Companies these days are getting very good at covering their rear-ends. They can make almost anything look like it was the driver's fault. With lots of lawyers and college educated executives on their side, they write company policies and job descriptions that totally cover their butts and place all the responsibility squarely on their drivers. What’s a driver to do? Simply put... drivers need to learn to cover their own butts as well.

I know that covering your rear-end is sometimes easier said than done, but here are a few suggestions. Read your company's job description thoroughly until you memorize it. The more detailed it is, the better they are at covering their you-know-what. They may even ask you to sign it. Sometimes you can get away with not signing it, but usually they will make you do it. But maybe you can make some changes to it before you sign it. Scratch off a word that you don’t agree with here and there, or add a sentence, until it meets your satisfaction. Some companies wont let you make any changes to the job description. If that is the case, you should really take the time to read it well. Take notes about certain things and know what you will do if and when certain problems arise.

For example, it may say that drivers are responsible for any overweight tickets. This is pretty standard. Just don’t take any overweight loads. You shouldn’t do that anyway. Know what your truck and trailer weigh (empty) and know what the maximum weight is that you can haul. If you can, watch them load it and see that they spread the weight out evenly. After you are loaded, go to the nearest scale and weigh it. If you find that it is too heavy, go back to the shipper. Even if they are closed and you're flat broke and in a hurry, just go back and make them fix it - even if it’s the next day. A dispatcher may tell you, “Take it anyway, we do it all the time. Just go around the scales.” If they try that, don’t do it. I was once overweight 400 pounds and made a dispatcher fax me a signed statement swearing that he would pay the overweight ticket, if I got one. They can’t fault you for doing things right. If they expect you to take overweight loads all the time, you should find another job.

Some companies dump the responsibility of counting the pieces on the driver. Even if the trailer is preloaded and sealed, you may be responsible for any shortages or damage. Whenever you pick up a sealed trailer, sign the bill “SLC” (shippers load and count) and make sure the seal number is on the bill before the shipper takes their copies. Some shippers wont let you sign SLC. They are getting pretty good at covering their rears too. I have sometimes seen signs at shippers that say “no signing SLC” but I would anyway. In fact, even if I counted the freight, I would oftentimes sign SLC. SLC has become part of my name. Whenever you sign a bill, you should put as much information as you can on it. Your name, company name, truck number, date, SLC, seal number, etc. I know it takes a long time, especially if there are multiple bills, but like I said - everyone is covering their own butt and you have to cover yours too. If you don’t, it will be your fault if something happens.

Even on the road, just about any accident that you may have will be blamed on you if it is at all possible. If your log is not up to date when someone rear-ends you, they might try to blame you. They’ll call it “preventable”. You shouldn’t have been on the road if you were out of hours (which is true). It doesn’t have to be your fault to be a “preventable” accident. If there was any way to prevent it from happening, then that is what you should have done. If you are out of hours on your log, park it. If you are hauling hazmat, go around cities and tunnels and stay away from ballgames or crowds. Hazmat fines are huge, even ridiculous. Take the time and read everything about whatever hazmat you may be hauling. And make sure that your hazmat bills follow the letter of the law.

Keep copies of everything. Bills, trip envelopes, scale and toll receipts, etc. You are guilty until proven innocent, so always be prepared to prove things. I once sat through an orientation with a driver who recorded the whole thing. That may seem a bit extreme, but I would like to be there when he proves something someone told him and they try to blame him otherwise. He also recorded all his phone conversations with recruiters and dispatchers. He said that he learned his lesson early, that they do in fact lie. Not all, of course, and not purposely (sometimes), but the truth does get spread thin.

When you’re in city traffic, be sure to keep a good amount of space in front of you. Even if cars cut in front of you, just stay calm and let them. Give them even more room, because if you rear-end someone, it is automatically your fault. Sometimes five cars will jump in front of you at the same time, from both sides, and then suddenly stop. You know this happens all the time and you should be able to stop when it does. Otherwise, it will be your fault. I know it isn’t fair, but that’s the way it is.

The chain of command always leads down to (and ends at) the driver. There is no one else left for you to blame. In a time when everyone else is trying to dodge personal responsibility, more of it ends up being dumped on drivers. Doing everything by the book isn’t easy, I know, but it is necessary. In today's cut-throat world of me-first, blame it on the driver, and “we-can-do-that” customer service, it’s every man for himself. Drivers have always been the scapegoats for big companies that treat people like numbers. So cover your rear - always! Thanks for listening and please check out www.bigcitydriver.com for more helpful tips for today's drivers.