So as some of you know, I recently started with FFE. I went through orientation and was issued my truck. A 2009, Freightliner Century Class S/T. The truck had 47,000 miles on it. It is May, the truck went into service just before this past Christmas. Seems pretty good getting a brand new truck that's barely 5 months old, huh? It would be if a newbie didn't have it first. As I was going over this truck, I found his "Diploma" in an envelope on one of the shelves. Had "graduated" truck driving school less than a year ago. And it showed.

First thing that was obvious was the holes in the passenger side tank fairings. Either something hit him, or I'm going to say he hit something.

Next, as you move to the back of the cab you see the brace bar for the exhaust is smashed completely into the back of the cab. In addition to that, the grab handles are bent in and the cab fairing bent in on the passenger side. This was obviously caused by not checking how high a trailer was dropped and backing completely under the trailer and ramming the reefer into the back of the cab. Nice!

Next we see where he has gotten into a bind and got the truck twisted so that the bottom of the trailer has rubbed off on the frame. What I could not get a good picture of was the tread on the drive tire. It is so chewed up that it looks square as it spins.

Looking at the front bumper you can tell where he must have had to go over a curb and pulled it back out to the front. What is also not shown very well in the pics is how someone hooked up a couple pull chains to the front bumper and pulled the truck out of whatever mess it was in. This caused damage under the license plate and pulled the foot hold forward.

Moving inside the truck, I can not figure out for the life of me how someone possibly lives in the conditions this one was in. It looked like the truck had never seen a rag. It took a few days of constant work to get it to my liking. The floor had so much dirt and spills it took a full day of sweeping and scrubbing to get it decent. The cup holders and dash were covered in spilled soda and coffee. Even down the door into the pocket that held the permit book, which was a disaster in and of itself.Topped with a thick layer of dust and cigarette ashes this proved a tough clean. I had to use a tough foam cleaner and scrubbed with a scrubbing sponge to get it done.

I was told we get one truck wash a month, but this truck looked like it was never through a truck wash, ever. So, once I finally got a day it was not raining, I got it washed. Truck and trailer. No questions asked. Why newbie never did this is beyond me.

So all you newbies out there, pay attention. You don't pay for this truck, but you are entrusted with it's well being. Take care of it. Keep it clean. Some one else will be issued the truck when your done with it. They don't want to live in your mess.Know your surroundings and make sure your doing everything properly. Take the time to check, get out and look, make sure your your not going to damage anything.

The newbie that had this truck quit under dispatch. A message left on the qualcomm stated he was dropping the loaded trailer at the yard, the bills in the bill box. The truck was parked, his wife was going to be there in 30 minutes and he was leaving the keys in it and his fuel card on the dash. If he had another job lined up I'm sure they would not hire him knowing what shape he left the truck in and the fact he quit under a load. He didn't even have the nerve to quit in person like a man. This is newbie was one who just didn't get it.

Don't be like this newbie.

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They call me Biscuit

The best thing about being a pessimist is very rarely do you let yourself down.

Some people just don't get it. Look at kids these days and the respect they have for property, theirs or others. It's not going to get better.

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"All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent."- Thomas Jefferson

Can't speak for the inside, but as for the rest, it may not entirely be about respect. I own my truck and have done a lot of that as well. Of course I've paid to get just about all of it fixed/replaced as it happens. There's no substitute for experience... these things are huge.

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You can always tell a trucker, but you can't tell him MUCH!

Guide to Instant O/O and Loadboards thread:
Financial settlements: 50, 68, (80), 82, 123, 166 (cumulative), 166 all repairs/maintenance, 181, 205
Pics: 3, 9, 10, 16, 24, 29, 32, 41, 61, 63, 78, 84, 94, 96, 119, 210, 326
Vids: 47, 48, 63, 74, 77, 80, 82, 96, 172, 211
JasontheRock cost investment summary: 87

I'm a newbie. I keep this truck clean. I'm careful to the point of driving my hubby insane. The person who gets this truck after us will NOT be able to complain about how WE treated it.

However, this truck was damaged prior to us.

Anyway. I don't think it's so much newbieism (ha a new word) I think it's a matter of self-respect.

How disgusting, I had to move into one truck last summer that was driven by Newbies brother, or maybe sister? Just as you described it, god awful.

I don't get how people can live in such filth. My truck NEVER looks like that, with my dog in it too.

I really wonder were some of these new drivers came from, the street? Living under a bridge? If they keep their truck that nasty, I can only imagine the way they keep their house.

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For Anthony 12-21-1973 to 9-29-2006
Baby, I was always amazed by you. Till we meet again. I love you always and forever.

It's not just new drivers. I slip seat, and there are no new drivers where I work. Each truck is supposed to be cleaned inside by the drivers when returned to the yard. I have gotten into trucks that I would not leave in until things were cleaned, including getting a new mattress one time. Almost every truck I drive I have to wash the windows, dash, door panels, and scrub the floors. Drink and coffee stains, trash, dirt, smoked up dirty windows, you name it.

It gets disgusting, but I knew the score when I signed on, so I clean the trucks and live with it. I have other things I like that make up for these things, so I guess it evens out. But, to say again, it's not just new drivers who are nasty.

It's too bad that recruiting can't check up on the way a guy lives before hiring. That was beyond disgusting and inexcusable. I'd be afraid to clean it without wearing rubber gloves.

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"We sleep safe in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who would do us harm."
~George Orwell

I'll tell you about the truck we were suppose to get.

Only 30,500 miles on it and a driver had it since it was new. He'd been with the co for 6 years we're told. He was fired for DUI while in the truck. It was at a drop yard. My husband went to pick it up and used 3 of those yard size trash bags to clean off the dash and the driver's area plus the passanger area. from the seats back into the sleeper it was 18 inches deep in garbage. He brought it back to the terminal and they were going to clean it and detail it. But then the shop said it would take several days as the mattresses, seats and flooring had to be replaced due to it being saturated in urine.

Some people are just worse than dogs.

Why in the world wouldn't you throw out all the trash you've accumulated since the last fuel stop at the next fuel stop??? The truck is confining enough without garbage rolling around and unsecured items bouncing with every bump.

__________________
You can always tell a trucker, but you can't tell him MUCH!

Guide to Instant O/O and Loadboards thread:
Financial settlements: 50, 68, (80), 82, 123, 166 (cumulative), 166 all repairs/maintenance, 181, 205
Pics: 3, 9, 10, 16, 24, 29, 32, 41, 61, 63, 78, 84, 94, 96, 119, 210, 326
Vids: 47, 48, 63, 74, 77, 80, 82, 96, 172, 211
JasontheRock cost investment summary: 87

I do not know! I do know that the shop filled three fifty gallon drums with the garbage alone