Truck Driver: Fired for being safe

A truck driver is suing his former employer for allegedly terminating him for refusing to drive when he was too tired.

Leon Trimble says that on October 17, 2008, after working a full shift from around 6:30 - 7AM to 3:30PM, his boss at A&T Trucking asked him to pick up another load which would have required him to continue driving until at least 9PM.

According to the complaint, when Trimble, who drove an 18 wheeled truck, told his boss that he could not safely continue to drive that day because his eyes were burning and fatigued, his boss insisted he continue driving or face termination.  Trimble again stated he could not safely drive and was then discharged, the complaint states.

The complaint further states that Trimble reasonably and in good faith believed that by continuing to drive, he would be violating state and federal regulations, which state "No driver shall operate a commercial motor vehicle ... while the driver's ability or alertness is so impaired, or so likely to become impaired, through fatigue, illness or any other cause...."

Read the complaint after the jump.

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