unpaid down time ??

I hear ya PackRat,
The last Volvo I drove never asked for a parked regen in about a year that I drove it.
So many sensors on these DPF systems that screw up....Just a pain man!

 

My appologies driver. I meant no disrespect. I just assume people must be aware that companies are allowing us to use their $100k+ equipment and paying us to operate said equipment. If we're not operating, we're not doing the job they are paying us for.

Have you tried asking for another rig while yours is in the shop? Granted if your at a non-company repair center this obviously isn't an option...but If the repairs are at a company terminal there's usually plenty of unoccupied rigs about.

Not only will this get you back on the clock, but show your FM/Dispatcher that you're a go-getter.

Again, no disrepect intended but you hopefully understand that Its very difficult to convey emotions through text only. If we were having this conversation in person you would probably have chuckled at my demeanor.
Stay safe.

 

This is the second winter in this truck and it's not called for a parked regen or had warnings about SCR performance. I think old #246 was jinxed because it's still throwing codes for the emissions system.

 

That situation is not analogous to most truck drivers but rather the trucking company themselves. In your analogy the one carryng the bag was the contractor, the business man, the operator, and the labor. In your analogy, the person that was the carrier was an owner/op not a truck driver employee. 100% responsible for the situation. His job, his contract, his back, his safety, his bullet. If he wasn't able to do the job he shouldn't have taken it.

It appears you are saying the trucking company has no responsibility in maintaining the truck. The bottom line is in every lawsuit involving maintenance, the trucking company has been found to be primarily responsible for maintenance issues. Now they can blame the driver, like they always try to, but the trucking company are the ones taking it in the wallet.

There is nothing preventing a trucking company from checking out a truck at any time. That is the trucking companies responsibility. Now logistically that may not make sense when it is halfway across the country but you find that many trucking companies pay little to no effort to check there stuff out when it is sitting right in their own yard.

The pre-trip and post-trip was never intended to be a maintenance routine. Now many companies use it as there only maintenance short of the required annual. The pre/post-trip was only meant as a fail-safe, a double check if you will, to provide a second set of eyes on the lookout for unsafe equipment on the road. Most breakdown issues cannot not be found in a pre/post-trip. It is just a safety check.

 

I never said that. Considering the trucking companies are the ones actually PERFORMING the maintenance itself...that's a silly notion.

According to the FMCSA...that's absolutely what it is.
See https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/regulations/title49/section/396.11 and
https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/regulations/title49/section/396.13

I'm inclined to agree with you here. Most break-down issues are typically discovered while actually driving & simply ignored due to drivers wanting to stay on the road (clock) for as long as possible. Then they have to deal with reality. The carrier isn't getting paid...yet the driver still expects to be.

I don't have a dog in this fight, just calling it as I see it. People wanting something for nothing. Does the Carrier require you to actually do anything while your rig is in the shop? If so, then you should be paid. If not...

 

If I'm sitting in the shop because thier truck is broke down I get paid for my time. Last time I broke down they sent a tow truck 250 miles with a rental. I think of it like this. If the computer goes down at the office they still get paid. If they can do something else they do. However If they dont want to pay me to sit rent me a truck or a car. I'll drive back to the plant and sweep. What is everybody going to do when they can't cheat their logs anymore and are on duty and their clock runs out because of breakdowns. If I'm on duty. I get paid.

 

I would be more inclined to agree with with you, if the pay was more representitive of the sacrafice of being otr. I know i know, "lifestyle" heat, kitchen, getting out... but there are more jobs than there are "lifestyle truckers" i get the wheels aint turnin argument, and i actualy agree with it. But theres that pesky not being home for weeks at a a time, followed by 36 hours at home....

 

Perhaps a better analogy would be you're a factory worker. The machine that assists you in making whatever breaks down & your employer tells you it's gonna be 10 hours before the machine is repaired. Your not required to hang out at work while the machine is repaired, would you expect to be paid all the same? If you're doing something else that's conducive to the company...absolutely! If you're guaranteed 40hrs per week (or 2000 miles whichever the case may be) then you also have every reason to expect to be paid.

If you're not guaranteed the hours (miles) before signing on, and decide to sit on your duff in the lobby watching Netflix on your phone....why would you expect to be paid while the machine that you're specifically paid to operate is being fixed?

 

But you would have to add, the equipment is in a location that once traveled to, you cant leave untill the job is done. And when asked about breakdowns of equip. The response is "rare, and we have accounts..."

 

Honestly, that's one of the craziest things I've ever read. So you think being stuck in one of those tiny little repair shop waiting rooms for hours (sometimes days) is doing nothing?

I'm not one to get into flame wars on the Internet, I hope that's at least clear by now. So I mean this with the utmost respect, but how long have you been a driver? Again, I'm just trying to get an idea on your mindset here. Because while I respect the heck out of you for being a driver, I couldn't disagree with you more on this one topic.