No APU, 5 minute idle, 90+ degrees - is this legal?

Wow your company sure is tough i guess thats 1 of thing you got to check on what kind of trucks you will be assigned before you start with them all our company trucks had either auxilary motors or were allowed idle freely.

 

Usually I agree with most of the old timers and I enjoy hearing the stories of how things used to be, and I try to shut up and listen and learn when they speak................

But this issue is like comparing apples to oranges IMHO, back before AC you could leave your windows down or even prop your door open and relax in relative comfort knowing that you and your belongings would be safe.

This is 2011, there are WAY TOO MANY crackheads running around to even think about sleeping with your windows down!

I am a heavy sleeper, some crackhead could be standing over me in my sleeper and I probably wouldn't have heard him break into my truck, so thankfully I work for a company that doesn't care how much I idle!

For those of you saying that a driver should just move on to another company, again things are different now than when you started driving, it's not that simple for a rookie who lives in Florida like me! It took me 2 years to find a good company to work for so while my advice would be to definately look for a better company, it may not be feasable for awhile.

For any owner who complains about idling I would say this.........go park your car in the ghetto and sleep with the windows rolled down!

 

This is how I see it., If all drivers would stick together things would change
As we all know that won`t happen. this has become a me me me nation.
Years ago companies took care of the enployee. The owners knew that without good people the company wound not make money.

Now with all the me me me company owners know that for every employee they have there is 100 more wanting that job. They will all but kill to get it.
It is not that we as employees care how the big wiggs spend their money.
( key words their money) . It is the fact that they ( the management ) want
the employee to show them respect and care about their equipment, costs, and everything. But they could care less if we live or die.

My point is with out the employee doing the work no money is comming in
that means no one gets paid that means no company.

this forum shows just how bad things have gotten. People hate people and will not work together for the good of all not just the one.

 

While I agree with the things you've said... many years ago, trucks (generally speaking) didn't abuse their equipment, leave the inside of a truck resembling a biological waste recepticle, or leave trucks/loads abandoned.

To some degree, we've done it to ourselves by allowing shallow end of the gene pool type people to run the trucks, beat them up, and instead of getting invoolved and big-brothering someone, we say it's none of our business, not our responsibility, and we look the other way.

I feel that until "we" can step up and call someone's BS or equipment abuse, it'll continue to get worse... I've made a few of those point-outs, but I still don't thump my chest on here and talk about how bad company owners are.

After you've bought a new group of trucks (say 10-12) for your fleet, and a couple months later they're trashed, half-wrecked, and smell like feet and arse inside, and Stanley Steemer on his best day couldn't get the thing clean... I'd say I'd be pretty jaded against drivers, too.

 

wasnt there some crackerjax running around with ether and spraying into the vents a couple years ago?

 

On a related note, I've gotten back into the towing business (part-time) after a 4 year break. I did repos, private party impounds, police tows, and auto club work from 1994 on, until 2007.. all part-time, but a LOT of hours.

There are attached items on most tow trucks like tow lights (and their cords), tire straps, ratchets, safety chains, etc... and when I started, all the way up to working in PA in 2007, if something was damaged, you immediately reported it to the boss, explained the scenario, he got pissed, ordered a new one, and if you broke too many light cords or ratchets, he fired you.

I started towing here in Texas, and found out quickly that the wheel lift trucks and flatbeds didn't have straps, chains and tow lights on them... I asked about it, and the boss clearly stated... "Oh, we get that stuff for you, take it out of your check, and each driver takes it home with him at the end of the shift".

So.. $400 in equipment later, after paying $350 for my Texas tow license (after testing)... because the employers got sick of paying for these things and having drivers bolt on them... I'm towing.

See the resemblance? In the trucking industry, I think it won't be long, at our present rate, until we have to drop a $2500 damage deposit on a truck before we can drive it.

 

What's that about?

 

If it wasn't for ether I'd never get a date.

 

If an owner has no respect for you as a driver why in the hell would you work for them??????



Ronin I remember a time when if a driver screwed up and bent something he would take it off and straighten it, buy a new one, or at least take it off so his truck didn't look like a ppile of crap.

Now they will stand there and laugh about how stupid their dispatcher is to send them somewhere they had to break the $120,000 vehicle "just to get into the dock". Laugh about it and parade the aftermath showing no remorse!!!

It isn't even my truck, or my company and I want to straighten it out with their head. I can only imagine what the owner feels like.

Heck I trust some kids with commercial lawn mowers worth $5000 and have to stop myself from snatching them up when I see a new scratch, dent, loose belt, hear a squeek from lack of grease.

 

When you have 100 to 1 fighting for your job you get the crap not the cream. That is in any company.
As far as trucking you all see it here no one or most will not stand together and tell the people that wreck things to stop or there will be hell to pay.
As seen on this forum many drivers jump all over the ones that try to.
Saying it is none of your business leave him / her alone. Well it is our business we should get treated better, paid more, and get the all the goodies out there.

There is a few bad apples when it comes to drivers that is a fact.
There is also a lot of bad apples in management.
I for one feel if I am doing the job right and keeping the equipment clean,
up to date on inspections, and making the company money.
They in return should get me., Home when I ask, good equipment with all the things to make life better on the road, and the pay for doing it right.
then they can keep the good drivers and get rid of the crap.there company will grow and make lots of money with less to pay out in repairs,training,insurance, lost loads ect.
Just remember it is not just the driver that has made things the way they are.