Almost sent to Missouri in a daycab, really Werner?

Which is the main reason our country is a clusterscrew that cant get anything accomplished. Rather than doing what needs to happen to get the work done, everybody has to first worry about whos liable. The main reason the liability issues have gotten so out of hand is due to the majority of Americans refusing to accept responsibility for their actions both employees and employers. Then theres the people just looking for a lawsuit so they can get a big check and sit around. On the flip side there are the businesses just interested in maiking a quick buck that have fueled this downspin as well.

Lets take the fan belt example. The company wont let the driver change it for two main reasons, liability if the driver gets hurt, additional damage to vehicle if driver installs the belt incorrectly. Thus the truck sits idle loosing dollars until somrbody can get to it to spend 10 minutes fixing.

Now I dont expect every driver to know how to fix their truck. Pilots dont all know how to fix their planes nor do all carnies necessarilly know how to fix their rides. However there are enough mechanically inclined truckers who would be more than willing to change the belt and get down the road.

In a perfect world without lawyers and just honesty/trust the drivers that had the skills to replace the belt would be able to just find the nearest place that has one, put it on and be back running again. Upon returning, the company would reimburse the driver for the belt without question. For the drivers that wanted to do it but were uncertain, a tech could talk them through it over the phone. The drivers that just dont know how would just wait for a repair. The drivers with more skills could possibly get a bonus or simply have a higher pay grade.

However we dont live in that world so rather than have the driver do whatever is necssary to get the load out in time they just make them sit there. I spent a lot of time last week pulling truckers out after the blizzard. Most were happy as could be that they were able to get on the road running again. Got to the fleet guys like C.R. England and such, nope cant pull them out. One guy said I could if I just signed a paper, ha, yeah right. So he sat there for an additional 24hrs waiting because all of the wreckers were busier elseware. The best part is that he not only lost thst many hours, but he also lost a lot of money paying the couple hundred dollar wreckrr bill instead of making a charitable donation to my fund.


I always use the examply from the trip my parents took to Claas in Germany. Only some people had safety glasses on and there were very few "idiot signs" around the plant. By idiot signs I mean obious things like touching red hot metal will burn you. They asked why the rules were so lax, the response was that their negligence laws are very different. If you put your hand on that red hot metal its your own fault. You should know how to properly operate your machine before running it, if your just a passer by you have no reason to be touching machines that arent yours and that is your reaponsibility as well, you wont be able to sue the company for anything. Now if the machinealfuctions and hurts you that is different, but if its due to you being lazy, in a hurry or just not paying attention then its your fault.

Thats probably one of the reasons many of the new ideas are coming from across the pond. While were worried about what lawyers will do and what compaby we can buy out, theyre more interested in innovation. VAG was in the top 3 with GM for sales volume last year yet VAG turned a profit of 26 billion whereas GM only made 7 billion. I wouldnt be surprised if gm couldve easily surpasses single digits simply by not having to spend so much money coddling lazy people and prevebting lawsuits.

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You don't need to preach to me, I was simply stating why companies don't want their drivers chaining or repairing their equipment.

 

Not preaching to you.

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I do agree with your post from earlier, no doubt about it.

 

Not currently, but I did spend a year hauling out of Denver going west. Hit Vail and Donner on a regular basis. And when the chain sign went up, so did my cab curtains. Ain't a single piece of freight that's worth my life, and you can take that to the bank. Boss agreed with me every time, too. Heck, he'd shut down before I did! And since this was a very successful two truck operation, I'm guessing he wasn't hurting financially by waiting on the various road crews. Hell, the only reasons I left him was because he retired and I wanted to come back home.

 

I run Donner & the Siskiyous all winter long with periodic forays to places like Denver & Boise. I just showered in Roseburg & I'm headed to Corning tonight, chains or not. I've been doing this since 1974. I think all this "liability" talk is lunatic. What are they going to take from me? A couple of rental properties that are worth less than the mortgages? I have a million dollars liability on my truck, another million in an umbrella policy and a very good lawyer.

And I'm going trucking.

Update- OR DOT says Siskiyou summit is "Smow flurries & patches of ice, carry chains." Should I shut down & wait until June for dry pavement? Don't want to slip on one of those patches of ice & incur some LIABILITY.

 

Hammer down, Super T!!

 

I have always felt it A matter of principle to complete any assignment you have accepted. Also , I have had on occasion caged A maxi and vice-gripped the broken air line. Cleaned grease out of brake drums on drives with leaking inner seals and used cleanser , good stuff , Bon Ami , prior to readjusting the brakes so as to help make the cleaning job more effective. There are many instances when temporary measures are necessary just to get you out of harm's way and to A service area. I have worked as an O/O and company driver, and in either instance had spare fuel filters, starting fluid ( good for brake linings frozen to drums) , marker lights , penetrating oil , tire tools , an air hose that would connect to A glad hand and who knows what else. These items werefor my own good , safety and enabled me to complete the assignment I had committed to. I do not like sitting alongside A road for lack of A glad hand seal or A new fuel filter and some Howe's or Lucas fuel treatment to get rolling again. Whatever it takes. To thine own sef be true ....... I have to live with myself ! LOL

 

You work for yourself so you do what you have to do. We were talking about why companies want their drivers to wait till the chain law is lifted. LIABILITY.

 

Circumstances dictate procedure.