AC not working, is there a DOT regulation about this?

Well that truck was a mechanic service truck, so a lot of times I was stuck out in the heat (or cold) all day long without moving. It sucked but you gotta do what you gotta do to make a buck lol.

 

I hear ya, NM! If the A/C busted down making a run, I'd manage, but I wouldn't drive in the heat once I got the rig back to terminal. I did my stint in rigs that no newbie today would drive, when I was young, but I am not young anymore.

BTW, I used to race two-stroke dirt-bikes in long distance runs, (Enduro's and Hare Scrambles, mostly) but I gave that up when I turned 40 as that's just not fun anymore when you get older, and stuck in the "veterans" class, with 20-30 year old's blowing past you in the A and B classes. And I got the trophies to prove it too, as well.

 

And to simulate trying to sleep in the rig with no A/C after shutting down for the day, turn your oven on at 200 degrees for a few hours. That'll be about the same amount of heat that gets released from the engine into your sleeping compartment.

And if you're running overnights and trying to sleep during the daytime? Good luck with that.

 

I live in those "hot, humid states" and didn't turn the AC on at the house for the 8 or so years prior to the wife moving in. Yes, home to sleep pretty much every night. Most of my runs have kept me in the IL/MO/AR/TN/KY/IN region, but also run an occasional trip farther south...TX/OK/LA/AL/GA. I don't care if it's 100 degrees with 95% humidity and I have to unload a pneumatic tank on a black asphalt lot with the only shade being provided by a kiln turning over my head. Been there, done that. These days, I'm wrestling tarps and throwing straps & chains. Doesn't matter to me what I'm doing as long as it's lining my pockets. The weather is what it is, and it really isn't any better or worse than it has been at various points in history. The difference is that people have become weak. There is no reason why a healthy individual should NEED air conditioning. Do you WANT it? Sure...it is nice to have, but isn't a necessity. I think it is pathetic so many drivers crying about how they aren't going to do their job if they are even the least bit uncomfortable. Grow a pair and get to work. The LAST thing we need is for the government to step in with more mandates.

 

I wish I had A/C at home. In the summer its always 26-28C inside.

 

I think there is a major thing that you're missing, and here is a comparison that I hope will make the difference, from a DOT safety point of view, understood; The truck has a/c, but you elect not to use it. Is that a violation? The truck has lights, but you elect not to turn them on at night. Is that a violation? Of course the answer to the first is no, because a/c is not a safety device. The second is yes because lights are safety devices.

What about a radio? You can't hear weather or traffic alerts, but you are not required to have your radio on.

Personally, I would not drive someone else's truck if the a/c didn't work for more than one day, but as an owner, I understand a tire needs to be fixed, lights and brakes need to work, but I don't want the same legal requirement to fix the a/c!

 

^^^exactly.

 

Speak for yourself.... We should have the government make it a law for health & safety reasons for all drivers ... Why not have your cheap boss pay his share of the load " this isn't Welfare trucking"

 

You know, the industry claims we have a driver shortage. Having put drivers in trucks, I can speak from experience. It is hard to find decent drivers. I had to replace a seat that was not a priority to me. We had one driver who refused to drive certain places without a Jake, so that had to be fixed, although, even though I use the Jake all the time, I would drive in the mountains without one.

With a good driving record, a driver is too valuable to be treated poorly by his boss. But the DOT goes after the driver, not the owner! How many CSA points will YOU get for having an a/c that doesn't work? How many will YOU get for being put out of service? How valuable an asset are you to a company when you think the government should add more mandates on already overburdened small business?

Your boss treats you like garbage probably because you're a lousy driver!

 

.... You don't know diddly sqawt about me or how my boss treats me or anything else ... Do you Mr bean?
But I know alittle about you and the reason why you can't find a decent driver for your equipment .
Don't I ? Mr bean !
As a matter of fact I have a crystal clear MVR and consistent work history because I don't waste my time on welfare trucking outfits , I can pick and choose any trucking company I want to work for because I have learned to look hard before I leap or step into something I have no use for