Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve3662
Where did you blow out the tire? Was it actually on the yard? The way I am taking it you hooked up the trailer and started driving and it blew out the tire on the yard. I've never seen a tire blow out on a yard that wasn't the drivers fault especially if you just hooked to the trailer. I can see if the tire actually went flat but a blowout I doubt it. Now I say that because you stated you did a pretrip. I take it that you inspected your tires for defects and your tire pressure. So you had a perfectly legal tire blow out in a yard where you can probably only go 5-10mph. If all this is true I would say you are at fault for either dragging a tire or not doing a proper pretrip. I would say you didnt have a brake unlock and drug it in which it blew. Again I am stating this on the info you are giving us. By the information I gather from you is it is your fault now if you would have done a proper pretrip and seen a defect or low tire pressure and brought it to someone's attention you wouldn't be dealing with it (if a defective tire is to blame). If you drug the tires because of locked brakes it is also your fault. Tires don't always smoke when being drug it all depends on the surface and the conditions.
Now does the company have the right to deduct it from your paycheck? They could I would look at the employee handbook and see what you signed. If it is clearly in there and you recieved one then you are on the hook and you can do nothing about it. I don't know about where you are at but here in TN it is illegal to hold a persons pay for anything unless a written agreement is in place (like an employee handbook that you would sign saying you recieved it)
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This whole thing got me really frustrated and I never in my 4yrs of driving been through anything like this. When I received my settlement I found out I'm accused of damaged a different trailer tire. The moron staple 2 deduction forms Trailer # 1 "RFO+RFI flat spotted till it blew trailer tires" Trailer #2 "RFO+RFI Drug until blew tries". The same guy from Safety told me on the phone Feb 1st that I drag tires on trailer # 1 which it doesn't match on that deduction form. Anyway Safety never mentioned about trailer # 2 on that day. I told Safety I did NOT drag the trailer tires #1 in Colorado, During my pre-trip I didn't see anything wrong with the trailer tires...when I took off I pressed the tractor & trailer breaks KNOBS IN and the axles was rolling from the start of my day and when the trailer tire blew. I saw NO SMOKE on the trailer tire while driving and when I got out and look I smell NO SMOKE. So it was't the case that I drag the trailer tires. When I picked up that loaded trailer #1 in TX at the Customer's plant, I did my pre-trip...there was nothing wrong with the trailer tires, I did NOT SEE flat spots or any kind of tear of tires before I took off. When I called "J" about the blow out, she routed me to that nearest tire repair shop in CO. My next load in NE at the customer's plant, when I picked up loaded trailer #2, I saw a flat on the Rear Front Out tire and I looked around I didn't notice any problem with other tires. I called night dispatch and he explained to me the "inflation system should provide air to flat tire", so drive 10-15 miles and check. Night Dispatch passed me the phone to breakdown dept. "D" told me to go ahead and I will route you to a TA at Grand Island,NE. I took off and I heard a noise while driving 10 miles, I got out and looked. I called dispatch again and they pass me to "D", I told him the RFO tire is touching RFI and the side of the RFO that was rubbing felt warm. "D" told me to drive slow and head to TA shop in Grand Island. When I arrived at TA to check in, I called and "D" already left so I spoke with "J". I explained to her what happened. She said to go and check in. Few hours pass, TA did NOT put in 2 tires...ONLY 1 tire and the other tire under the trailer. Safety charged me 2 new tires for trailer # 2 while TA replaced 1 tire.
Thank goodness I have copies of both invoice and called them about it. On the invoice for the trailer #1 was "ran to destruction flat spotted". I called the manager and told him about the comment and what I'm accused of the company. Well he did explained that "the breaks could of lock up while driving and it only takes a second for it to blow out especially with the skid marks. Far as the skid it's hard to prove if it was you or an old skid". They can't just finger you that's your fault I explained to him I didn't notice anything wrong with the trailers tires when I picked up in TX and throughout my trip to CO.
Invoice for Trailer #2 TA comments: "Torqued lugs to 475 FT LBS-Driver and TA Witnes sed-replaced the RFI TRL TIRE - New Stem and tire - 100 PSI - Also RFO Tire is OK at this time I inflated to 100 psi and checked for leaks - No leaks at this time. TA Tech comments continue "Likely went flat when the first tire failed due to the tire inflation system not functioning correctly and allowing air to bypass the tee out of the inner stem".
From my 4 yrs experience I do my pre-trip to the best of knowledge. With these inflation system I can't check the tires PSI. I know it's retaliation when I told them I am shutting down while under a load due to amount of snow in CO,with black ice. Dispatch argued with me "to keep going and it's all cleared up north and 200 drivers up there said roads are good". I told him NO and I've seen few trucks in the ditch and not taking that chance. After things got heated and he threaten my job, I gave my 2 weeks notice the next day. From day 1 out on the road with them people been nasty,disrespectful. I didn't do my homework well with this company before working with them and now I seeing similar complaints how they treat drivers and screwing DAC reports. This company put on my DAC report "Equipment lost" is making hard for me to find another driving job. I won't mentioned the carrier name because I am taking action about this. If anyone can give me some ideas that can help, I'll appreciate it.
Thxx
Accused of damaging trailer tire!
