Would you quit if forced on eLogs?

Well quiting would depend on the work I would be required to do. I like being home most every night and some of our runs would be camping runs if forced on E logs.

I missed most of my daughters younger years due to living in a truck. Now with the young boy, I have decided I am not going to miss anymore then absolutely needed.

 

I agree with you there sorta.... I mean you can't say the new age drivers don't know how to work on the trucks that is not true.. It might be that the number of drivers who don't know how to work on trucks now compared to the old days might be higher tho...

I know how to do maintenance on the trucks and repairs like lights, fuses, air filter etc... Can I rebuild a truck engine probably not, but then again if I wanted to do that I would have become a mechanic and not a truck driver.. I can do an engine swap on a car or pickup so I am sure if I needed to I could do it on a big boy truck... The thing is now and day most places dont' want the driver to do mechanical fixes they want the shop mechanics to do it.. In my company's case the trucks go in for maintenance and repairs.. I like to fix stuff on my own as well to save from having the truck go missing at the mechanic shop for a few days on something I can repair quickly...

I do agree for those drivers who can't change lights, fuses or check slack adjuster it's sad.. I mean you should at the VERY least know how to change your lights and check/replace fuses.. Anyone who pays to have this done is either lazy or doesn't care to learn..

Like I said I do agree to some extent that we all as drivers (truckers and non truckers) should know how to do a little maintenance repairs on everything we drive (personal vehicles and big trucks)..

 

A driver today should be able to not only change lamps and fuses....But...

How about replacing a hose?
How about replacing a drive belt or serpentine belt on a newer rig?
How about know what size and type tires they have instead of saying "I think it's a 'Low-pro' but I'm not sure" When they call in for a flat....

 

Some companies will fire a driver if they try to fix things ( to enclude lights ). Do your inspections and report any issues to shop. do not try to fix. not your job.

I for one can rebuild the whole truck/
trailer. Some drivers do not know how to do anything on their own pov let alone a truck.

I am happy we have all the things we have now. I would no want to go back to the old days. Same as in my home I like having A/C, indoor plumming, Hd tv, electric lights, hot water, ECT.

If driving a truck with all the goodies makes me a steering wheel holder then so be it. You can keep that no a/c no air ride, no powersteering nut buster. been there done that. thank god I don`t have to any more.

Go live in a shed in the woods. Give up your good home. Take your family out there see how long it flies.


Thank God the old days are long gone.

 

So if a driver discovers they have a headlight out...They're supposed to "Shut it down" and wait for mechanic to replace it or take their chances and run "Cyclops" until they can get to a shop?
Some DOT take CSA very seriously....Pull a "Cyclops" in and that driver and rig becomes OOS until fixed....

 

No I'm talking about mutli-national corps. that could buy an sell small time money makers like Swift, Hunt, Werner.... etc. daily.

General Electric comes to mind... or how about Disney(which has it's hands in everything from Mickey mouse cartoons... to Tomahawk cruise missles)

 

I did not say that. You contact your breakdown. If at a truck stop, most of them have shops. have them fix. or you do as I have done. do not report it and fix it my self.

If you do not know how. let the shop do it. If you have an extra on your truck see if some one can do it for you. I have seen headlights fall out going down the road. some one tried to fix ( not right ) and it fell out.

Some people just do not know how. If other drivers would help them
next time they could do it and the company will never know.

 

How hard is it to pop open the hood....Unscrew the thumbscrew on the cover....Pull out the lamp housing....Twist out the old lamp and insert and twist in the new lamp and replace the housing...Then tighten up the thumbscrew....Close the hood again?

 

Like it has been said MOST companies do not allow drivers to touch things like belts and hoses.. So guys like be for instance.. I know how do to this stuff but I CAN'T due to company policy.. So it's the case of CAN'T do it rather then DON'T do it .... I am not paid to do that works I am paid to drive the truck and deliver my loads plain and simple.. If it's quick fixes I can do to get me on the road quicker then the mechanic fine I'll do it... Do you really think I am gonna be on the side of the road changing my drive belt or serpentine belt getting paid to be a driver.. Like I said if I wanted to do things more involved like this I would have taken a mechanics job getting paid more !!!!

Like said before by another member (from the older days) if you wanna call me a steering wheel holder based on advancements in the industry then go right ahead.. I'll take good advancements if it makes me a happier driver.. If you wanna call someone who doesn't do there own work a steering wheel holder go do that as well cause you obviously think that if your not a mechanic as well as a driver that your just holding a steering wheel.. If my company wants to pay me more money to not only drive the equipment but also fix it then give me more money I know how to do it..

I would in a union shop so it's actually frowned upon by some members of the union to do some else job.. Like said I were to do all the mechanically repairs on my truck (other then little things like lights) then technically I am taking a job away from the mechanics... So I guess I have my own reason for not fixing things on my truck..

 

LOL, I have to do it old school, drag out the philips screwdriver, take out 6 screws holding the trim ring on then 2 screws holding that hold the headlight mounting ring in place to remove the 4652 headlamp then reinstall everything. Just did it the other day. Pretripped the truck found burnt headlight, walked into the shop and got a bulb, went out to truck and replaced the burnt bulb and was on my way rather then waiting around for another 1/2 hour for the shop crew to show up for the day then wait another 15 minutes for them to get punched in and think about working.


Another morning not too long ago, I got to the shop and one of the lights on my trailer was not working properly, very, very dim. I wiggled the wires and it would go bright, dim, bright, dim. got my wire cutter and crimper out, cut out the offending connector, walked in the shop got and got a new connector, back out to trailer, stripped the wires back and cut out the green stuff, Crimped new connector in place and heated it up to shrink it down. Job done and on the road in time to make my load time.


I do alot of fixing on the truck even though it is a company truck.