How many maintenance issues is too much?

Unless you see a solution in the near future I think you should look for a different job.
Bad trailers are a symptom of bad management, pure and simple. If the company wanted to get their trailers fixed they would have done it by now.
There are always drivers dumb enough to pull any piece of garbage they can hook to. Glad to see that you're not one of them. You deserve better.
We all deserve better.

 

1 in 3? Are they hiring???? Today I got to work at 2 am, plenty of time to make it to my first stop by 6 am. First I had to pull the mudflap bracket loose and try to bend it back up, then I aired up the tire on the right rear inside holding 28 lbs of air back to 100 psi. Amazingly, all the lights worked, the DOT inspection was current and the brakes were still in adjustment.

Then I stopped by the Love’s, spent $21.39 on a new mudflap which I will be reimbursed for, got my ratchets out and fixed it. Got to work early, and was 45 mins late to my first stop. Typical day in trucking. What makes it even better is the note on the board in the office reminding people to pre and post trip trailers and not drop them with issues. But I am sure the mudflap fell off and the tire went flat after it was dropped. Who knows, maybe tomorrow I will replace a door chain, re-wire a marker light pigtail, etc.

In this industry very few people carry tools or have any pride or desire to fix things, so get used to it my friend.

 

One other note. I get a minimum of one hour on the clock from my dispatcher when I fix something and document it. Airing up a tire is worth the money when it takes ten mins at best. Adjusting brakes takes a few mins, mudflap takes a few, so it’s worth it to me. I used to do it for free, those days are long gone. Get an air hose, ratchet set, jack some trailer lights and a spare mudflap from your shop, glad hand seals etc.

That 2 hrs you lost at the truck stop is avoided and you make money instead if you show the initiative at my job.

 

One of the reasons causing me to leave May, last straw was I had load with lots of time in the wagon, took my off duty in Albuquerque, they had me switch out with a driver heading to Denver on a load with just enough time to get it there. Unfortunately the tires on axle 4 left , well one had flat spots down past the casing the other was very low on air, I made them buy tires before I would hook to it, long and short they took my safety bonus because they (in Salem Or) did think it need tires, but this delay caused me to me late on the load. So it is , yes a common problem.

 

When the maintenance issues cost you the driver money out of your pocket, then its too much, even once.

 

Every truck has some issues. Many issues will cost a driver money on down time. That's just a fact in trucking.

 

Worked for a Mickey mouse outfit once that didn't wanna fix anything.finally told them I was gonna quit doing inspection and just use the free complimentary inspections offered by those nice fellas at the scales...stuff got fixed quickly after that...lol

 

My very first day in the blacktop, involved a Mack 500 Superliner that had some trouble.

Previous driver stabbed employer in the back with certain OOS to DOT.

I was handed a box of bearings this big, a lug nut remover from hell and asked to get those dauls off. Axles too.

Old bearings come out. New bearings go in.

when the sun went down we had it done. Boss gave me keys, were going to dinner meet and greet.

The people did good.

 

It doesn't help that they have a contract to haul trailers from a mega. Those are the worst ones.