Am i being a woos or do I have a reason??
Posted by Parking-Signature867@reddit | Truckers | View on Reddit | 51 comments
So yesterday I got my load and got a blown trailer airbag. Called it in and went into the Loves they got me in and found damage to three tires from the inside that I completely missed. The company denied everything the blow airbag and the tires one showing cable and the other two with uneven wear and flat spots. Stating the airbag doesn't have a hole in it and the tires are fine cause the tread depth is good. After a lot of back and forth they finally approved the airbag and two tires.
After this im considering leaving cause if they preach about safety but yet do this it doesn't make sense. So is this normal and me just being a woos?
Few_Jacket845@reddit
Being O/O doesn't always feel great. Paying for stuff really doesn't feel great. But being the one that decides this stuff without a fight, does feel great.
Thank you for being a good, attentive trucker!
Kenworthsteve@reddit
Consider trimac as your new employer. They are just not like that. We haul bulk, tankers and dumps. Fun work.
Parking-Signature867@reddit (OP)
My biggest restraint is it has to be in SCL and the second is OTR
Kenworthsteve@reddit
Scl is Southern California? I'm pretty sure we have a terminal there.
Otr. Our terminal business model is home weekend (full weekend) or home nightly.
If I wanted to run full time except for the 34 theyd let me. I don't know about other terminals but what little I know about bulk is OTR or at least the miles or hours are doable
If I can help you figure out if Trimac has a terminal or subsidiary (we still have our original name on the door) just let me know.
Parking-Signature867@reddit (OP)
My bad SLC
Kenworthsteve@reddit
Slc?
genocyde26008219@reddit
Fuuuuuuck no. #1 the assholes fighting you likely never held a CDL or drove a semi before, #2 their priorities are not “safety”, they are in fact, make money hand over fist off of the backs of drivers like you and fuck them over at the first chance they get. #3 they work in an air conditioned/heated office and don’t care what you have going on out on the road as long as it doesn’t affect their ability to make money. (See #2 again.). Good on you and keep having a backbone with assholes like that. I, too, would be looking for another job with a quickness.
Icy-Secretary6847@reddit
Do an anonymous tip to the FMCSA about that it'll be a step to fix that shit
The666Apes@reddit
Call the highway patrol and let them know that your company is trying to make you take an unsafe trailer and it needs to be put out of service before they'll repair it.
Tap__Tap__@reddit
giant red flag they want you to run anything when you’re right there to fix it
Round-Guarantee4948@reddit
Shoot I discovered this week my driver steer tire had a hub seal leak just beginning to start....nope..not rolling. Down 2.5 hours until a mechanic came and changed it out.
craneguy_86@reddit
Good catch, driver!!! That’s why pti are Very important!! Ask your manager/dispatcher or whoever how they’d feel if their family was riding next to you and You blew a steer/drive or an airbag! I have 2 less lethal out of the 3 and the “pop” alone can throw a family in a van into a ditch just from the sound alone!! ( please, 4 wheelers, don’t drive next to big trucks on the highway!) Especially if your company preaches “safety “ You’re not a pussy!!! You’re acting as a “Professional Driver “ should!! That’s the problem nowadays!! People actually die, because of shit like this. Leave that company immediately!!
jorgeyo716@reddit
Always always always cover your own ass. The worst they can do is fire you and then you have a wrongful termination suit. Your the captain of the ship that's your llicense.
Fluxus4@reddit
Which company?
Parking-Signature867@reddit (OP)
Not gonna say for legal purposes
Chocolateapologycake@reddit
Nope, not a wuss. That’s a safety issue. It’s ridiculous that they were fighting you about that.
indytrucks@reddit
I love the company I work for. I don’t need approval to get anything fixed. I call, they come fix and our account takes care of it. I don’t even call it in except to give the dispatcher a heads up out of courtesy (best dispatcher I’ve ever had too).
Vast_Obligation8213@reddit
You did the right thing. Ive only worked for 1 trucking company so far.
2 years at prime inc, if I feel anything wrong and I cant find the problem, they will get me into a shop.
Anytime ive seen a tire with chunks out of the grooves they will approve a loves tire change. Ive never had any issues with anything safety related on equipment we use.
Seems like if the company you work for are arguing about something you feel unsafe to use then the solution is pretty obvious 🤔 time for a new job
Parking-Signature867@reddit (OP)
Prime was one of the final two companies I narrowed my options down to but went with a smaller company
DanimalPlanet42@reddit
If the company wont pay for things that need to be paid for you are the one who is at risk of getting it on your record. Should probably find a different company if that is going to be a regular thing.
Parking-Signature867@reddit (OP)
Its happening to other driver daily
King0Horse@reddit
The company will always push you to run on worn out unsafe equipment. On the phone. Because anything they don't fix is money saved (profit) to them. And if there's a blowout and damage or an accident because of it, they'll blame you and fire you, fucking up your CSA.
Always notify them of unsafe conditions in writing. Through text or through whatever onboard app you use. And don't answer your phone until it's resolved, they're likely calling to tell you to ignore it without a record of telling you.
muffiewrites@reddit
In similar circumstances, Dad once pulled into a weigh station and requested a DOT inspection. The truck was put out of service. The company had to pay more to get it back in service than if they'd just fixed whatever the problem was in the first place.
He always said it's my license at risk, not the company's and if they don't care about me, I don't care about them.
It's never weak to stand up for yourself.
JMPhotographik@reddit
A lot of weigh stations are starting to refuse voluntary inspections, because so many companies used to abuse them to improve their SAFER scores (e.g. get a new truck/trailer, then pull in to every scale for inspection just to get perfect inspections on record).
I've also heard that voluntary inspections in some states are notated on the inspection report, so the company will see that you pulled in on purpose, which will lead to a whole bunch of other crap that he'd have to deal with as long as he stayed with the company.
AgreeAndSubmit@reddit
Not to be on the company side, but they're always going to argue like this. Agreed that sitch was fucked but, you'll still have the same debate somewhere else. Especially now that fuel is high, the first thing to go down is maintenance. Companies only preach Safety First! bullshit for their insurance and workers comp. It's what you look like a fucking highlighter. They dgaf about you, only how much you cost them.
JMPhotographik@reddit
I've never worked for a company who would argue about cords hanging out of the tire or a blown airbag.
LongjumpingCat6642@reddit
My company doesn’t. They’ll ask if you can limp to a shop and that’s the worst of it. Tell them no and they’ll dispatch a local company to fix you.
Waisted-Desert@reddit
Same here. My company doesn't play around with OOS items. They'll ask if it can be safely moved to a shop. They'll help instruct how to get it safely moved, like isolating an airbag so you don't lose all your air pressure. But they never flat out refuse to fix an issue.
DumatRising@reddit
If there is proof that a trailer will be put OOS and they're still refusing to repair it yes that's not only enough reason to leave but also good enough to document everything and then submit a whistleblower report to FMCSA. They get enough reports of refusing critical maintenance on their vehicles and they'll get audited. You'll want photos of all of the damage and copies of their messages refusing the repair, if they didn't text you you should've be able to get the documentation from shop you were at.
This also protects you from retaliation, once you submit a report on them refusing to the repairs youve got proof they would have a reason to punish you and can protect yourself in the event of them trying to punish you for not driving on it. So if they're vindictive enough to try and ruin your record after quiting then you can challenge it in court and your lawyer will be able to make a pretty good argument for retaliation.
Kkalemauser@reddit
Nope. Valid reason. I would find a new job and then make the jump.
Kenworthsteve@reddit
...and out your employer.
LongjumpingCat6642@reddit
Jump. It’s your license on the line, not theirs. I literally JUST dealt with something similar today. Had a signal line at the air dryer blow while driving. I was 10 minutes from the customer so I drive it there, check and yup, it’s blown. Sadly I didn’t have any spare air hose so I called it in. They asked if the truck was holding enough air to drive to a shop. I replied with “I will not drive with an active DOT violation. Send someone to fix it”.
Next message was the eta for the service truck.
I got burned while driving to a tire shop because a trailer tire had low tread. DOT didn’t care that I had written dispatch to go there and get it fixed so now I have points on me. I won’t get burned again. I do carry tools and some spare parts(was an equipment mechanic for 5 years) but I didn’t have any spare hose… I do now.
navlgazer9@reddit
You didn’t notice this during your pre trip inspection ?
Parking-Signature867@reddit (OP)
On the inside and I was unloaded and the bag went out while being loaded from dryrot
navlgazer9@reddit
The bag might not have been detectable but you’re supposed to inspect the inside tires too .
Saves you trouble and downtime like this .
Parking-Signature867@reddit (OP)
Either way the closest loves with a shop was the one I was at and I still highly doubt it would have gone any different
NFLTG_71@reddit
What’s on your tires Goodyear? Tires absolutely suck. I had three tires go on my tractor. They didn’t blow or peel tread if you look at the sidewall where it says made in the USA all three of them had holes on the E in the word made. When the guy came out to replace the tires, he said that’s been happening a lot lately.
Parking-Signature867@reddit (OP)
Loves retread is what they use for the trailers
Virtchoo@reddit
I’m in the shop for leaking air bags all the time. Tire damage wouldn’t even be a conversation for my company. There are better ones out there my man, I would find one of them.
xoneboyx@reddit
You will be a woss dying on the side of the road brother! 😢
icy_penguins@reddit
Yeah, you need to find a new company, fuck those cheap as piece of shit carriers. Ive worked for some shady fucks before but even they didnt mess around with that kind of stuff. Jump ship as soon as you can.
Federal-Service-4949@reddit
Run away when you can get on with a better company. I worked for Crete and Wel Companies and both of them are very serious about their equipment. There are good companies out there.
Whitehoneybun666@reddit
That’s a terrible company
leadpoem@reddit
Thank you so much for standing on your morals with this. Regardless of if you stay or go. I want you to know that as some one who rides my bike more than I drive. One of the scariest fucking things out there are road gators (this is what we call chunks of truck tires).
They can come up really quickly when on a hwy and are almost a guaranteed wreck if we hit one. A wreck at highway speeds in traffic is pretty much a death sentence for us. Also, at night you have almost zero chance of seeing it before you hit it.
I personally consider road gators as one of the top three hazards on the road, along with Teslas and road rage.
So I cannot express how much I appreciate you standing on this and how much other motorcyclist do too, even if they don't know. Please, dont change.
misight@reddit
You aren't being a wuss. If you're involved in an accident, they will go over your truck with a fine-tooth comb, and you will be at fault for those safety issues that your company wouldn't fix. Your company won't have your back, they will throw you under the bus.
snarksneeze@reddit
Thank you for fighting. Tires can kill, and safety isn't just about preventing property damage. On behalf of the other drivers on the road behind you, I am grateful you stood your ground.
Remember it's your license at stake, not theirs. Don't lose your license because they tried to save a few bucks while the CEO is saving up for his 3rd yacht.
leadpoem@reddit
There I fixed it for you "~3rd~ yacht" 4th yacht
First_Strength_3289@reddit
You were 100% correct! They were 100% wrong. That would have been an out of service violation not to mention the safety concern presented by compromised tires. Good call.
HolyOrangeJuice@reddit
My company doesn't mess around. They will always replace stuff to be on the safe side. I wouldn't work for one that asked me to haul bad equipment.
jqmallah@reddit
Hi, you have a reason. If a tire is showing cable or flat spots, that is not a debate about tread depth anymore. I would document the photos, the repair refusal, and the final approval so nobody can rewrite the story later. A shop signing off on two tires after the first denial tells you your gut was not off.
KungFuFactory@reddit
Dude. If it feels unsafe, looks unsafe and tastes unsafe……. Priority should always be getting yourself home in one piece. Always. One accident is all it takes my friend and I’m hoping you wouldn’t put your health on the line for this company because they sure as shit wouldn’t do it for you.