How many maintenance issues is too much?

You're going to find this at lot of places, big and small. But some are worse than others. And a smaller fleet of all old[er] trailers is never going to see any relief.

I know that not an answer to your question but that's all I can offer without knowing more about the fleet you're dealing with or seeing it first hand.

 

Sounds like a great place to work. Not.
If it doesn't pass your dot inspection then don't haul it down the road. It's your ssa when the dot man discovers the defects, whether it's before or after the accident. There's plenty of places that don't put up with junk equipment. The same places usually don't put up with b.s. in general whether it be from drivers, shippers/receivers, anybody. If something is worth doing then it's worth doing right. Forget all this corner cutting b.s.

 

I haven't picked up a trailer in months that hasn't needed something to be fixed on it.

I won't take another job where I don't have a dedicated trailer unless I'm making hourly.

 

1 issue is plenty for the DOT folks, if you are finding them on dropped trailers that means some drivers are not doing a post trip inspection, so pay a visit to the safety dept. and be the snitch. If it is a yard used by more than 1 company sometimes the others will select parts needed to make their own trailer compliant so you have a whole nest to blame it on.

 

Most companies don't pay or pay very little for the time it takes to haul a trailer back to their yard and get it fixed. So drivers will just drop it at their next stop and leave the issue for the next guy. When you work for a large carrier and have to do a drop and hook you learn to go down the line of empties and pick the best one. When I drove for Swift I used to laugh at the ancient looking Swift trailers sitting around at Walmart DC's. Some of them looked like they had been sitting there for years.

 

Head into a trailer shop on the road, a independant or chain etc. Generate a workorder. Warn the office people about a pending bill for necessary repairs that need signing off on the PTI for that trailer after the work is finished.

Mr Grouch in the shop will be so lonely...

 

ONE in THREE is great odds. My guess if you looked a little harder you could find problems with the other two also.

These trucking companies reel drivers in with the myth that they have like 90% drop and hook. People will sign up with their CPM program with the idea that all your time will be spent running miles and making money. Not only is the drop and hook statistic a complete myth, they know their trailers are complete junk, beat to crap by their steering wheel holders and they could care less because they don't pay the tickets. You do driver. Your time is free in trying to get these trailers repaired and acceptable to the shipper.

How much you want to bet less then half of the 1/3 of trailers you find problems with are written up in the post-trip. How much do they pay a driver for doing the post-trip in your company? Well there is your answer.

 

@Chinatown
Is the resident expert on trucking companies around this joint