Busted up trailers...

Well, when you pick up a faulty trailer go to the fine shop facilities of Pumpkin Land and have it fixed before loading. When the building full of dispatchers fall on your head, blame it on the previous driver, you cannot help but turn in a faulty pretrip report that requires repair.

Nothing, absolutely nothing will be done until the Owners in the top floor of the ivory tower start to feel the pinch of a few million in checks being cut for trailer fix this fix that fix fix fix. Then maybe they will do a sweep and fire everyone who turned in damaged trailers without having them fixed.

That's right. When you turn in something that's damaged without fixing it, you are part of the problem. (Not necessarily the OP personally but in general to the Industry)

 

Put that small flame of that spirit into a box and keep it remembering in some corner of your mind. If you keep fixing trailers and plug along, something will turn up one day not too far into the future that you will absolutely take charge of. It happened to us when we picked up a McKesson medicine load of high value and within that year we were running for them directly. Im very pleased and happy we did some of that. Should have done it 30 years ago. But no. Life is not like that sometimes.

 

I used to haul US Postal trailers around the NY City area. I gave up waiting around to have them fixed. They were just horrible. I carried my own set of magnetic tail lights, and I would air up flats in the parking lot, and just roll with them in the middle of the night. :-0 Once delivered, I'd hand in the repair sheet. And watch it go into the trash bin when they thought I wasn't looking.

 

That's pretty much every carrier that doesnt have onsite mechanics to keep an eye on the equipment.. My last chemical company had less than 30 trucks and anytime I had to do a drop and hook, It made me squirm.

My current company has 11 drivers and I'm the only guy with a tire gauge and a gladhand airline. I'm also the only guy who pretrips beyond thumping a tire. Its frustrating and beyond annoying

 

It's not just big orange, it's a national issue. I ran for FedEx ground for 5 years, and I was amazed at the faulty trailers that were on the road, especially doubles. From bad or flat tires, to lights to dolly air leaks or bad light cords. Many don't even crank the trailer dolly's, just run them an inch or so off the ground. And then don't even write it up, just drop it and let it be someone else's problem. The procedure was very simple, red tag it, (I carried tags with me) write it up and drop the paper with the bills. Yard jockeys would put the trailer to the dock, and when it was empty would take it to the shop. Of course, you actually do have to at least do a walkaround!!! I've watched way too many guys hook and go. The shop knew me by my first name! At least once a week I was in there. I've seen guys in there several nights in a row with only one headlight, great pre-trip driver!

 

Same thing at QC imho too many lease purchase OO that are only worried about this months payment.

 

Welcome to schneider. Lol

 

The thing is as drivers we are only worried about the next load and delivering it, but when dot stop us and give us points we throw a fit because they are going their job and we aren't doing ours... write it up, if they dont have another trailer Available guess who is getting detention pay for your mistake? me!!!