Shaffer makes the hit list

There is only two ways to put a u-joint in. If you picture a plus sign. The drive shaft pivots on the one axis, the rear end on the other. The only thing they could have done wrong, is either didn't torque the bolts correctly (too loose is worse, too tight I've seen from the factory, so tight that a wrecker driver snapped a 3/4" breaker bar off trying to get the drive shaft loose. I don't think the average truck shop has more torque ability than the factory) or else he re-used the same bolts. Which is against ASE guidelines. The shop could lose it's ASE certification if they get caught. When a driveshaft is re-installed, they are to use new bolts. The only way the whole system could get out of balance is if the whole shaft, including the front 1/2 shaft from tranny, center support bearing and rear 1/2 shaft to the front diff is removed. When they are towed, only the rear 1/2 shaft is removed from the back of the center support bearing, the rest of the shaft from tranny to center support bearing stays. And an out of balance driveline would only cause it to vibrate for a while before it vibrated itself apart, and it takes a while for that.
I think that they just screwed it up at the shop, but are not going to admit it so that they don't lose biz. I have worked on trucks most of my career, it ain't that tough to replace this stuff, if they screwed up something like this, they are either more incompetent than this company's 'company' shops, or careless. Either way, they would lose business. And the only way to find out is to have the courts force the shop to show the work order and check to see if new bolts were listed on the work order. But they could lie about putting them on, just write it up and charge it as if they did. No matter what, it's going to be expensive to fight. Crete/Shaffer will see to that.

Either way, it takes a lot of torque to snap a driveshaft or yoke. Especially once your moving. With the transmissions Crete/Shaffer uses, it's more likely that a 'dropped clutch' or abusive driving, like Crete claims, would snap off something inside the transmission. An input shaft is only 1/3 as thick as a drive line part.

 

In cases like this, a good offense is often the best defense. Go at them as if you are attempting to sue for damages. Details details details. When ever you speak to them, do it professionally, without cursing them or threatening them, but sound like you know what you are talking about, even if you don't!!! Maybe talk to a local Freightliner shop and see what amount of torque it takes to snap a yoke or driveshaft, or if it's even possible to do that once you are rolling. When you call, quote them numbers. Often if you start getting into the details, they may back off. Had situations like this with other companies. When I started at them like they were the villain, they backed off. Sometimes they bully someone, but if it comes to an actual fight (in court, or costing them money to prove themselves) they back off, because it would be cheaper to keep 'er than fight it, spend money, and probably lose anyway.

 

Its good to hear that they seen it wasn't your fault finally after the fact. Glad you got it all worked out!

 

Any co that will put you to the curb and make you find your own way home. They are not worth going back too. They put you out once. Why trust them again?

 

Completely understand the entire situation........................"THE ROAD IS OURS"

 

Rascally Road Warrior,

Have applied for Raun or Butler Brothers? While the latter is a flatbed, it seems they treat their drivers very good. Another company worth looking into is PAM and its companies.

Good luck and tell us the outcome.

Hunter

 

Glad to hear your reputation is intact. Good luck on finding a better place. Keep us posted, I am looking for something better myself. I am tired of the Crete downward spiral. Going to bail out and pop the chute before this place crashes and burns.

 

I try to stay out of these kind of things, but feel I need to jump in on this on. First, I am appalled by the way Shaffer left the driver to fend for himself. There is no excuse for it. But even when a company throws you under the bus you should be able to take care of yourself. I would have had a rental ASAP and worried about who was going to pay for it later.

Anyway, I too had a medical problem last year. What was diagnosed as a Brown recluse spider bite landed me in a emergency room and somewhere in the area of 15 different shots of this and that along with a rather painful "procedure". I later found out that a couple of those shots were for pain and included opiates. This doesn't go over well with drug testing. Just great, it would have been nice if they would have told me that, I've been in severe pain for a few day now, a couple more wouldn't have killed me. I'm told it will be in my system for a week or so.

I called Crete and let them know what was happening and that the doctors told me I couldn't drive for a week. Within 2 hours Crete had arrange a rental car for me to drive back home (or said they would cover my hotel room for the duration). I'm now in Louisiana and home is 1400 miles away in NC. I told them I had already arranged for a room for the night and would pick up the car in the morning. What ended up being 10days at home before a doctor would clear me Crete once again arrange for a car back to my truck (Petro was kind enough to let me leave it in their lot). They even reimbursed me for the gas that I used during the trip.

I don't want to stir the pot, but felt I needed to interject on this one.

I don't doubt that Crete deals differently with the longer term issues, I've heard to many stories about that. Unfortunately that is becoming far to familiar with many companies these days, and not just the trucking business. Employees are becoming a throwaway commodity once again.