How do you handle truck maintenance issues with your company?

Discussion in 'Questions From New Drivers' started by RoadSideDown, Mar 19, 2021.

  1. Frank Speak

    Frank Speak Road Train Member

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    Here’s your drive / no drive decision tree:

    - Could it affect the safety of yourself or the motoring public? Don’t drive it!

    - If it’s not a safety issue, drive.

    Main thing you need to do is learn what is considered a safety issue. Here are a few examples:

    - Hub leaks - This is a real and potentially very dangerous fire hazard.

    - Brakes (Obviously)

    - Tires

    - Lights

    - Air leaks

    - If you’re a Kentuckian and you’re dispatched to go through central Arkansas, you might want to re-think accepting the load. That’s the rumor anyway.

    These are just a few off the top of my head.
     
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  3. Frank Speak

    Frank Speak Road Train Member

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    The tickets go to both you and the company.
     
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  4. Eddiec

    Eddiec Road Train Member

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    If it's broken, report it and get it fixed. The person in dispatch telling you to "take it down the road" is only concerned with delivering or picking up freight. Reach out to the safety department for guidance, and make sure you always get the names of the people you talk to in these type of situations.
     
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  5. REO6205

    REO6205 Trucker Forum STAFF Staff Member

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    If the truck is unsafe, don't drive it. Period.
     
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  6. RoadSideDown

    RoadSideDown Light Load Member

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    Thanks for the guidance on this everyone! It seemed from other threads that there is pressure to drive regardless, at least at some firms. I forgot carriers have a safety dept one can go to as well. Where I work our trainers serve that purpose but it is rarely used as everyone is fully supportive of utmost safety.
    Just worried I have been spoiled by a great work environment and don’t want to get sucked into compromising safety on the road at some other organization.
     
    Mattflat362 and slow.rider Thank this.
  7. RoadSideDown

    RoadSideDown Light Load Member

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    thx for the clarification! This helps.
     
  8. slow.rider

    slow.rider Road Train Member

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    Yeah his exact words were "all fines go to the company." The notion that the violations would follow suit was my mistaken assumption.
     
    Last edited: Mar 20, 2021
  9. slow.rider

    slow.rider Road Train Member

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    Not everyone has the benefit of your excessive muscle mass and testosterone. Imagine a 110lb female driver with a 375lb sweaty moose of a boss breathing down her neck.

    He said it was an option, not the only option.
     
    Last edited: Mar 20, 2021
  10. K_R

    K_R Bobtail Member

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    Hopefully it's that and not a "who's snitching" dept lol
     
  11. AModelCat

    AModelCat Road Train Member

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    If I was an inspector and someone drove a truck with OOS defects to my scalehouse I'd be extra picky with my findings. Just because you want to make a point doesn't make it legal to drive it on public roads.
     
    Cowboyrich Thanks this.
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