Calgary man claims B.C. trucking company compromised his safety

A Calgary man says a B.C. trucking company did not not listen to his safety concerns during a recent shift.

The incident cost him his employment, but the company said he didn’t follow protocols, and that they were well within their rights to fire him.

On Saturday, Geoffrey Patterson was making a delivery for Acme Transport Ltd., a Surrey-based distribution company.

He was driving on the I-5 through Washington state when he noticed part of his passenger-side mirror had fallen off.

Patterson said he contacted the dispatcher at Acme to alert them of the issue, and that he was told to find a way to temporarily fix it.

“Their solution was to zap strap it,” he said. “At the time, the zap straps didn’t work.”

Patterson said he also attempted to tape the mirror, but that didn’t work either. He said the company eventually sent someone to replace the mirror, but that the person arrived with the incorrect part.

“I couldn’t make heads or tails of anything when I looked outside,” he said.

Patterson said he continued on his way to San Jose with the mirror in disrepair, driving in the right lane to prevent anyone from passing him who he might not be able to see.

“Looking back at it, I don’t believe I should have gone at that point, but i did manage to get the load dropped off,” he said.

Patterson said he reiterated to the company that he felt it was too unsafe to continue the trip.

“I didn’t want the risk of causing a collision or harming an innocent motorist to save a few dollars,” he said.

Patterson said his employer repaired the mirror on Monday, and the 30-year-old then made his way back to B.C. He said when he crossed the border, he was asked to return his fuel cards.

“I went into the office and they gave me a termination letter,” he said.

The termination letter was shared with CTV News, and reads in part: "When maintenance provided you with a safe and appropriate solution to return the truck safely back to the terminal, you chose not to follow those instructions which is unacceptable."

Patterson said he was initially supposed to continue his route from B.C. to Calgary, where he’s from, but during the termination process, the company told him he had 20 minutes to remove his personal items from his truck.

“I am stranded now, roughly 1,000 km away from home,” he said. “I had my dog with me and I was provided no shelter, no way of getting to safety.”

In a statement to CTV News, Acme Transport, said: “We terminated this individual's employment due to their unwillingness to adhere to these critical protocols.” The company also highlighted that Patterson was still within his three-month probationary period.

On Friday, Patterson's dad drove from Calgary to pick him and his pup, Harley, up.

As they make the 11-hour drive home, Patterson said he has no plans to work in the industry again.