Anybody ever just abandon your co. truck?

If it was me, they would have a heck of a bad luck streak (Flat tires) for a while! Its good I don’t deal with big companies any more, there would be a lot fewer of them around now, and I would probably get the rope, lol!

I didn’t just abandon a truck, I had a friend in my home town drive towards me and I headed towards him until the truck ran out of fuel, found a wide spot, set my triangles, rolled up my bunk, and called the State Patrol and let them know the circumstances, and what mile marker I left the pos at!
They were two weeks late paying me, I had drove over 2800 miles local NW delivering power poles (long week), they gave me some pos card lock fuel card (In other words they took my free showers away). I bypassed a fuel stop just so I could make that last delivery Friday. Finaled in Lewiston,ID Friday afternoon, The designated fuel stop (PP) was under construction. Went to the local Flyin J and called the accountant for a Com check number. The lady asks me what happened to the 100.00 truck money they gave me 2 yrs ago when I hired on. I asked her where the **** is my paycheck. So she says she cant help me, but will send a mechanic with fuel sometime Saturday (Iwas 130 miles away). So I told her to send a driver with the mechanic and hung up!

Im still good friends with the guy who was the truckin boss there, he ended up quitting and is now the VP of a large crane and rigging outfit.

 

Any owner operators ever abandon their trucks?

 

In a way, yes, check all the repo units in the sales mags.

(i know repo is different than an actual abandonment, but nearly the same when one stops paying).

And yet, a few years later, some are at it again.

 

I'm not gonna lie I've been doing this 13 years & just recently abandoned a truck. Pos boss wouldn't fix the stuff wrong w truck argued with me about what was wrong with it then expected me to get under it and fix it while I was broke down on the side of a busy interstate. Never paid me when he said he would and told me he would have me arrested bc the truck wasn't back in his town. I tried several times to work out meeting him w the truck even offered to pay for a plane ticket for his driver to get it. It's been his way or no way. So I drove it within 4 hours of his home. I got screwed from the beginning with him. Just bc he is an ex cop he try's to bully me which hes lucky I drove it as far as I did.

 

After over a 40 year career driving my opinion on abandoning a piece of equipment is as bad , maybe worse than pulling a pin on somebody.

It's not your equipment. You aren't qualified to make that call.

Period.

Now if the equipment has?mechanical problems that are a safety hazard then it's up to the company / owner to have it repaired to the safety standards we?all must adhere to.

As the driver that IS yoyr call. If it ain't safe , refuse to move it.

If it's just broken down , and the owner refuses to have it repaired tgen , especially if it's on the side of the road , a phone call to the state police would be in order.

Let the authorities handle that part

But never leave one. That's as bad as a roll-over or DWI on yoyr record.

Just my view.

 

Quit and abandoned the truck in New Jersey back in the mid eighties.
Company was a pos, Direct Transit.
Took a bus home.
Went to the yard to fetch my truck and someone had stolen my wheels. I extracted my revenge ten fold.
Wouldn't hesitate to do it today if the situation warranted. The stories I hear today are worse.
Today I'd strip and sell parts first.
My 2 cents.

 

Did the same. Jersey Truck Center, company was TransAmerican. Told them I needed to get home for a funeral, after being out 2 weeks, and no sign of getting home.

 

Abandoned mine at xmas last year, finally got talked into getting back Into it late February by the boss...
Then abandoned it again out in the yard middle august,... after taking the decals and satt out....
The boss says I have to go back to work so I have new decals coming this week...... I may make it to xmas again without abandoning it again..

 

Back in 1994 I gave Millis their truck back. Actually I left it at the Weedsport yard, but because I didn't bring it back to Black River Falls they charge me with abandonment. If I only knew then what I know now....

 

As a person who has their own trucking company and is looking to hire, I have to agree with your reasoning. Your previous employer sounds like a real ###. Im sorry this happened to you!