Due to Kate’s hospital treatments and over the top medical fee’s we haven’t had any time away this year and decided that next weekend which is one of the only 6 public holidays recognised by the American trucking industry we are going to the ocean as my little girl hasn’t dipped her feet in the sea all year. I told my dispatcher 6 weeks ago that I would not be available for work until Tuesday, “No problem Pat, I will make a not of it”
Thursday on the phone to him “Hey Eric, don’t forget I actually will be off the whole 3 days on labour day weekend ?”
“WHAT ? … did you put in a vacation request ?” seems he had not made the note after all.
“I don’t need a request, it’s a f*****g public holiday and I told you weeks back”
“Well, we’ll have to see”
They won’t see me that’s for sure 
Time off in this country ■■■■■ 
Pat, this falls under the great American concept of…WORKING HOLIDAY 
Charles
I have worked the others except new years day.
Trouble is that they take away the incentive to work a holiday. We get a weekly guarantee except on weeks with public holiday’s so although we get pay for that day plus whatever we earn on the day, taking away our guarantee often results in us having a low pay cheque even though we don’t take the day off, a lot of guys just say ‘F*** it, I’ll take the weeks off and you can keep it’ and I don’t blame them.