US Express.. How bad can they get?

amen brother

 

look im still in school and i havent been on the road yet and i have respect for all drivers but do u think they even did a tug check after they hooked up.. and the dispatcher should have been fired for tellin them to go on that trip evem though there were no trailer brakes...

 

I totally agree with you all,it is the drivers responsibility at the end to check his/her equipment before moving.If the brakes are faulty GET THEM FIXED!You don't ask for permission to do so,you tell them you are doing it and get the breakdown dept on the line.That will always stop dispatch in their tracks at least with a large company like USX.I drove for the as well and I got out when they started pushing maint issues aside.

 

Let's face it...economic times are forcing companies to cut here and cut there. Many companies are choosing to skimp on the mechanical issues as part of their savings plan. Therefore, we as drivers have to be even more vigilant about proper pre-trips and simply refusing to pull faulty equipment.

I don't mind someone questioning me, as in "Are you sure you can't get it to XYZ?", because we also know some drivers will CS their way out of certain things. But if you ask me if I'm sure and I reply in the affirmative, it dang well better stop the discussion and start the repair work.

 

grimes is right, as you truck you always progress and learn how to deal with the crap a day at a time. Eventially you learn how to cover your ### and still make everyone happy. Then they take care of ya. I guess it comes with age and experience.
You always get mad, but you learn how to get over it quicker and easier. I quit about 12 times the last year in my head, lol. The next day you forget about it. I don't think a driver starts getting the whole picture until about 5 yrs on the road. But everyone is different.

 

If your truck needs fixed, get it fixed period. think of it this way, if you are involved in an accident regardless of who's at fault you will be held liable,because a good lawyer will check to see if there were any repairs that were not fixed & you drove the truck any way. So get it fixed before you drive it . Dispatchers are not in the truck, you are.

 

It doesn't matter. If something happens that requires proof, everything you or your company send on the Qualcomm is saved in at corporate for QC. Also, the DOT can get the info no problem.

Messages on your Qualcomm are considered supporting documentation of your loads, and they don't even need a court order to get the records. Your dispatcher might be able to erase what he said on HIS/HER computer, but the company is required to keep it all, and like I stated above, QC itself has the data as well. FCC regs, if I remember correctly.


As far as how the original poster could have handled the situation: Find a scale house and pull in. Go inside, tell the officer that your company said your equipment was fine, but you're not sure... could he/she come take a look? --- you'll be out of service and in the clear. How were you to know that you were going to be inspected?

 

us express.. ive driver trucks for 21 yrs, this is the worst company i found. beware..stay away.. they dont give you one of their shiny new truck parked in front of their terminals,those are for lease purchases. they gave me a 14 hr bus ticket to pickup my truck that another driver abondoned,it was filthy inside and out,no registration or insurance,a damaged right fender. they do have long haul freight,but they pay you less to do it.they love tractor supply,hagerstown md, short 100 mile loads,they get paid a premium you make about 50 dollars. they say they pay extra for hazmat loads,they dont. i left them 2 months ago,im still trying to get them to reimburse me for scales,and oil and drivers supplies,even though i sent them copies of reciepts. and dont sign any electronic signature on their computer...they dont show the top portion of what youre signing.. its company fines for anything you do wrong..speeding ticket is 150.00, scale ticket 200.00, abondoning truck 500.00 plus 1 dollar a mile. theres a big list. they dont get you home,no holiday,vacation pay..total garbage...

 

When I was driving company trucks I too ran into problems like this occasionally. When I did and the dispatcher said take the load or there would be some type of punishment, I would immediately call the safety dept. (which most companies have) and in a few minutes I would recieve a reasonable alternative from the dispatcher. Although I haven't driven company trucks in a while this is how I would handle it. Just my .02 cents.