Can you refuse a truck assignment?

Hmm. First I’m hearing of this.

 

The fleet I have info about got 20 units, so far, and getting more as they become available at the local Pete dealer.
Their order is for 300 of them new Pete.
Two of them have bad displays after the 3-4 months of use. No parts available for at least 3 weeks.
Four of them had harness issues:
ABS harness down for 30 day. No part available.
In Texas, not far from Pete plant.
Transmission harness. 3 days down in BC, Canada. Towing required.
Multiple air leaks that can't be found and fixed.
After the governor went bad and allowed the pressure to built up to 150 psi.
The safety valve saved the day, but, the whole air supply system is busted.
Air supply drops to 30 psi at a rate of around 3 psi/minute. Legal, but what a PITA.
Chassis harnesses rubbing and shorting to the ground in all kind of places.
Water infiltration in harnesses when raining hard, make a total 'Christmas tree' out of the dashboard, with fault codes galore. You need to park and tow to shop to clear codes, otherwise Pete won't restart.
You are lucky if service units bring a service tool and clear the codes roadside.
Auto transmissions stuck in 12-11-10 gear and refusing to shift, unless you force them with a roadside stop, engine OFF and using the battery kill switch to cut the power to the ECM/TCM units.
There are some more issues, but my typing finger is a little tired.
I hope I gave you a glimpse in the modern Pete 'performance'.

 

That sucks. Sounds like a nightmare.

 

I don't know what to call it.
The glimmer of hope is the iron clad contract signed by Pete dealer and the carrier.
If a truck is down for warranty related issues, the dealer has the option to replace the unit if the unit is down more than 72h.
If no replacement unit is available, then the dealer is on the hook for all related costs:
Towing, drivers accommodations, per diem and driver wages and lease payments as if the unit was running.
It's a unique contract because Pete dealer has a very long business relation with the carrier and they are treated like real valued customers.
No International or Freightliner dealer will commit like this.
The units I'm talking were L/O units.