Consequences for by-the-book newbies

I am new as well but I think the big issue is communication with the FM. most carriers want to stay legal these days for their own sakes.
if problem can not be resolved then go up the chain of command.

In the end it may cause problems with your fm and in turn cause problems with your job. but in the long haul you are responsible for your license. better to lose a job than ruin a career

JMHO

 

That is hard to say, really depends on several factors. Mainly the company, the contract and exactly what the issue is.

If you pick up a load and you are over gross or over on an axle that you cannot adjust out, then you need to go and get the load reworked. This will cost you time, but in many cases is not a huge issue. If the load is just slightly over weight and you will not cross a scale for a while, then you may be ok as you burn off some fuel.

If the trailer or truck is broken in a way that makes it unsafe, then you need to get it fixed. And most company's are concerned enough about their safety scores at this point that they will fix the issue.
Now if you just have a marker light out, and you refuse to move the load to a place to get it fixed, that could be a problem. A road service call costs 350++ just to come out.
And in many cases you can get to somewhere to get the issue fixed. And save that road call money.
So if you force them to come to you, over a minor issue, then you will get in trouble.

On HOS issues.
This can go several ways. If you accepted the load and could not run the load. Then you screwed up. If you were forced to accept it. Then you should have made it clear in writing that you could not make the run. This covers your rear. And the company should have tried to get it onto someone else for ontime delivery.

This stuff really has nothing and everything to do with experience.
They will put all drivers into these situations. It is how you learn to deal with them that will change with experience.
I know what issues are OOS violations on an equipment inspection.
I know before i commit to any load if I can run it or not. If I am at all questionable, then I will communicate this to my company ASAP.
If anything changes, unplanned hold up at shipper, flat or other mechanical issue, traffic etc. I will notify dispatch immediately. So they can have a chance to fix the problem.

I know where scales are. I know how to safely get around them. I will not do this in most situations though. Weight is not really a safety issue. It is more of a fine issue.
This is why the FMCSA took the points off of weight tickets in the CSA scores. But the driver is out of pocket for any tickets.

I will not run equipment that is not safe. I will not pull trailers that are not safe. I will not purposely go over my HOS to fix a load. Not doing these things has not hurt me.

 

Or there's always this off-the-wall notion that a driver learns to fix simple things themselves. I don't think anyone expects their drivers to do a complete in-frame. But things like replacing air lines, changing out burned light bulbs... I'm sorry, but if you can't do that on your own, that's just plain pathetic. A light bulb being out shouldn't be cause for a load to be held up while the truck's in the shop. Of course there are things which will be well above operator level - there's a legitimate reason for the driver not to try, for example, replacing a brake chamber. But I see drivers pretty often who sit for hours while their truck is waiting to go into the shop somewhere, all because of a couple lights they could've replaced themselves within ten minutes. Absurd.

 

Great reply chromedome, couldnt say it any better.

 

It is no longer just the driver's problem.

Carriers are now being held accountable for their drivers. CSA will shut a company down for unsafe trucks, repeated problems with drivers, etc.

It's no longer just YOUR CDL, it is now the company record as well.

Don't cook your logbook, make the company responsible and run your logbook exact.

Did you spend 10 hours waiting to get loaded? You now have 4 hours of drive time.

It's a new world and it's about time that carriers have to bear some of the blame for the stuff they do to their drivers.

 

I understood the question as you worded it. It just sort of led to me letting with a mini rant about that. Some "drivers" out here are so useless. Like the one guy who told me he was worried because he was getting "low oil level" messages. But he won't add any oil himself, because, as he put it, "I don't mess with that ####". Or the guy who decided it was worth it to wait for almost three hours for the people at the Bosselman shop in Sioux Falls to get his truck and trailer in, because he didn't want to replace two light bulbs on his own (although he did at least get them replaced).

People who display that sort of laziness aren't just going to limit it to matters such as engine oil and light bulbs. It's a reflection of their demeanor as a whole, and probably a reflection on how they actually drive the truck, as well. Which is a large contributor to the advent of the CSA2010 system. Someone who doesn't care enough to do the most simple upkeep on their truck isn't likely to be overly concerned with ensuring that their truck is safe and compliant.