening. I said, oh yes, that was me, and then I realized why they were there. They asked if I was SURE it was me, and I said, 'yes, why?', and they proceeded to tell me about a complaint they received from another driver on their cellphone. I explained my error. They seemed more interested in knowing if anyone else had been driving, asking if anyone else was home, and if I were 'sure' it was me. I guess the person reported that I was probably dui, and they could see that i was not. Anyway, it was kinda bizarre, and I'm wondering.. what if a person HAD been dui, and a person had reported them, and the police show up after the fact, could they still charge them? I don't suppose they could prove the person, even if they'd had alcohol, didn't have it after their arrival home.

greg334 · Mar 29, 2008

Here we go again.

Maybe Phil is right, maybe all of us should start naming names and let them go to the sources and ask questions to see what answers they get.

Phil when you build relationships up with people in the real business world, you keep those people as a close guarded secret, it is your network, it is your resource, sometimes it is your the biggest source of problem solving resources you ever have in your career. Maybe I am taking this a bit personal, I find that many claim to understand that but never practiced it to really understand it. By naming names, it violates that trust. The information may not always be important as the source and many will let the calls for naming sources go, over any worry about credibility. Like the phantom driver's council, no one names those names so the contractors can have another channel to communicate the concerns to the company, so why should anyone else name names? In that case, it would have been nice to have more channels to voice concerns about things.

Oh and Phil, I really think that your first post is a good one, but it leads me to question why you are posting this after another member of the FedEx team had a thread removed with somewhat the same information?

I was under the impression that this information was deemed top secret by the company like their third quarter strategic plan for the take over of the world of freight?

By the By, this time,I am saving the thread off line.

Now I wonder if FedEx did anything to the owner or driver of the truck that passed me on the northwest connector in PA in a construction zone. I was doing the speed limit (45) and they must have been doing 75 when they passed me. I called safety only because of the reckless driving the person was doing, there is no excuse for it at all, especially in a construction zone! The phone conversation wasn't what I call one that inspired me to call again. They really need to take things like this seriously but didn't seem to. Maybe he was one of those WG trucks in a big hurry to make a pickup?

butterfly610 · Mar 29, 2008

I think people should only call when it the situation really warrants so. Not that long ago I saw this big truck in the left lane flying down the mountain literally right on this car's bumper. They were already going about 70, so it's not like they were doing anything wrong. He really had no business going as fast as they were, and people that fly down like that and try to intimidate cars who are going over the speed limit to move should be called on. They have no regard for human life. Don't they ever think about children being in those cars, and how easily they could scare a timid person and cause them to lose control? I would've called but he was going too fast and I couldn't get any info.

On another note, that's weird that they have cameras to watch you and stuff. I often joke with my husband about there being secret voice recorders in the truck or something. I swear that when you don't really care if you get a load cause you're tired or need to do laundry they'll send you tons of them, and if you say how bad you want one, they're not anywhere to be found.

ebsprintin · Mar 29, 2008

big brother

Technically speaking this is not an example of Big Brother. Big Brother is the trooper that pulls you over saying you weren't wearing your seat belt even though you were, just so they can try and peak into your vehicle. Big Brother operates the scales for your safety? Big Brother photographs every vehicle that enters and leaves a state. When a company monitors its employees and contractors it is quality control. When it's the government doing it then it becomes a big brother issue. That's one reason I cringe at many ATeam solutions, because too often I see ATeam advocating government solutions instead of industry solutions. All I'm saying is to give credit where credit is due, so we don't end up arguing about the wrong topic.

eb

Broompilot · Mar 29, 2008

Open to Being Corrected:::

DUI yes an officer can show up on your door that I am sure of. Arrest you??? I do not think so, as I have waisted many of calls on that dumb Terrorist Sticker I took off my truck after being told "If we do not see it nothing we can do".

So if someone called you in for a DUI and you showed up at the door step stumbling, if the Police (in the U.S.) did not see you in the car intoxicated and could prove it. There is no way they can Arrest you? Even if someone said yeah Mike was driving and he is asleep in the bedroom without a Search Warrant?

Now do a Hit and Run a crime was made, and must be investigated but an accusation is just that unless the Officer actaully sees it than its a crime that can be prosicuted?

Anyone else ever had a different story? Curious.

Kyreax · Mar 29, 2008

Here in Tucson, I have had first-hand accounts of people avoiding DUIs on technicalities (lots of friends of mine are police) by throwing their keys away, chugging the bottle when the cops come to the window if they're already parked and not moving, etc.

And yes, its rather easy to get off of a DUI if they don't have first-hand knowledge of it. There's thousands of lawyers out there who are VERY good at exploiting even the smallest loophole even if the guy is pickled and fall-down, throw-up drunk.

Anyways, back on topic...

ATeam, its probably a good thing to have those cameras on your truck recording all the time. That way if some jackknob accuses you of causing damage to them or their property, out comes the tape with a timestamp and proves your defense. Plus, you can catch lot lizards doing their mating dance

I've always driven safe, at the speed limit, no tailgating, with very very few exceptions. That's how I'm going to drive my truck when I get into this field.

pjjjjj · Mar 29, 2008

What did I miss? I didn't see anything about cameras on the back of AT's truck, recording all the time? Or was that another post, and doesn't have anything to do with the 'monitor' reporting the truck behavior to the carrier?

arrbsthw · Mar 29, 2008

RichM said:
Hate is a strong word Phil.I don't hate anybody but have a strong dislike for individuals who are always treatening to sue somebody or even EO for comments that they dislike. You constanly discuss items that you claim to have expertise in but sadly you don't . So before this thread turns into a useless finger pointing session this will be my last post on this manner. Thanks to Dave and Steve for their comments.

I must have missed something because I have never seen any of the comments from ATeam about suing anyone.

When we signed on with FedEx at orientation we were told
that we would be followed at times by the Smith System. Maybe they have changed to a new person now..that was about 3 yrs ago. Actually we were followed for about 200 miles on one of our loads. My husband slowed down to 45 and they stayed right behind us.

i really don't know why everyone one here gets their panties in a wad everytime ATeam posts something. Doesn't matter what he says... all the naysayers jump all over him about anything.

I do not know ATeam and he surely doesn't know me but I do have eyes and all I see is a bunch of people on here criticize every post he makes. Why don't ya'll lighten up a bit?

highway star · Mar 29, 2008

arrbsthw said:
When we signed on with FedEx at orientation we were told
that we would be followed at times by the Smith System.

The Smith System is a defensive driving course, not a company that follows trucks. It teaches things like keeping proper following distance, always staying observant, ect.