So.....whose trailer is it?

I really never thought about this, nor had an issue when something like this happened before, but now I have. I almost got into a fist fight with another company driver over this issue. The head boss refuses to reply to my email about this. Anyway.....

I drive for a small company that has a hard time sometimes finding empty trailers. They can be hard to come by at some of our yards in some big cities that have a lot of freight leaving the area. Anyway, one day I arrive at one of our terminals with an empty. I grab my power blower and clean it out as I love to arrive to shippers with a very clean trailer. I'm sitting under it, under dispatch, a few hours go by. I have to leave the next morning to go pick up a load and I get a call from the shop asking me if I can bring the truck into the shop for a quick PM. Sounds good to me, they can work on it all day if they want. So I drop my empty and then glance around the yard.....this trailer is one of only TWO empty trailers on the entire yard. So I stick my gladhand lock on the red airline so nobody runs off with my trailer. Keep in mind, in the system, the trailer is still assigned to my truck. I am only dropping it because the shop asked me to bring the truck in for maintenance.

So low and behold several hours go by and I decide to take a glance out at the trailer and someone is backing up to hook up to it. I go out there and let him know that the trailer is mine, its got my lock on it. He starts getting up in my face "What makes you think this trailer is yours?" I said "Because I brought it in, I cleaned it out and I still need it, my truck is being worked on, the only reason I'm not under it." He started yelling me and I returned the favor. He finally was smart and got back in his truck and said he would report me to the boss man. I told him be my guest. Nothing else ever came of this. I think its kinda funny he got all pissy because hes a daycab driver, paid by the hour. What does he care if he has to drive to find another empty? He gets paid for it, anyway.

I don't think I did anything wrong putting my lock on my trailer that I brought in that I needed the next morning as I was under dispatch for another load. I'm not going to bring in an empty and then have to drive 60+ miles to one of our shippers to try to find another empty trailer. Not gonna happen.

 

No way, man. There is no guarantee someone would bring in another empty. And being stuck in the shop, I had no idea how long, I would only be able to grab one after being released. Empty trailers are not that plentiful where I can confidently give up my empty trailer and know another one is coming.