What would you do

Yes..I have

 

What I do when I hook to a defective trailer varies, depending on where I pick it up, where I'm going, and what the problem is.

Missing reflective tape on the ICC bumper? I write it up in the Qualcomm VIR, and carry on as usual. If I'm on a back haul, that means I'm bringing the loaded trailer back to the terminal drop yard. I'll either swing by the shop and see if the trailer guy can fix it while I wait (I get paid hourly breakdown pay for this), or I'll just drop it in the trailer dead line, slap a lock on the door and let dispatch know that it's in the dead line instead of at the drop yard.

If it's an MT that I'm taking out for a D/H, I'll stop by the shop and get them to take care of it before I go get my load. I get paid hourly breakdown while it's being worked on, AND it makes me immune to losing my detention pay in the event I'm late to the delivery appointment (we don't get detention pay if we're late to a delivery for reasons not related to weather or equipment).

If it's the outbound loaded trailer, I'll swing it by the shop to get it fixed if it's on the route to the receiver (breakdown pay and detention immmunity), or I'll just write it up in the QC. That way if I end up dropping it somewhere, it's documented and it will find its way back to the shop via another driver. But usually I'll either get a live load back haul, or return to the terminal MT, so I'll end up delivering it to the dead line or getting it fixed at the end of the day anyway.

We don't get dinged for inspection violations, but we do get a $50 spiff for a clean level 1.

So yeah, that's what I'd have done...

 

time to learn to embrace CHANGE not always an easy thing to do but your employer is sending the signal that he is willing to gamble with your csa score so if you are serious about your record the time has come to allow the termination to stay in effect

 

First off, nobody sees your driver CSA score except you, and any company that you apply to work for that you give permission to see it. That's it. It does NOT affect your CDL. In any way. Period.

Missing reflective tape will not get you put OOS. The company will be on the hook to fix it, IF it even gets written up as a violation. Yes, sweat the small stuff, but don't let the small stuff keep you from getting the job done for yourself and your employer. Reserve that for the big stuff.

 

I've followed drivers through the scale house that had trailer lights out, no brake lights, headlight out - really obvious stuff. Waved through. Thanks for playing.

You really think you're going to get waved in after you pass the inspector and he sees that you're missing reflective tape? Come to think of it, have you ever seen an inspector look back after he's waved a truck through?