Unsafe Equipment - Money first Safety second

**slowpoke98908** · 08-20-06, 04:12 PM

I am a truck driver (owner-operator)

Send to our drop yard to picked a loaded trailer going to Texas another driver dropped.

On my pretrip inspection I found 3 brakes at 1/4 " and flat tire.

To make a long story short I refused to haul it. Next day they say only a company shop could do the brakes. Closest company shop was 500 miles in the other direction. I refused again to haul it so they sent there company truck in to haul it.

There was a Freightliner shop less than a 1/2 mile away that could have done brake.

I have a written record of everything that was said and was thinking about reporting this to the safety director. There was a scale about 40 miles away I could have gone and had it put out of service if I wanted to.

What action would any of you Law Enforcement recomend?

**BEK** · 08-20-06, 06:05 PM

Document Document Document

**TheOldRhino** · 08-20-06, 08:31 PM

I would even go a step further and carry a camera and mini casette or digital audio recorder with you.

**Just KC** · 08-20-06, 10:01 PM

Digital camera...take pics for proof!

**AgentParsons** · 08-20-06, 11:08 PM

If it's not it writting it didn't happen. The camera and a ruler helps a lot too!

**chris2001** · 08-20-06, 11:32 PM

I agree they always tell us in the academy that if its not in your report it did not happen. Make sure you put everything down on paper. Not to mention go and buy you a cheap digital camera and a recorder so that you can tape the conversations as well as take pictures of the trailers. That way if they come back and tell you that you have violated the contract you have a leg to stand on.

**slowpoke98908** · 08-21-06, 03:10 PM

I took photos, never though about photo with tape measure. Great idea.

**Sleuth** · 09-11-06, 04:57 PM

Thanks for not hauling that death trap on the road with me & my family!

I have a friend who used to drive long haul. When the company refused to fix the trucks, he would flag down an officer on the highway, and ""request"" a safety inspection. After it got deadlined, they HAD to fix the truck!

**conalabu** · 09-12-06, 01:38 PM

Same old routine. Check this out though...I had a driver go through my town and lose TWO wheels off his trailer. At 45 miles per hour those things are a tank. One hit a pickup (parked, thank god) the other ended up in the weeds. Driver ended up stopping 50 miles away. Said he never knew he lost the two tires when he was hauling max weight and the tires were gone from his side. No one got hurt purely by a miracle.