What to do when driver abandons truck

It isn't the fact that the driver quit, but that he abandoned his assigned equipment. And I think that criminal is appropriate. Drivers who abandon their equipment are usually losers who don't have anything so the carrier would not be able to collect, even if he got a judgment. There is absolutely NO justifiable reason for any driver to abandon his equipment. If he wants to quit then he needs to contact the company so that they can tell him where to take his equipment. He should take it back to where he picked it up or to the main terminal for the company.

 

How late was the load? At first it sounded like he wasn't going to finish the load, then it turns out he tried? But regardless, abandonment is abandonment. I don't see him trying to come back to you for payment of last load wages, and I don't see you getting any recovery damages from the ex-driver either (practically)

This is a part of the trucking business. Some guys won't tolerate much and if an owner EVER get's to feeling like a driver may not be dependable in a pinch, and the driver is a "contract driver" the owner needs to get him in ASAP pay him up current and kick him to the curb before something like this happens. This is why so many small and large trucking companies are moving to "contract employees". Makes it much easier to jettison them and not have to worry much about the state and ex employee coming back on the employer for this that and the other.

 

When I started driving we didn't have a/c. I don't think that it was unreasonable for the carrier to expect the driver to do his job. If I were the driver I would much rather be running and making money than trying to hitch a ride home. If there was no means to have repairs made over a weekend, then there is little that the carrier could do. However, I would think that if the truck was in Little Rock he could have found some place to get it repaired. There is a Petro in Little Rock that has a shop. Parts might have been the problem. In any case, things happen to trucks and occasionally repairs cannot be made as quickly as we would like. It is part of this business. I think you are much better off without this loser. He would probably have sold your fuel or abused your truck. Having the a/c go out is no reason to abandon a truck or sit around a truck stop. There is no reason why this guy should not have delivered his load.

 

The Petro is ALWAYS open..........

 

Agfreight,
Did you get my PM that I sent you?

 

So did he refuse to continue driving one day out, OR did he quit after delivering the load and taking your truck to a repair shop ?? You better get your story straight. I've got a feeling there is way more to this than what you're telling.

 

I haven't had AC in a truck in over 4 years. I've never missed a day's work due to the heat, either.

I have ZERO sympathy for drivers complaining that their AC is broke. You've got a job to do. Do it.

 

If my a/c goes out, will you get me a room? Sounds like you did the best you could under the circumstances.
He was definitely planning on quitting regardless.
Once again, some ####### screws everything up for the next guy.....

 

Talk to your attorney, and wipe your butt with his DAC.

 

Do you have to sleep in that truck with no a/c?
Mine was out for a month before it was finally fixed properly and I bet I never got more than 4 hours of sleep a night.
And forget about running at night and trying to sleep during the day.