Thank you for defending the driver, the idea that a driver can "simply" do his job is far from the truth - too often companies, especially now, put the fear of unemployment in a driver forcing him to take too big of risk to safety. In the end what little money is made is not worth the time away from family, lack of sleep and the rick of losing the CDL license due to running illegally.

The DRIVER is in charge of WHERE the Combo is moving and WHEN it is moving.
WEATHER and other factors dictate WHEN Drivers will travel as well as accidents, wrecks, construction, etc.

The DRIVER is held responsible for every negative action that occurs on the road regardless of who said what has/had to be done when which is why most dispatchers will not put such demands on communication devices like Qualcomm, Aether, etc., but only directly to a DRIVER on a cell call or land line communication.

Loosing ones license is trivial when compared to killing some other person or family due to believing the "every load is hot" stupidity.

There is no load so hot it has to cool off in a ditch, in a space at a scale house or in a wrecking yard.

A load when picked up late (usually the fault of the load planner or c.s.r. or both) WILL DELIVER LATE. There are very few exceptions.
MOST dispatchers, load planners and c.s.r. people HAVE NEVER DRIVEN much less ridden in a truck therefore they have no conception of how the day to day DRIVING is done.
They merely see 2 points on a map, when at all.

IT IS BETTER TO DELIVER LATE THAN NOT AT ALL!!

Having the truck drivers blame dispatchers for unsafe drivings is as invalid an excuse as those who claim "I was only following orders". The truck drivers are the licensed professionals who know how to drive safe and have a duty to drive safe.

hello l am an aussie truck driver and we have the same problem down here. l run a 12hour log book and drive b/doubles from victoria to queensland 1790klms one way we are expected not too put pick ups and drops in our book {up to thee or four of each} and still run all night, when l complained about running hot hours l was pulled into the office and was dictated about how bad the industry was and do it or loose it. so its not new any where, good luck