How many have tried to help other O/O when broke down

The problem starts with the conversion of our public school systems into politically correct college prep programs. Kids that can't cut the academics just drop out. Occupational education is all but gone. They no longer teach problem solving. I'm not talking about get a wrench out every time problem solving. Actually assessing a situation and make a call on whether you can spend a little time to save more, or just call road service and spend a few $$$ to get going quicker, earning that back and then some. They teach the basic skills but do not spend a lot of time on the practical use of those things.

The fact that the younger generation tend to have zero mechanical aptitude is a product of this as well. My Dad showed me (made me do) a lot of mechanical and fabrication stuff when I was young that set me up to be pretty self sufficient. They had shop classes when he went to high school around 1960. My school closed the shop classes about the time I graduated in '82. I never took shop in school, so thanks Dad. Now, a generation later, you have boys growing up in households led by men that also have zero mechanical aptitude. This is why most new drivers have only one tool in their truck, a cell phone.

Those same schools have also done a great job of teaching kids not to accept responsibility for anything. A failure is not a failure as long as it's someone or something else's fault. So that driver will sit there for hours waiting on road service and never feel the sting of their own failure to pry their fat butt out of the seat and fix a simple breakdown. At the end of the week when they get short pay for sitting all that time, not a wink of sleep is lost over their own bad decision as their own incompetence blinds them to the truth. Instead it's all that slow road service's fault I'm broke.

My son (step son actually, he was 13 when I met his Mom) was on track to be that way until I came along. His biological Dad had some skills but was a Richard about showing him anything and really didn't want to be bothered with it. With me now, he saw what I did in the garage with cars and bikes and gained an interest. I show him anything he wants to learn more about. At 31, he is now the go to guy in his low-rider car club for doing hydraulic fabrication. I told him he needs to start charging for that so he can replace my worn out welding equipment. LOL not really. The car club guys are cool and worth it. When his truck breaks down, he knows when he calls me my first question is always going to be: what do you think you need to do? More or less put the problem solving back on him, then he takes credit for the solution and gains the pride and confidence to solve the next one without calling. That's the stuff that isn't happening so much any more with the latest generation of drivers.

 

I usually have guys come up and ask to borrow tools. They always say "I knew a flatbedder would have [insert tool here]".

I even had a guy ask if I had a saw. And ya know what? I pulled out my bow saw and let him borrow it! Who else carries a saw?

 

I carried a small bow saw when I was pulling a flatbed. You never know when you'll have to trim some dunnage, or strategically remove tree limbs from a parking spot.

 

I help when and where I can. I pulled a guy that ran out of fuel thru an intersection he was blocking and in too the fuel island. Saved him a tow and a ticket. Tried to pay me, I refused. Only payment I want is for him to return the favor to someone. Need to get over the, every man for himself, mentality.

 

I try to help when I'm able to, but I'm running around in a four wheeler... even though I carry some tools in my vehicle, there isn't a whole lot I can do other than help diagnose the problem. Although I did help a guy get back up and running when the cause of his problem turned out to be a loose ground. Helped a guy replace his brake chamber at the Iowa 80 when I was running OTR. He was a lease op with CRST Malone (I was running for a small fleet owner leased to them). I didn't really expect anything for it, but he insisted on buying me dinner. If I had to rate anything as my "biggest" accomplishment as far as this goes, it was for a company driver, not an O/O. I took a couple days off from my company (road builder in North Carolina) so I could run an Arrow driver who got stuck at the TA in Greensboro back to his home in Alabama. I'm sure he hated my music, but was willing to put up with it, given the circumstances.

 

I pulled into a terminal with a fly swatter, screaming get your paws off my truck! The trailer is yours, this Tractor is mine. I am required to pull into this barn. I don't like to, but leave my truck alone. Molest the trailer all you want. The right front inside tire is low by 39 lbs. Get, get, get. LOL.

 

That's funny, Don't care who you drive for.

 

Have the DEWALT 18 VOLT CORDLESS SAWZALLS in all our trucks with variety of blades

 

LOL so true. thanks for the laugh.

 

I take it by your defensiveness the answer my question is no. The way I read your post it sounded like you had learned something new when the road service mechanic used alcohol to thaw your air lines. Going with the theme of what was being discussed in this thread I was curious if you planned to handle it yourself next time, or pay someone to pour half of a $4 bottle of alcohol in your air line. Personally I consider a spare fuel filter, and a bottle of isopropyl alcohol to be necessary items for every truck during the winter months. I don't see what relevance your being an O/O has. An unprepared O/O is just as bad maybe even worse than a unprepared driver. To answer your question I have been a O/O for almost 16 years.