Tools

Honestly no one cares Rancid. Go be a mechanic then. Cause you cut finger off or get hurt TRYING to play Mr. Fix It you not only will get fired but work comp won't hire and you miss work etc..... Domino affect. It all worth it to get pat on back saying good job??? I don't think so. Only impressing yourself trying to work on a company truck. Now if you own ( not lease) it I'd agree with working on it. Not when company truck. They make real good money. let them worry about fixing it.

 

Wow. Typical ####### wheel holder comment. I suppose youre the same type that would get put OOS for having brakes out of adjustment and sit there at the scale house for 3 hours waiting for somebody to come adjust them for you too right instead of taking the 5 minutes to adjust them yourself and hit the road.

With the tools has describing he's not getting very deep into what he's going to be fixing. If I had a dime for every time my dad had to play mechanic to fix a company truck to get him home I'd be a millionaire. Get off your high horse. You can get hurt opening a set of trailer doors for Christ's sake its no different than that. I don't think he's looking at it for a pat on the back. I think he actually realizes he's paid by the mile and when the wheels ain't turning he ain't earning. So why criticize him for it? Oh i forgot its because he's doing a little more than holding a steering wheel.

 

Don't bother carrying tools as a company driver. When you go to a pick/del and the trailer slider pins are stuck just call for a roadside. The customer isn't going to mind that at all. And dispatch will certainly be understanding.

When you grab that empty at 3am and discover its got a rear turn out and the ground pin disintegrates trying to change it. Just call for a road side, no worries if it makes you late and messes up the best load you got in a month. I'm sure dispatch will understand and and give you another great load.

Or....

You can use common sense and be prepared for the annoying little things. You may not get paid directly for splicing a slider service brake line in the middle of the night but having a rep for being prepared and self sufficient is never a bad thing. Just use some discretion in what you fix. Splicing a hose or light pigtail is on thing. Digging around in ECM wiring is another.

 

I don't think there are many who are dumb enough to dig around in the ECM wiring. I believe 3/4 of the people who replied thought the OP was talking about overhauling a motor on the side of the highway.

Caging brakes, adjusting brakes, slicing wiring, swapping fuel filters, replacing a power steering hose, or a supply/service line etc. Simple things is what he's talking about fixing. Seems like the main thing is you don't get paid for it let the company worry about it.

#### I spent 4 hours rewiring the pigtail on my bull rack to get the lights working right because the last idiot ripped the crap out. I never got paid a dime but I wasn't about to run a trailer with screwed up lights down the road. It makes you wonder after seeing somebody that's supposedly been out here for 4 years making comments like that. Call road service worry about workmen's comp. I suppose if you report every little scrape to workman's comp youd have a problem. Hell I've cut my finger open tugging slacks. I suppose the company is going to fire me for that. I should've used a screw driver instead of pulling with just gloves.

 

i gotta agree with 379 here. i have fixed a few things instead of wating on service

 

I admit I get a little radical over this crap at times. But give me a break. I sit here and listen to how people don't make any friecken money and then I see all kinds of posts in a forum about no don't touch a company truck to get it fixed call road service. Average road service call takes anywhere from 1-3 hours to get there plus the time to fix the problem. If it's major yes I can understand it but if it's simple screw that fix it and hit the road. Don't complain about how much money you make if you're sitting on the side of the road because you don't want to get your hands dirty. If you don't have the knowledge to fix it I can understand. But our job as truck drivers is NOT to just sit behind a wheel open swing doors and shift gears. We have to be problem solvers as well and sometimes that means busting out the tools and working on a truck to get moving again. just my .02

 

We're on the same page here. If you can fix it then fix it. If you think it will mess up your manicure then call for roadside. After that you can sign on TTR and complain about not getting miles and tiny checks.

 

that is so true there keith, a mud flap (on my truck/tlr) is a 10 or 11 MM socket and a pair of pliers(to hold nut) 5-10 min and i have the old one off and new one on. time i have had to recut a mud flap(cut new holes) so it would work. would rather do that then wait 2 hours for someone else to do the same job

 

Whatever blows ur and his fancy. You get hurt don't be whining on here about getting fired or work comp not paying etc...... And yes I am a steering wheel holder. (Not really) But I became a truck driver to drive. NOT to be a lumper or mechanic. Pat you on back for playing Mr. Fix it cause your only satisfying yourself. Besides in all my years I haven't had to fix more than a headlight. So but better equipment and we wouldn't be talking about this. GL with that Shaker. LOL