Tuesday, April 11, 2017

Don't Even Go There

Approaching Chicago, IL
I often get emails from people asking me if they can share articles on my site, write guest posts for me, or share graphics their company produces.

Last year I got an email from a guy named Chris from Zehl & Associates, a law firm in Texas, who wanted me to share an article he wrote about commercial drivers and sleep apnea.

He was very nice and sleep apnea in our industry was and is a current issue, so I was considered doing a feature on it. He tried to sell me by saying it'd be good for my blog and audience.  Humpf.

But then I did a little more research on his firm and found that they pride themselves on suing commercial drivers and/or their companies, and the more I thought about it, the more annoyed I got. Why would I want to promote a law firm that sues the hardworking drivers in our industry?

It wasn't until he followed up with an email to ask again if I was interested that I knew I had to say no.  But I just didn't feel like saying no without a reason.  And I didn't feel like being overly nice about it. Sure, he was pleasant regarding his request, but he was also working for a law firm that helps others screw people just like me.

So here is my reply to him:

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Chris,


I sincerely apologize for not getting back to you sooner.  I've been saving your email intending to respond but I let it get away from me.  

I just had a chance to read your piece.  I understand the concerns with fatigue and commercial drivers, but I'm not inclined to share an article written by a law firm that aggressively represents clients suing commercial drivers and their companies, especially when 81% of the time accidents between passenger vehicles and big trucks are the fault of the car driver.  

81% Of The Time It's Not Our Fault

I understand that's not always the case, but when you're on the road over 300 days a year like my boyfriend and I are - he's driven over 3 million miles, and I've driven over 500,000 accident-free miles - you see up close and personal the reason car drivers are usually the ones at fault for these accidents.

It's frustrating to see the constant barrage of fear-mongering commercials, billboards, and advertisements urging car drivers to get the "millions" due to them.  Sometimes I think it even encourages dangerous driving, as I personally witnessed a car driver in Houston, on Interstate-10, pull in front of us and intentionally brake to a stop.  As you well know, being rear-ended by a semi can result in a sizable settlement.  

People like you and your law firm are capitalizing on the commercial aspect of this industry, suing drivers and companies alike, requesting exorbitantly high settlements based on the fact that these companies have the funds available for payouts.  Truckers do not have aggressive lawyers backing them and are repeatedly demonized in the media.

What this does is cause the life of a commercial driver to be exceedingly difficult by creating myriad regulations that penalize an entire industry based on the actions of a few careless drivers.  

We are professionals and our industry boasts some of the BEST drivers on the road.  I doubt you've ever met a car driver with over 5 million ACCIDENT-FREE miles, but I've met truck drivers in my own company with 3, 4, and 5 million miles, driven without incident. 

In fact, at our last company event, they honored a driver who logged over 6 million accident-free miles.

SIX MILLION. 

They've Mastered Chocolate And Cheese...

Thanks again for reaching out, but I think I'll pass on this one.

Sincerely,

Salena Lettera

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Never heard from him again.



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2016: 
Pretty Purple Prickly Pears

2015: Visually Artistic Lighting
2014: I Lost Sleep Looking At All These Links
2013: Five Facets Of Comfort
2012: The Daily Rant Brings You The Daily Commute
2011: Not For The Shy
2010: A Barge And A Lady
2009: Easter Preparation Takes Its Toll
2008: Eddie In The Blue Friday
2007: The Man Filter
2006: There Is Still A Chance
2005: Sorry, no post on this day. The blog didn’t start until May 2005!

2 comments:

Heather said...

Wow. What nerve.

Belledog said...

Well done response, Salena. Proud of you!