Hi everyone. Thanks for your input. I will look at the When topic after under the post of When.
The reason that I posted this is because 6 of my drivers had to go to a hearing with the state of NH to defend why they did not write things up in their VIR books. They received letters charging that during state inspections of the school buses they had defects that were not notated on their pre trips.
Emergency buzzers not working. Rust that when they check were holes or could become holes. ABS lights on their dash boards that were on. Etc Etc Etc.
Over the years my drivers have made the mistake of working with the company management and the mechanics. They have been told "don't write it up I ordered the part." "That's the only bus I have to give you." Management would cringe at the site of you telling them you needed another bus.
I am here to tell all of you THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE.
Today at the hearings, my drivers were thrown to the lions. Mechanics were there to defend their actions. I cannot say exactly what happened, I was not there but based on information I have heard these people were basically "thrown under the bus". Thank God for the Teamsters. We had a teamster lawyer available for my people. Now we have to wait for 30 days for a decision to be handed down.
People from the company tried to stop us from taking this action because they thought it would open up a can of worms. Why should these drivers take responsibility and their chances for the company when the company is wrong?
It's not my problem or the drivers that they are not supplied with buses, spare parts, new buses etc. It is their problem.
I say to all of you reading this: DO YOUR PRETRIPS. DO NOT GET COMFORTABLE THAT YOU DRIVE THE SAME BUS EVERYDAY THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH IT. DO NOT DRIVE A BUS THAT HAS AN ISSUE, IF YOU HAVE TO WRITE UP ON EITHER A VIR OR A ZONAR MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAVE A SIGNATURE ON A RELEASE FORM THAT IS WITH YOU STATING THAT THE BUS IS OK TO DRIVE. IF THEY REFUSE TO SIGN IT OR GIVE YOU A COPY DON'T DRIVE IT. IT IS YOUR LICENSE ON THE LINE.
PERIOD.
Donna
I am still waiting for an
I am still waiting for an answer regarding the Vir and Zonar information. Seems that no one has the answers.
Only reply that we have gotten so far from someone in authority is "it's their (drivers) license they should know what the state wants. They take the pre-trip and should know."
What about drivers that have been on the road for years shouldn't they get the updates correctly from the company each year if there is changes to the DOT laws? I don't even know if the VIR books we have are ok with the state of NH. Shouldn't there be someone in First Student that has these answers. So much for working together Laidlaw and First. Seems like they want us to be in the dark about things. Our license, our problem.
PS people that have NNEBT insurance here in this area, be aware that First did not pay our insurance. Until they do, we were cancelled. You can still go to the Doctor but you have to be billed. Once they pay, we're back on.
Sweet huh?
Donna
What can we do!!!! once we
What can we do!!!! once we download our zonar who's to say that you're defect hasn't been deleted. Without receiving copies of your login and logout who really knows. At least with a VIR you can physically see what's happening. We have the most to lose here,our lively hood. I personally don't see asking one of our mechanics to sign a release form stating my bus is safe to drive. that won't go over to well. drivers still cautious and afraid of losing their job. When someone does question issues regarding their bus. They are told drive it or go home. Being still new with the Teamsters my fellow brothers and sisters not quite sure on how far they can push. if you're bus is unsafe to drive don't drive it. when push comes to shove you need to protect yourself and your license. question for you Donna, you mentioned that a Teamster lawyer was with six of your drivers. where was first students lawyer!!!!! shouldn't they have been there also. LIVE BETTER WORK UNION
Very good advise Donna. We
Very good advise Donna. We tend to forget that what ever happens when we are behind the wheel is OUR falt. It is funny how we are told by FS in safety meetings that if we have a safety issue with a bus we shouldn't use the bus. If it can't be fixed right away another bus would be issued. But when push comes to shove it's a whole 'nother story.
Zonar as I see it has one main purpose. That is to keep track of your whereabouts and time you are actually working. When you write in a book and the problem is fixed it is noted in the book as your proof. The Zonar hand held tells you nothing!
In my opinion, back up cameras would have been a better and probably cheaper idea. That is if safety was their real concern.
I personally am not looking
I personally am not looking forward to Zonar.
We just received the motion sensors. I am not a big fan of this tech gadget either. If a bus pulls up behind another bus at schools, the alarms go off. Any kind of movement behind the bus could set off the alarms. The buses at our lot park with the rears facing the street. Cars drive by and set off the alarms. If alarms are going off constantly then I would think it's like "the boy crying wolf". No one will listen anymore. Also if we put them in charter mode a child on the bus wouldn't set off any alarms.
Supposedly this is an aid for Child check mate and if someone boards the bus when we are not there. They should have invested in locks for the doors.
If a child does end up on the bus the voice tells them to sit down someone will be with them shortly. Then the alarms go off.
If by some chance a child is on a bus that does this I would think they would be petrified! Our lot is away from homes so I don't think the alarms going off would get anyone's attention. Not right away anyways. A child could still become scared and leave the bus and walk around aimlessly.
If someone tried to get into the bus, it tells them to "leave now authorities have been notified". That's scary! It does it five times stops and it it happens again.
I still think door locks would save a lot of money. Maybe they can use the savings and find out exactly how the DVIR books need to made out and clue us in. I've asked different questions about it and no one knows.
Donna
Charter mode? Have you
Charter mode? Have you actually heard it talk or is that what you were told? It sounds like you have something different from the Child Check/Theft Mate that we have. Ours will just go thru a series of beeps before the horn sounds. After about five or so it usually just stops if there is no more motion. When it malfunctions driving down the road and it just goes off it's a lot of fun.
It is more of a gimmick to aid in securing contracts than anything else.....look at how safe FS is compared to the other guys.
Oh I've heard it. I ran my
Oh I've heard it. I ran my through the whole system to check it out. We have the newer version.
Donna
You sure have the new and
You sure have the new and improved version. I did some checking. Ours can be upgraded to do the same thing. Some links on it for those interested. Even has prices.
http://www.childcheckmate.com/product_lineup.html
http://www.childcheckmate.com/support/pdf/OperationofFS1_3Firmware.pdf
http://www.stnonline.com/stn/pressreleases/2008/082008_FirstStudent.htm
http://www.nashuatelegraph.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070821/NEWS01/208210350
PS I forgot to mention that
PS
I forgot to mention that my mechanics are not teamsters. I also want to say that I respect totally the men and woman that have left both Laidlaw, First Student, STA, Durham and any other company over the years because they refused to do what the company wanted.
CHEERS TO ALL OF YOU!