Abandoned

[DieselDriver]

OK...here is a little story for ya and a question. I own an 07' M2 106 Freightliner straight truck and picked up a 10,000 lb. load in Greenville, S.C. on Tuesday the 2nd. and headed for Detroit, Mi. for a Wednesday the 3rd. delivery. I got as far as Georgetown, KY., who has a freightliner dealer, and I blow a head gasket on the truck. I call the company, inform them of the quandry and of course all they are worried about is the load and work frantically to find a dock and truck to put the load on to get it delivered. By the time they call me its midnite and the only dock they can find is in Lexington, KY, 20 some miles away. Now here comes the problem, I ask who is gonna pay for the tow,its not gonna be me, I don't have the money. The dispatcher says take it up with the owner...flash forward to 0300 when the tow truck arrives and after several questions of who was gonna pay the tow bill the driver tells me the company said they were gonna pay the bill. Again flash forward to 0500, we arrive in Lexington, unload the freight on the dock, which was my biggest mistake, and the tow truck tows my truck the whole "3" blocks to the freightliner dealership. When we get there the tow truck driver, who won't unhook my truck says, I called my boss who talked to your company who said that I would be paying for the tow. I called my company who confirmed what the tow truck driver said, I had to pay for the tow, because I would have had to be towed to a freightliner dealer anyway. After several minutes of arguing with the dispatcher, I paid the bill, more than $400.00 to get my truck. Fast forward one last time to the 6th., I am still stuck in Lexington at a motel waiting for my truck to be fixed and have not heard a word from the company as to my progress or well being since 0500 on the 3rd. Sorry to be so long winded, but my question is...Who is responsible for the tow when you are under a load and your truck breaks down and shouldn't the company at least check on you to make sure you are ok?

 

[paullud]

I don't think they need to call and check on you. If you were at a dealership and they towed you from it I would say the company should pay. If you broke down on the road then the tow wouldn't cost that much more because the biggest cost is usually the hook up.

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[cheri1122]

DD: tough week, no doubt.
Unlike Paullud, I'd say the tow bill is your responsibility, because you agreed to get the load to it's destination - though I'd be pretty ticked off at the tow truck driver's changing the story after the tow.
That said, most carriers will do what they can to help when a truck breaks down, sometimes even when it isn't under dispatch, but paying for it isn't their problem.
As for their not calling to make sure you're ok, why wouldn't you be? I mean, it'd be different if you'd had a medical emergency, but it was the truck that needed repair, so I'm not seeing where they ought to be worried about you, especially.
Maybe it's a really small carrier, where everybody knows your name, and you feel abandoned, is that it? Whatever - I know how frustrating and stressful it is to be waiting for the repairs [and the bill] to get finished - hopefully it's just a speed bump on the path to prosperity.

 

[are12]

Unfortunately DD, I agree with Cheri, the tow bill comes out of your pocket, after all, you are only leased to the company and the truck is your responsibility.

Sorry to tell you this but been there, done it.....As for them calling to check on you, most times, they only call when they want to know when you will be back in service.

 

[cheri1122]

I can see where a carrier might pay for the tow, because it looks like the only way to get the freight delivered, but that could be the last load they trust you with - their reputation is on the line too, right?
It's not a cut & dried issue, too much depends on whether the carrier thinks the breakdown was preventable, whether they think the owner should have emergency funds available for such occasions, whether they're concerned about setting a precedent - all kinds of variables.
Personally, I'd think the less you ask for, the better the carrier likes you - and it isn't personal, lol, it's business.

 

[leezaback]

if you are the owner of the truck-it is your responsibility , you contracted to pick up and deliver the load-the co. will do what needed to get the load to the customer and might pay the tow bill up front then take it out of your settlement. it's not the companys truck-you are an independent operator. As for checking up on you-don't hold your breath -unless there is a load they can't cover

 

[EasyDoesIt]

Truck owner pays all costs associated with the equipment. Now my question is who pays the cost of transferring the freight. Your $400 tow bill seems reasonable. Hope you have a way to pay the repair.

 

[Opel2010]

Since it's your truck, I'd say you are responsible for the tow. It happened to me too to have mechanical problems with my truck while under load, but it never crossed my mind to ask the carrier to pay for the towing.

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[mjmsprt40]

One way or another, you pay. If the company "pays the tow", it will be deducted from your settlements later. That assumes the company has big enough pockets that they can front the money-- times are tight all the way around.

I have a suspicion that if you look at your contract, the expenses are yours and are paid by you out of the settlement they give you. That's the way it is at the outfit I drive for, anyway.

 

[paullud]

DD: tough week, no doubt.
Unlike Paullud, I'd say the tow bill is your responsibility,

I'm not saying the company should have to pay if he had to get towed because he was on the side of the road since the extra 20 miles was a small part of the bill. If the company towed the truck from a dealership then that was the company's choice to get the load covered and they bear responsibility. There is a contract that says he will deliver the freight along with a clause that goes over what happens if late, the company may not like you being late obviously but it is a part of the business. The company has agreed to do business with an O/O, if he shows up 4 days late because of a breakdown then they have the right to terminate the contract but not take over the driver's business. If the company takes over the situation and calls the tow truck, tows you from a repair facility for their benefit not yours then the tow bill exists for their benefit only which means they should pay it, if he was on the side of the road then he should just pay it.

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[redytrk]

About 13 years ago Roberts Express paid my tow to closest dock (94 miles). Then I paid to the repair shop. Don`t know if policy is still the same under FECC, only time I ever broke down under load and had to be towed.

 

[cubansammich]

It is interesting how so many carry on about how they are a business person, not just a driver, until the unpleasant underbelly of the "business" rares it's ugly head. Who doesn't know who is responsible for maintaining their vehicle? It is clearly outlined in every contract I have signed with a carrier. It's called self employment. Ya know that capitalism thingy that's all the rage these days? Rugged Individualism and all of that stuff? This is part of it.

 

[zorry]

As recently as a few months ago FDCC would pay the tow to control the freight. I know once where they paid so they had the option to go East or West to wherever they could quickly repower the load. I know of them towing a breakdown all the way to the customer's dock.
Once off- loaded it was up to the O/O to tow to get repaired.
This makes sense as it allows them to be sure the customer gets the quickest and best service.

 

[Tennesseahawk]

Engine broke down on me, about 100 miles from the drop. I was in Birmingham, AL... drop was in Auburn. $700. I was told this was the only way; that there was no one else around. I said I'm not paying for this... need to get hold of owner (who was in WV, and couldn't be reached).

IMO, if the company is making the call (in this case they did) then they should foot the bill. My call was to get it over to Intl, and have it swapped in the morn. That wasn't good enough for the company. Now, because the owner was left out of the loop, I was left paying half the towing bill to Auburn, then to Intl-Columbus, GA.

WHENEVER a company wants to take it upon themselves to move YOUR truck, let THEM pay for it.

 

[purgoose10]

If your in a straight truck, do you not have a pallet jack?? My TT's and straight's have one each so they can move pallet's around. Truck to truck unloading etc. Most Truck dealers have fork lifts to move heavy parts. I'm just trying to figure out why you couldn't swap where you were at? If you did not have a pallet jack, request dispatch to send a truck with one if one was available. I guess it comes with experience but expediting take some enginuaty sometimes. Sometimes you can get the company to advance you for help, but depends on the company. Who are you contracted to??

 

[mjmsprt40]

If your in a straight truck, do you not have a pallet jack?? My TT's and straight's have one each so they can move pallet's around. Truck to truck unloading etc. Most Truck dealers have fork lifts to move heavy parts. I'm just trying to figure out why you couldn't swap where you were at? If you did not have a pallet jack, request dispatch to send a truck with one if one was available. I guess it comes with experience but expediting take some enginuaty sometimes. Sometimes you can get the company to advance you for help, but depends on the company. Who are you contracted to??

Don't forget a dock-plate. You need something to bridge the gap between the trucks, and a plate will do that.

 

[Humble2drive]

Don't forget a dock-plate. You need something to bridge the gap between the trucks, and a plate will do that.

Not necessary. I have been involved in 3 of these rescues moving some pretty heavy weight and momentum was enough to jump the 2 to 3 inch gap.

 

[Turtle]

Those in a van should get AAA Premium. They won't tow you while loaded, but then again you don't have to tell them you're loaded. I've been towed while loaded twice. Not a problem. The point is, if you can find your own tow, it's likely to be cheaper than letting the carrier play fast and loose with your money in obtaining the tow, because in that case, to them, money is no object. They want it towed by the first tow company that says YES, regardless of the price, because they want that freight delivered on time, period. I once broke down with more than 500 miles to the consignee, and the carrier tried their dead level best to get the towing company to tow it the entire way, even saying they'd pay double. Of course, they were talking with my money, not theirs. When the towing company refused, the carrier suddenly looked for, and found, other alternatives. Imagine that!

 

[zorry]

I've done a few rescues and have always been able to use my liftgate.

 

[Rocketman]

Don't forget a dock-plate. You need something to bridge the gap between the trucks, and a plate will do that.

yep, you gotta have something. When I carried a pallet jack on my straight truck, I built a plate out of 3/4" plywood. It was 4' wide and maybe 3' in length. I tapered each end with a table saw to help the jack roll up on the plywood. I also used decking screws to attach 4 pieces of 2x4 on the bottom side of the plate (its tough to describe...if you can picture the trucks backed up to each other, 2 pieces of 2x4..one on each side of the plate.. against the lip of one truck, and the other two pieces against the lip of the other truck).

Back the trucks together within 8"-10" of each other, lay the plate down with the 2x4's on bottom between the trucks (keeps it from sliding when the jack hits it), transfer the freight. Ive used several times. I think the heaviest pallet I moved across it was in the 1200lb range. If they get much heavier than that, their pretty tough to move anyway unless everything is perfectly level.

Another trick somebody taught me. Dont try to align the trucks perfectly side to side. Keep both trucks as straight with each other as possible, but at an offset (2'-3' is plenty). The offset allows room to access the trucks AFTER they are parked. You still have plenty room to transfer the freight in nearly all cases.