FMCSA/State commercial vehicle enforcement are stupid for not letting us have windshield guards
Posted by bentstrider83@reddit | Truckers | View on Reddit | 26 comments
Not even a week and already chipped. I know locomotives have/had "ghetto guards" for their windshields to protect against debris. A fine steel mesh guard I think wouldn't totally obscure vision. My tinfoil hat theory says it's all a racket between the windshield people and the various CMV enforcement agencies.
Meanwhile companies remain equally dumb and cheap by deferring maintenance requestsđĄ
EastSideFlo@reddit
They should allow the mesh guards like the ones on some Australian trucks
bentstrider83@reddit (OP)
Australia seems so much better when it comes to their trucks. Definitely no pavement Princesses down there.
ReBearded@reddit
Yea but the 6 days of 14 hour days are a bit rough
bentstrider83@reddit (OP)
I got no life. I'm good.
coldafsteel@reddit
Exterior glass protection would significantly decrease your highway fuel economy.
bentstrider83@reddit (OP)
Not sure if your last sentence is some sort of joke or what. This was a rock thrown from the other lane. This whole sub is quickly becoming an accusatory chamber. Post a picture of something and it'll get ripped apart for some fucking thing else.
And I don't pay for the fuel. Not everyone in here is an owner operator.
DrillTheThirdHole@reddit
if you aren't paying for fuel, then you probably aren't paying for your windshield, either
bentstrider83@reddit (OP)
Regardless the truck sits and so do I when it comes for repair time. Unscheduled time off is worse than tetanus. You anticipate only two days off. You're stuck at home for a full week instead. Bills need to be paid and this company is just strict driving. If it was LTL I'd at least have the option to work the dock while my truck was being fiddled with.
One step forward and then ten steps back in trying to save money and escape from this rural dead zone.đȘŠ
DrillTheThirdHole@reddit
a windshield repair doesnt take a week, if theyre benching you for a week for that then they're punishing you for not running illegal, and that means you work for a shitty company
bentstrider83@reddit (OP)
I'm not defending it in anyway. I just have no other options in this area and moving isn't cheap, or good for my mental health. The stress of looking for another apartment in a relatively quiet and curmudgeonly area is infuriating.
I see a bunch of young people in a complex, I nope out of there. But pretty soon I'll have no other choice than to just deal with it and be the resident grouch. Get up, go to work, ignore the party people, repeat.
That's about the only positive about small town life. The two big cities closest to me, Amarillo and Lubbock, are about as crazy as I'm willing to get. Upside, more local and different types of companies there. Downside, too full of high energy people.
But that's really any city with a 100k or more people.
EastSideFlo@reddit
One full week for a windshield repair is too long, if they canât get it fixed in your two days off then youâre working for a wrong company
bentstrider83@reddit (OP)
All these downvotes again. I guess people don't like my negative and defeatist attitude this time.
This is a corny rural area and very little other trucking jobs around that pay anything. Moving is the only solution to making me want to keep giving two flying fucks about this career.
coldafsteel@reddit
The world is shitty place because if people with a ânot my problemâ attitude. Someone plays for fuel, it may nit be you, but someone does. We also shouldnât be in a race to burn oil and trash the environment. The economy needs to function, but thereâs no reason not to make be mindful of consumption and pollution.
bentstrider83@reddit (OP)
I guess I'm a shitty person then. Only way I can change that is finally leave this line of work and go into janitorial or some other non driving night job that's solitary. Been at this bullshit for 16 years now and there's no winning.
In the meantime, continue to reduce possessions and other unneeded material. Become an itinerant cleaner or something. Modern life is just too much trouble to maintain.
At least I'm too angry to be in a relationship or have kids. Makes the lifestyle of an itinerant odd-job worker more lucrative.
I wouldn't call this defeatist. I'm just taking in your words and working out an alternative that makes everyone calm.
Responsible_CDN_Duck@reddit
So the guard wouldn't have helped...
Big windshield is getting you big thinkers either way it seems.
Seriously man, gotta shake the headspace before you can't tell the light from the dark. Catch up with friends you haven't seen for a while. Try something new somewhere different even if it's just for a few hours.
bentstrider83@reddit (OP)
Nobody wants to hang out with my old broke ass.
bentstrider83@reddit (OP)
Blah blah blah.
I'm old and don't have many friends. I'll probably make more enemies by talking about things like this to them.
deadpat03@reddit
You new? Because that's not even a violation or even a fix it. Its regulations 393.60. It sucks but it's not end of the world my dude. Run it till you take home time and leave it at the terminal or have the company replace it in your yard. Or replace it on a 34. A windshield guard is not for protection from road debree, it's so an animal doesn't go through your windshield and kill you. Ever seen a kangaroo jump 9 feet in the air right into a windshield while your doing 120kph?
bentstrider83@reddit (OP)
"you new?" Sounds like an insult or a heart attack from stress for me. I've been doing this for 16 fucking years. Maybe my brain is beginning to fall apart.
I'm just tired of these fucking things getting cracked and then forced to take an unpaid break because the company's too cheap to get right on it. Pile on the downvotes then. My respect for mechanics and this job is just in the gutter.
Get my debt worked down and leave this. See what other job I suck at.
badmechanic12345@reddit
Look up bus glass. You won't have to worry too much about rock chips with it
GenX_Leo@reddit
Handing out fines is more lucrative...
bentstrider83@reddit (OP)
And dealing with the bench warrant after failure to pay.
RoadsideReady@reddit
That sucksânothing worse than getting a chip that early.
A lot of it comes down to anything in the driverâs field of view being an issue, even if it seems like it wouldnât block much.
Still frustrating when youâre the one stuck dealing with it though.
pippathebeast@reddit
I thought this photo was NSFW at first lmao
Available_Quote_5567@reddit
It is not safe for work according to the DOT
bentstrider83@reddit (OP)
Don't think they're going to cry over a corner chip. Regardless, DOT/CVE mark downs are serious. But not the death sentence some drivers make it out to be.
Just an excuse for some dorks with badges to belittle people.