Western Express

It's not hard

 

Playing devil's advocate here, but how do they know where you got your hard hat? Are they SURE it wasn't abused or have damaged webbing? They're covering their own butt from drivers who don't know better than to walk into things.
As for the vest, they probably want everyone to be at the same standard.

When I first started driving, I was with Swift. They required everyone to buy their padlock and kingpin lock, as well as their cheapo tool kit. I got a waiver on the tools, since I had provided my own based on their list, with higher quality stuff. I still have that expensive padlock and kingpin lock.... Only used once.lol

 

Western to a fault did supply safety vests and hard hats to drivers when they start employment, both van and flatbed divisions.

 

As they should.I have yet to find a company that doesn't issue safety stuff to drivers free of charge except boots.

 

Yup. Even though they gave me a vest I had a vest leftover from my airport job that actually fit me(getting run over by a Boeing 737 taxiing on the Tarmac can ruin a good day,lmao). Also, a lot of shippers mandate this equipment to be worn on their property at all times anyway(paper mills come to mind especially).

 

Charging the $12.50 for the gear is also quite reasonable, hard hats get expensive. I paid $20 for my vest, but I didn't get the absolute cheapest I could find, either. And I have 4 hard hats in various colors of my own, I'll be breaking out the bright orange when I need it again.

 

Wait. How the hell would the vest do anything versus a 737??? They can't see the ground anyway, thus the ground guides.... And hello, GIANT PLANE ROLLING AT YOU.......

 

Well you know the FAA rules... See and be seen.lol Even then aircraft have legal right of way anyway.

 

Now a 747 or Airbus A380 you gotta give those planes a wide berth. Lol