Charging for king pin lock?

Can be, depends on the company.

I've had to, in the past, buy a king pin lock, trailer lock, load locks, thermometer and various other items. All items are mine. Several items would have been bought back if I had chosen to turn them in when I left.

If the king pin lock is the Enforcer, it's worth the cost.

TA

 

So that's why my underbunk is full of locks that my key won't fit

 

Can I have those keys back?

 

I couldn't tell you if it's the norm... But I'll tell you this much, SNI (Schneider) does charge us for the kingpin locks they want us to use on their trailers.

The thing is solid aluminum, so the only way to get through it (that I know of) is sheer force or a torch.

I figure it's worth it. ...just don't do what most drivers seem to do and leave the lock when they leave the company. You paid for it. It's yours for good.

(By the way, they are normally 150$...so it's a pretty good deal.)

And if you leave the trucking industry for good, you can sell it on eBay or you have a really awesome conversation starter/door stop/self defense weapon.

 

The $60 isn't nearly as bad as getting that grease all over me.

 

As a one time fee it's normal for the megas.

 

wasn't back in my day, but then again, you only needed to feed and water the horses.

now he will need to get some sort of plastic container, like a Tupperware for instance, to hold all that greasy stuff in one place. wrapped up in a rag, it'll just unravel as he's driving. a cardboard box will allow the grease to eventually soak in and rip it apart.

 

It's true I feel bad for the company drivers that are forced to pay for sh** the company should provide. Straps, tarps, locks..Bunch of suckers if you ask me. What's next, paying for pallets every load?

 

although I agree the company should pay for these things, I think they make the driver pay, to put a stop to driver theft of those very same things.

years ago, drivers were selling the AM/FM radios out of the company trucks. a company that I went to work for, said I could buy one from them, or gt my own, and no matter which, they will wire it up with plugs, so that if I got another truck, it was a simple switch. all the trucks were freight shakers.

I bought a radio, and after i left them, of course I took it home. I think maybe about 3-5 years ago, I finally threw it away. it was a cheapo radio so the cost was not to worry about.

 

Last company I worked for as an employee required a body harness (fall protection, required by the mine any time we were on top of the trailer opening or closing the lids). They provided the 1st when they hired you, and it was yours. If you lost it or damaged it or for any other reason required a replacement, you could either buy another on your own or they would sell you another.

That's the way it SHOULD be with company equipment. Company provides it...and if you lose it, break it, damage it (beyond "normal" wear & tear), replacing it is on you. Want to sell the radio out of you're truck? You can ride in silence until it is discovered...and then you either replace it or you're fired. If you can't take care of what you're provided, you aren't worth keeping around.

NOBODY who works as a company driver should have to buy anything JUST to work somewhere. Hell, even I/C's cannot be forced to buy any product or service from a company as a condition of entering into the contract. That ought to apply double for employees. You should never have to dig into your own pocket to work as an employee for ANY company. Period.