9 days of breakdown!

That’s right, today is day NINE, broke down and staying in a hotel in a boring town in Oklahoma due to breakdown. On a route that my company only runs once or twice a month so there’s nobody to pick me up. DEF system went out and there’s dispute about whether it’s gonna be covered under warranty or not and so it’s taking longer for the repairs. Meanwhile my company put me up in a hotel. The first day or two felt like I was on a mini paid vacation but that has long since worn off as there’s one restaurant within miles of this place no grocery stores and absolutely nothing to do. Life feels like I’m in prison lol literally!

What should I expect from my company? I get $100 a day pay, supposedly, i’ve had to call them numerous times and have them continue to pay for the room. They act like they don’t like doing it, but I’m like what else do you want me to do? Pitch a tent out in 100° weather? Lol

I’m spending about $60 a day on meals as there’s only one restaurant near me and they aren’t the cheapest. Should they pay me back for that? So yesterday I told them, i’d give it until Monday that would be 12 days and if the truck wasn’t ready to roll by then I expected them to pony up for a one-way rental car so I can drive back to the yard. Do you think this is fair? They basically said they would address that situation if it became necessary on Monday.

How would you handle a situation like this? Realistically.

 

OK first of all I don’t agree with your post at all. I’ll give you a respectful response. Nobody and I repeat nobody out here on the road eats healthier than me. And I don’t say that lightly. So no I’m not stuffing my face and over eating. There’s one restaurant around here. Unless I wanna spend $25-$30 each way to take an Uber. I’m not at a truckstop.
These are nine days of my life it’ll turn into 12 days by Monday that I can’t get back. Those are 12 days that I should’ve been earning $300-$350 a day driving. Instead I’m getting $100 a day and no it’s not for expenses. It shouldn’t be. Would you go sit somewhere siding your company for 12 days and not get a penny for it? Of course you wouldn’t.

The way I see it they have two choices, get me home and let me sit and wait there and figure out how to get me back to the truck at their expense, or pay for all my daily expenses. I don’t have to sit here, they can’t force me to. And returning home would not be a submission of quitting. At some point it becomes unreasonable to expect a driver to sit in a hotel in the middle of nowhere for free.

your entire response was 100% pro company. Lol which is fine you’re entitled to your opinion. Every aspect of it centered around saving the company money while making sure the driver is screwed. Even about the rental car. “Oh it would cost them $ to get the truck back“. So essentially what you’re saying is I should sit here, for free so it doesn’t cost the company any money. Lol

 

Well I’m kind of a born hustler. A worker bee if you will. Always been that way. I’d like to be productive. I like to be active and doing something and working towards something. So the sitting in a hotel in the middle of nowhere kind of clashes with my personality. Trust me after about two days it gets old and you realize you are not on vacation. Lol