How to quit?

I would give them the week before vacation notice and that way if they take a nasty turn towards you (not unheard of!) then it will only last one week at the most.

Now, when you turn the truck in, if there are any lingering maintenance issues with the vehicle, get them fixed, or at the very minimum have them well documented and the reason why they cannot be fixed. If possible have it washed within the day or two before turn in. Make sure that you leave it clean and presentable, and when you turn it in, have someone in at least a partial position of responsibility come out to the truck with you and be there as you do the post trip inspection of the truck. You sign the post trip inspection sheet, and have them countersign it, then make a copy of it for yourself. This is going to serve as your receipt for the truck and any company owned equipment that goes with it.

I would recommend that you pull a copy of your DAC right now before leaving, and make sure that you have it to compare with anything they could possibly put on there. The timing of their comments could easily indicate a nasty attitude towards someone leaving, and you want to be in a position to prove otherwise.

You want to leave on the best terms possible, and avoid any problems, yet be prepared to a nasty shove out the door. In a perfect world, this wouldnpt be needed, but unfortunately we have all seen enough of these experience happen not to take the chances when walking away.

 

Make an inventory list / receipt of company property in your possession. Make them sign for it all, including the truck and it's condition. Doing this will, of course, protect you, and will send a clear signal to your managers that messing with you won't be worth the hassles.

Personally, I'd burn any vacation and sick days prior to springing the news on them. The less someone owes me when I give them the good-bye wave, the more comfortable I am with their lack of leverage.

 

Since this puts you actively into the job market, try to line something up beforehand if you can. That way, the new company pulls a DAC long before the old company gets a chance to put anything in place. Most new employers agree not to contact your current employer under those circumstances since they know you have not given your 2 weeks notice yet. And if the new employer knows you are handling the departure from the old job properly, that tends to award you a few brownie points at the beginning.

Also, if you have something lined up beforehand, when you stop working and the money stops coming in, you aren't under as much pressure to get a paycheck coming in right away. That can be a terrible pressure and it drives a lot of people into less than ideal jobs.

I have the luxury of my military pension as a backup, and it provides me with an opportunity to stop and look around that many people don't have.