Mirror broke company is in the wrong: need serious help

Now mind you this is my 4th week with the company, and going otr for the first time ever but I’ve drove local for a few months prior. Monday morning I was driving, and due to high winds, a roadsign in a work zone came into the roadway, and ripped off my passenger side mirror. I pulled over at the nearest stop, and reported the incident to to my dm, accidents, police and safety.

The next morning came, and my dm, safety, and breakdown, said the nearest mirror I could get was 200 miles away, and that it was d.o.t legal since I had a hood mirror. Now I’ve driven for long enough locally to know this just isn’t true, because I cannot see my trailer or safely change lanes. I was then told I was required to drive 200 miles to the nearest t/a because all the departments I called all said it was d.o.t safe “which it isn’t” even though I said specifically i was uncomfortable did not want to do it, and felt unsafe, and to send someone to me.

Moral of the story I was forced to drive 200 miles with no side mirror because they refused to send anyone to help. It was practically a straight shot , so I stayed in the right lane, and was just going off my hood mirror. I finally get here, to then be told that they never had the part to begin with…. So I speak to my dm who says I need to drive another 2 hours to get the part at a terminal … and this is when I stand my ground , i firmly said I will not drive the vehicle I do not feel safe putting my life and passenger car lives in danger, when switching lanes, to only hear back “get there by the morning or else “ now I’m sitting in my truck unsure of what to do, do I drive the 100 miles, forcibly risk my license, and the lives of myself and others, or get fired with the chance of them labeling the truck as abandoned because I never moved due to safety?? They keep saying it’s dot legal when I know it isn’t hell in an email I even sent him the fmcsa law that said the mirror needed to see behind my truck, and the highway , to which he called and said do it anyway because technically you still have one mirror. Safety even told me I had to drive it, and that it was dot legal which I know it isn’t, and if I drive it I still might get csa points but “ I’ll befine” what should I do?

 

I would have driven it to get the part. If I was that worried I would have zip tied/ duct tape an emergency replacement mirror from a truckstop, farm store, tractor store, hardware store, Walmart, fleet pride, auto part store, salvage/towing yard just to get me to where I need to go.

 

Can't you adjust your hood mirror to be able to see beside your rock and trailer?

 

First of all this is why you don’t call you send messages over the QUALCOMM and then you take pictures of those messages. Dispatchers always want to chitchat on the phone. Over a topic like this they probably would flat out refused to send messages. They’re snakes. That said, this is the reality of OTR driving. I’ve had situation like this come up many times where there was issues with the equipment it would’ve yielded me being shut down upon inspection where I had to continue on. They don’t care simply put. But it’s kind of funny how they hold those inspections against you when there’s findings. Lol and some people wonder why truck drivers become disgruntled and want to punch the office personnel in the face.

As another poster here suggested you should’ve pulled out a MacGyver move and rigged something up. Do whatever it takes.

 

I did, thankyou guys just pulled into a truck stop bought a crappy mirror, and some zip ties, and rigged it up to atleast get me there. Macgyver would be proud I think

 

Outstanding, hang in there. I know when there’s anything wrong with my rig, it stresses me out. Be extra careful and have em take care of you at the yard.

 

I didn't think they sold mirrors wow guess I need to look lol that's good to know for in the future I guess

 

Probably no truck mirrors but a visor type vanity mirror
Not sure I would have got a police report though??

 

you are wrong, the regs says rearward viewing from the mirror and a hood mirror adjusted right will allow you to see more than your hood.

 

My question would of been how am I getting paid for all this running around.