Odd Reasons for a Load Refusal

reminds me of restacking and cleaning up 6 pallets of beer cans. I never want to see busch light cans/cases again. same goes for Coors.

 

I've had a couple loads that were screwed up due to various reasons. One was refused because the pumpkins that I brought up from Newcomerstown, OH were too large. I spent a couple hours waiting for the grocery dc inpector in Lansing, MI to go through every pallet and count the pumpkins. This was last year at Holloween. I even helped her count the darn things. Then she rejected the load because the pumkins were too big. After they were reloaded I took the trailer over to Grand Rapids to the yard because it was my weekend off. Monday morning I took the pumpkins back to Newcomerstown to the farmer. My next paycheck I looked to see if I was paid for either delivery. No. The carrier I was working for was called Halo Transportation LLC of Kentwood, MI. Should be renamed Bosnian Scammers Transport.
Another load I had started as a repower from the yard in Grand Rapids. The driver that brought it there told me it was overweight on the trailer tandems. He'd dodged every scale from the origin point in Watkins Glen (US Salt) to GR. I said well why didn't you slide 'em? Can't because the brakes on trailer won't hold. That's where I should have refused the load. I tried to but the carrier insisted I take the load down to Indiana Sugar in Gary and just dodge the scales. I tried to slide the tandems by chocking but they wouldn't move. Brakes were smoked on trailer. So I managed to get down there and deliver w/o going thru scales. Delivery was late because I had to take the long way and nobody was happy about that.
So then I picked up a load of astro foam insulation from Pregis Corp in Indiana, I believe it was in Plymouth, IN. That delivered in OK on a 2 drop. That was fine because load was light. I reminded dispatch (Sado, yeah that's his handle) I needed a light load because I had no trailer brakes. What does he get me? 40k plus load of canned baked beans to take to Webberville, MI to another grocery dc. Looking back on it I screwed up and didn't slide the tandems before getting it loaded. I managed to chock it after it was loaded, slid the tandems and got it to scale legal. That was fun driving up through Fayetteville, AR and the Ozark hills there w/ no trailer brakes. I was fit to be tied. That century class s/t doesn't even have a working jake. When I opened the doors at the delivery docks cans of beans came rolling out. After we got it up to docks I saw the devastation. The shaking I'd given it trying to slide the tandems had broken up many of the pallets and loose cans were everywhere. The lumpers quoted me $400 to unload and re-palletize it. After we were done probably six or seven hrs. later they said it should have been $800. I had to help they were going so slow. Probably half the load had come apart and we had to restack thousands of those cans. I delivered trailer to repair shop down off Burton there by Sweet Express to get brakes fixed. It was snowing. I resolved to quit and did refuse to run for them on Monday. I sent in my bills and receipts via registered mail. I did get paid but wasnt reimbursed for the lumpers fee $400 and was not paid for my mileage from Van Buren, AR to Webberville, MI (the load of beans.) Tough lessons to learn for a newb. Don't drive for scam bottom feeding outfits. It was my first OTR job. Working now on getting another one.

 

When I started out, I was flatbedding a load of bees. Load was refused because receivers were all allergic. Had to wait for the ONLY guy that worked there that wasn't allergic to get back from vacation on Monday to unload...

 

When a professional( chuckles while typing) so called "driver" comes on this site and tells the world he pulled a trailer with two different loads and destinations without trailer brakes in good working order SOMETHING IS DEFINITELY AND COMPLETELY WRONG. How in the world could you possibly even consider doing something that idiotic and dangerous to the public as well as yourself?
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Guys
Please remember to keep it friendly!!!!!

 

I said I shouldn't have done it. And I won't do it again. What do you want?

 

To ask a mechanic how self adjusting brakes self adjust! Or how to adjust old style brakes!! When it come to safety there is NO dumb question!

TIP:
Self adjusting brakes do so WITH BRAKE PRESSURE! There are O/o's and L/P and many company drivers that think that trailer brake handle (trolley handle) is for stopping so they don't "wear out their tractor brakes! Cheap arsed morons is what they are!

The self adjusting trailer brakes work ONLY when 30 pounds of air pressure is applied to the system. NOW this doesn't mean you run up to a stop and then stand on the brakes as then you are just burning up the braes!

Come up to the stop and just before the truck is stopped as in doing 2-3 MPH put on your brakes WITH THE FLOOR PEDAL. (you're adjusting both truck and trailer with the foot pedal). Watch the air application guage if you have one and let it go above 30 + pounds per inch and release. Roll a foot up and do it again until you can FEEL them start to go into adjustment! And you will, I've been doing it for years once a mechanic explained how they actually operated! You do NOT do a manual adjustment yourself. Let a shop do that as you CAN screw the caliper up. Each brand has a different way they are adjusted.

The BEST time to do this is when you hook to a trailer.Just pull forward a few times and do the adjustment and then in reverse as some work differently!
YOU WILL NOT WEAR OUT YOUR BRAKES DOING THIS ! You are NOT generating heat in this scenario like a rolling stop!

Your daily driving is what will tell you how many time a day to do an adjustment.
City several times a day to keep them in adjustment as stop and go does wear the brakes down and you NEED them in adjustment.

Road: as you feel fit according to how much you were on the brakes.

This is also a good time like during your PTI to do as you do need to check your emergency brakes and warning horn so once a day while stetting is only helping you to be safer and avoiding DOT fines as there are way to many drivers who neglect this one PTI necessity!

Another tip: Sliding tandems: Those brakes are all you need to slide them. if you need to "chock" the tandems them you need brakes adjusted PERIOD!
With the exception of rusted and or dirty rails. If they don't want ot sldie then go find a water hose and wet the rails down and they'll slide fine. Stay away from using stuff like WD 40 and other oils as they just let more dirt get stuck between the rails making them hard to slide. Plus it's a waste of money.

You did bring up the point about sliding while empty. That's the best thing you can do! Slide them all the way both ways. Ths will loosen them up if there is rust or dirt. I always set them aty the 6-7 hole or whereever you're at due to a bridge law. If I KNOW it's going to be a heavy load and I'm live loading I leave the pin unlocked especially if I noticed that the trailer is out of alignment (Dog tracking to either side) as that's a good idea that it's NOT going to slide very well! The truck and trailer will not go rolling around unless Dale JR is driving the fork lift!

Yes you are a nebie but never assume that a PTI and DOT reportable problem can't be fixed. EVER! Brakes are easy just be sure to get more than 1 opinion! And there is always the manufacture or a shop a phone call away!

ALWAYS CYA with a Qualcomm or other means of communications to your company and communicate the problem. They can NOT delete these messages from Qualcomms or the other servers! They "can" delete them form theirs BUT if this bottom feeder has half of a brain cell working in the IT and Legal department they wont as it's THEIR CYA system also and deleting stuff that's probably already made it to the backup system is not a dispatchers job!
Telephone conservations are different. Use your cell record or get a "dispatch buster" tape recorder at your local truck stop. Yes it's legal as you're not suing them you're CYA and only one person needs to know it 's recording, YOU!

Hope these little tips helped!
Rollover

 

Thanks much for that advice and info Rollover. It's why I posted this story because I was hoping to get advice on how I should have handled this. I told the dispatcher (Sado J) on the phone repeatedly that the brakes were not working. He ignored me and every time I mentioned it he acted surprised (faking it.) These guys (him and his brother Adi) were an absolute nightmare to work for, especially for a new operator like me. I'm interviewing later today for a local job hauling farm supplies on a straight truck and looking to pick up experience that's needed to be a safe and efficient driver. Thanks again.

 

Sorry, Baack. Will observe that convention in future.

 

why did they work there?