Abandment ? Please help understand!

Bronco,better ck.with your company on that one. Normally any of the company terminals would be OK. But today there are some silly rules out there.

 

Regardless of which particular terminal you return it to, here are the appropriate procedures for returning a truck to a company without encountering any problems.

If you can set it up, a few days before the turn in, take the truck to a company shop and have a pm service done on it by the company's mechanics. If you have any issues with the truck, now is the time to have them fixed, or at the very least documented on the vehicle's inspection report. If they can't fix something, don't get excited, just make sure that the problem is documented, and keep a copy of the paperwork from the mechanic.

When you go to turn the truck in, remove as much of your personal stuff as you can ahead of time, and give the truck a good cleaning at home. Wipe down everything inside, vacuum, and if you can, even do the carpets and seats with a cleaning solution. You want to have to truck as clean as possible since what matters here is your personal reputation.

When you go to turn in the truck, regardless of what terminal it goes to, have someone in authority come out with you and go over the truck as you do the post trip inspection. Point out any problems, but make sure that they are things that are covered on the recent pm. This way, you are covered for being aware of them, and there is documentation that the company was also aware of the problems. Have whoever is with you sign a copy of the VIR form, and make copies of it. This is, going to be your receipt for the vehicle and any issues with it. By signing this, they acknowledge receipt of the truck, and they acknowledge the condition it was in on the day that they received it back from you. They are also acknowledging on the form that you have returned any company property that was issued to you, such as chains, binders, load locks, etc...

By doing it this way, you will have a receipt for the truck proving that you turned it in to a valid company rep, and there is no wiggle room later for them to claim that it shoud have been turned in some other way or at some other location.

Your responsibility is to return their vehicle to them in good condition. It is their responsibility to allocate trucks to various locations to handle their need for them.

 

I would return the truck to were they tell you to return it, not to were you want to return it. My experience is that they want the truck taken to a terminal were they do orientations and have a shop.

Most likely you will be on your own getting home but it is tax deductible I believe since it is work related

 

It is absolutely your responsibility to get back home from where ever you turn the truck in, which should be where ever the company tells you to return it. It is also absolutely tax deductible (any expenses incurred to return home).

 

If you leave on good terms meaning you gave notice and returned their equipment many companies will put you on another truck for the ride back to your home some will do a bus ticket but may deduct the amount from your final paycheck. They do this in the hopes of keeping the door open to your return should you find the grass wasn't greener after all.

 

Suck it up and do the bus, its your best way.

 

Bronco, these guys are shooting straight here. You should do what the poster Burky and some others have told you in other posts--take it to where the company asks you to take it. Give 'em a call and ask 'em where they want you to leave it. Don't decide for them. Yes, you will be charged for the fuel to get it back to the terminal, but it's all good. Don't leave it someplace that's convenient for you unless you're told to do that. Leaving it any ol' place is a good way to get an "abandonment" DACmark. Also, make sure to inspect it and have someone that actually matters from the company sign off on it. Take pictures, too.

Happy trails.