OOIDA member George McDonald recently had some issues with a truckstop and discovered that sometimes letting the management know about a bad situation gets results.

Sadly, professional drivers are accustomed to getting the short end of the stick. They get grief from their companies on occasion, are treated with less than respect from shippers and receivers and we know how the motoring public in the four-wheelers regard them.

The drivers complain to each other about the shabby treatment they receive, and often will receive a sympathetic response, but little more. It's even more frustrating when the driver is treated poorly when he/she is a customer, especially at a truckstop.

That's why it's refreshing to hear of a case in which a driver acted on a complaint and got results.

George McDonald, who operates a C unit with FedEx Custom Critical, recently stopped at a TA truckstop in Antioch, Tennessee that he frequently uses when in that part of the state. He tells us that because of his allergy to heavy diesel fumes, he prefers to park away from the big trucks and he usually will find a place for his truck in the back row of a car or RV lot.

On the day in question, George had his truck in the RV lot when a man who identified himself as the new General Manager of the truckstop approached him. The GM informed George that he would have to move into the big truck lot. Although George told the man of his problems with the heavy diesel smoke, the GM would not hear of it.

In fact, during the conversation, the GM chased off a number of other straight and utility trucks that attempted to park in the same lot. According to George, even cargo vans were being asked to park in the big truck lot.

Continuing their discussion, George told the GM that, aside from the issues of straight truck parking, it was a bad idea to put cargo vans in a big truck lot. They can easily be run over by backing trucks and sometimes it creates resentment by the tractor-trailer drivers.

George says that he tried to be tactful with the manager, asking him to consider the dollar amount in business that expediting trucks of all sizes brings in to the truckstop, but the GM was somewhat intractable on the issues.

George picks up the story: "I would like to make it clear that the General Manager was very polite and business-like in our discussion, but I wasn't able to change his mind about the parking."

"I moved the truck over to where he suggested, then went in to make a few phone calls. I left messages at TA corporate headquarters with a few management people I know, and also mentioned that I was going to contact Gary Green at Owner-Operators Independent Drivers Association and Expediters Online.com."

"I didn't mean any of this in a threatening or nasty manner, it's just that I felt these were some issues that could be resolved. After all, the expediters out there are customers too, and our voices should be heard."

George tells us that he departed the TA, but within four hours of his "meeting" at the truckstop, the GM called him on his cell phone. It appears that the General Manager had received calls from both TA and OOIDA.

The GM was apologetic and explained to George that he was in the difficult position of trying to keep different groups of customers happy - tractor-trailers, RV's and expediters. He went on to say that the truckstop was considering special parking for expediters in cargo vans.

George says, "At that point, I realized he was sincere about talking about the problem and I suggested to the GM that straight trucks and bobtails should be parked in a dedicated area with possibly one of each of that size truck parked in one slot. I also suggested that vans could be parked in the back row of the restaurant parking - an area that is usually the least popular for the restaurant patrons."

George says that the GM told him that those are good ideas, and they would be implemented if possible. The GM was very pleasant and went on to say that without customers' critiques, he couldn't do his job. The GM concluded by saying that the next George comes in sit down over a cup of coffee.

George concludes, "Sometimes we just need to speak up about something we don't like; not in a nasty or confrontational way, but rationally. In this case, with the help of OOIDA, TA and Expediters Online.com, one person can make a difference."
-- By Jeff Jensen, ExpeditersOnline