Potential hazard and CSA points at risk, what should I do??

Here's my situation.

Friday afternoon I pull into a fuel island at a Pilot and as am pulling in I hear and feel the truck squealing and steering wheel becomes super hard to turn. I open my hood and confirm my suspicion. Power steering fluid leaking everywhere. Reservoir tank is barely reading any, but it appears to be leaking from the steering box (picture attached)

I call my company and they advise me to put some ATF fluid on it and to keep monitoring the level and the leak itself until I get routed to a terminal (several hundred miles away) to get the techs there to take a look at the issue.

I had twenty thousand second thoughts about it, but agreed to keep monitoring it. I buy 5 bottles of fluid and start rolling. My next stop, about 100+ miles away I had to pour about another bottle into the reservoir because I had already leaked out about that ammount.

I call maintenance and my FM and get the same advice again telling me that going somewhere else would make me sit for days (this even after making clear I don't feel this is safe), maybe weeks waiting for a part (not sure if that would sound like a remote possibility) and got routed home.

Currently home having tooooo many second thoughts regarding moving this truck monday at all.

First thing that worries me is if I get pulled in for inspection AM DEFINITELY gonna get fried and CSA points are gonna reflect on me.

To you seasoned drivers, I ask, what the hell should I do??

 

If you are going to drive it buy some lucus power steering stop leak or put in motor oil instead of ATF that is thin an will leak out faster.

 

Personally, I wouldn't have a problem driving straight to the terminal, but I wouldn't wait to be "routed in."

 

If I get pulled over and inspected or targeted at a weight station, what kind of consequences would I be facing though?

It would still be my license on the line... Would'nt it?

 

Yes, it would be on your record as a non-moving violation. You might or might not be put out of service -- your pic didn't post...

Chances of being stopped are slim, inspected slimmer. Write it up on your dvir and get it fixed expediently, but if you refuse to drive in BFE -as is your right- you'll probably be sitting unproductive for days waiting for it to be fixed and you probably won't be on your FM's nice list. Just the way of the world...

 

Just a note. You don't get CSA points. Only the company does.

 

Operating a CMV with a Power Steering Violation, the driver is issued a citation with his name on the record, including the company and dot number.

Power steering violations - 393.209

6 points Vehicle Violations (Driver Receives Points)


Level 1 – North American Standard Inspection
Examination of:


Driver's License
Driver's Daily Log
Driver and Vehicle Inspection Report
Coupling devices
Medical card
Seat belt
Brakes
Exhaust system
Frame
Fuel system
Turn signals
Brake lamps
Tail lamps
Headlamps
Lamps on projecting loads
Safe loading
Steering mechanism
Suspension
Tires
Trailer bodies
Wheels and rims
Windshield wipers
Hazmat requirements

 

Drive it to the terminal and have it fixed. It's on them.......not you. What would happen if you lost power steering altogether in a bad situation? ..... it would be on you.

 

Not sure where you pulled that out of. You don't have a clue what CSA points are and who gets them. Only the company, not the driver. This topic is like a broken record in here.

Here's a challenge. Lets see someone post their CSA points!!! They can't because there aren't any. Only a COMPANY gets CSA points!! GEEZUS!

 

any violations found during insp points are issued to both the driver and the company.