Payment for Damage ?

As ALLOW ME put it, it's better then losing your job. I've paid for damage several times when I've torn things up.

Look at it this way, others will say, "well it's the cost of doing business", yep, and look at the "cost of doing business" rolling down the highway. I was parked next to a new SWIFT Lonestar tractor, these are brand new trucks, this one already had a torn up bumper and a bent fairing. Yep, that's the cost of doing business.

A year ago, a driver for Western Express damaged my mirror with his carelessness, when I told him he was responsible, he said "why? that's maybe $50.00, make the company pay for it" I take care fo my truck, and if I screw it up, I better #### well be responsible and pay for it. BTW, his truck was an '08 and it looked like it had been through the wringer, mine is an '09, and other than a faded bumper, it still looks brand new.

 

sorry, but this is such typical Union BS attitude, make the company pay for it. It's called RESPONSIBILITY!!

Godforbid someone take responsibility for their actions when someone else can do it for them.

 

I worked for an outfit where a guy accidentally hit a pole with his trailer.
The boss made him pay for it out-of-pocket if he wanted to keep his job.
Guy got scared and paid-up.
The boss pocketed the money and then filed an insurance claim and fired the guy.

Look guys, it's the cost of doing business...that's what insurance is for.
#### happens out there.
It's not like drivers are intentionally trying to hit stuff (well, except maybe for them Swift and JB drivers!)
Any of you want to pay out-of-pocket for that nonsense, then that's your own business.
Leave me out of it, that's all I ask.

 

STRIKER! WHY DID YOU ALLOW THAT BUMPER TO FADE?????

 

well, i dunno...we were not there, we do not know the company, i am for the time being going to say, it may very well be the drivers there are careless and constantly breaking doors by not securing them, and the company does fix them, then they get broken again, and again.....we only have "his word" on what the company "thinks" about getting doors paid for....

the tie backs are cheap to fix. one company i worked for (union in fact) put a bungie cords inside the trailers that was bolted to the door so we could use it.....(bolted so no one steals them? or guaranteed to be used?) but they were there....

hinges, (break away), tie backs, are very cheap fixes....

i think its the drivers being careless NOT to secure the doors.

 

Seriously?!?

I don't think anybody goes out of their way to tear up company equipment. That said, I have never, ever torn a trailer door off. Tearing off a trailer door is not $%&# happening. It is pure carelessness and negligence. If your trialer door does not have proper moorings, well, that's what bungee cords are made for. If you're too unionized or mentally challenged to operate a bungee cord, perhaps a career assessment is in order. There is never a good excuse for tearing off a trailer door.

The driver got off easy if all he had to do was pony up $50/wk for 9 weeks and it not be shown on his DAC.

 

And here's something that works better than threats of termination........ cash...... my guy pays a large percentage ( single digit ) of your earnings per quarter if you don't tear anything up. For me it's over 4k a year.......

I almost hate to roll the last 2 weeks of the quarter...... I just know someone's going to roll into me etc and cost me my cash.

On the other part of responsibility....... my guy says any spill from a drop to a load is a spill and defines accident as " anytime any part of your unit comes in contact with anything other than the road surface. " Ugh!

But, there's 10,000 just like me waiting outside the gate............yeah, he believes that.

 

yes i would guess that is just another low life company tactic---when the truck makes extra money does he share that?
i can see taking away any bonus or profit sharing--but if you have to pay for any tiny accident?---i would think the shunters must be working in a negative balance then