Driver responsibility with the cleanliness of issued trucks?

Funny, I use to ask my friends why they would wipe off thier bike when we stop. They would usually respond with they did not want a dirty bike. I would always tell them that they are just rubbing dirt atound, but they never listened. Guess who was having to get stuff re-chromed and re-painted all the time

 

I was pulling for a small company that ran mostly down to Florida. We started pulling freight out west. My company sent me to load in Calhoun, Ga one Monday morning. Shipper imforms me that the load will be ready by afternoon. I bobtail out and find a cute waitress to flirt with.

Early afternoon, I get a call telling me that the load is ready. I go back, get hooked up and call the receiver in Denver asking what time they wanted the load. They say yesterday. I tell them I will be there tommorrow. They ask where am I at at present. I tell them Calhoun. They tell me no way. I tell them that $300 cash could get that load to them by noon and they say "Done! Call us when you hit the Colorado line."

The truck I was driving had one of those old 60 series 500 Detroits...one of them with the screaming turbos that would wreck your hearing. The ear piercing turbo would give you a splitting headache, but the truck would run like there was no tommorrow AND would get 8.5 MPG!!! Awesome!

The first time I stopped is at the TA across the bigroad from the Petro in OakGrove, Mo (exit 29?) for a splash and dash and next stop was Denver. Made the drop, got my $300, and caught a nap while they unloaded me. Went over to Sapp Brothers for a porno and food with cholesterol. My company gave me the number to a broker that had a load for me. Got a load of potatoes out of Alamosa Wednesday morning and Thursday morning, I was sitting in Florida with another $300 in hand. Friday morning, I was sitting in Detroit, Friday night, I was back at the house with $900 in hand and had not even got my paycheck yet.

I did this run for almost a year. And like all good things in life, they come to a sudden end. Took a 3 day vacation, and the owner's daughter had some friends come over and she gave my truck to them. My gear they loaded in a box. I was offered a choice on one of the other trucks, but I declined. I quit driving.
The brokers out in Colorado would call me and tell me to go to the nearest Kenworth dealer, pick out the truck I wanted and to drive for them, but at that time, I didnt ever want to drive someone else's truck again.

 

That is a cool story with a not so happy ending. I know how it feels to have your truck taken while on vacation. The same thing happened to me when I went to see my grandfather in the hospital. Hell, he took my truck and my job. There is not much loyalty out there in the trucking business I have found.

 

In this industry slip seating is the norm. Theres nothing we can do but prepare for it by removing all our belongings from our home and hope for the best.

KH

 

And that is a shame. That is why I want to keep a good driver when I find one. I do not want them to have another employer on speed dial becuase he or she thinks I will take their job at any given time.

 

Longest run for me was a load of apples, that was delayed by snow on the Sisqous (sp) in Washington. I-90 was closed, I-70 & 80 was iffy, so I ran south to I-40 & 44 to get over to N.J. being worried about rotten fruit behind me. I made it in 36 hours, vowing never to stay awake that long again. I never did.
Sleeping in N.J. was unnerving, to say the least, as a rig was being stolen every day up there.

 

I hope to never have to do that. I enjoy my sleep too much.

 

My friend own two trucks and allows his other driver to take vacation when needed as hes been a money maker for him. He runs legal, takes care of his truck; he even added wooden cabinets to his truck with my friends permission. In all, my friend treats him good and that Freightliner he owns has never broken down because of that driver.

Drivers should treat their issued equipment as if they owned it. No if's and's or or's. In the end it pays off.

KH

 

That is very true. Getting that through to some drivers is not that easy though. By the time most compaines go through several worthelss drivers before they find one worth keeping, the worthless ones destroyed the truck so the one worth keeping will not stay.

 

Only the norm for a crap company.

I roadrace and rent tracks around the country. I've taken off 3 weeks at other companies and not only kept my truck, but it stayed at my house.