Discuss: UPS Truck Plows Into Fence, Building

[cheryl]

UPS Truck Plows Into Fence, Building - KCRA
A United Parcel Service truck went off a roadway, through a fence and into a building, according to the California Highway Patrol.

A tie rod on the UPS truck apparently fell apart, officials said.

The driver is OK, according to the CHP.

[over9five]

And he's lucky to be alive.

I think Danny posted about a similar happening.

[rushfan]

There are longer intervals between PMI's. This is the result.

[rocket man]

it happens everydaay somewhere across the contry. there are people in our center who dont write up there pkg cars because they dont want another pkg car OUR TRUCKS ARE SAFE 80.000 ONTHE ROAD A DAY STUFFS GONNA HAPPEN.

[mattwtrs]

It looks like it is an old style P-700. I think they were ADA'd from my old building a year ago.

[NEFARIOUS]

Originally Posted by mattwtrs

It looks like it is an old style P-700. I think they were ADA'd from my old building a year ago.

Our building got all new p-700s about two years ago then about six months ago automotive said we were getting new trucks again. They took all our p-700s and gave us those same trucks. They keep telling us our new cars are on the way but we have not seen one yet...

[klein]

Originally Posted by NEFARIOUS

Our building got all new p-700s about two years ago then about six months ago automotive said we were getting new trucks again. They took all our p-700s and gave us those same trucks. They keep telling us our new cars are on the way but we have not seen one yet...

They are getting shipped to Patel for refurbishing...

[dilligaf]

Originally Posted by rocket man

it happens everydaay somewhere across the contry. there are people in our center who dont write up there pkg cars because they dont want another pkg car OUR TRUCKS ARE SAFE 80.000 ONTHE ROAD A DAY STUFFS GONNA HAPPEN.

RM, Most of last week I was in a '95 Oshkosh (700 or 800 not sure which) and that truck SUCKS. The power steering is great but the damn truck wanders all over. I've written it up many times and I get the same response. Nothing wrong/ safe to drive.

[shadow3078]

Pretrip's are very important,further more newer equipment is essential for all of our safety .

[High Octane]

Originally Posted by cheryl

UPS Truck Plows Into Fence, Building - KCRA
A United Parcel Service truck went off a roadway, through a fence and into a building, according to the California Highway Patrol.

A tie rod on the UPS truck apparently fell apart, officials said.

The driver is OK, according to the CHP.

Originally Posted by rushfan

There are longer intervals between PMI's. This is the result.

True, and the fact that we are not allowed any overtime and are short on manpower.

Originally Posted by rocket man

it happens everydaay somewhere across the contry. there are people in our center who dont write up there pkg cars because they dont want another pkg car OUR TRUCKS ARE SAFE 80.000 ONTHE ROAD A DAY STUFFS GONNA HAPPEN.

There is a HUGE problem with drivers not writing up problems that their truck have. Its your tool to a SAFER vehicle! Please use it.

I have seen personally THIS WEEK, a driver write up his truck for a horn working intermittently and after fixing that and driving back to the hub, my feet where knock off the floor board by a broken shock that had beaten a hole through a piece of thick aluminum. You cant tell me the driver didn't notice this! WHY didn't he write this up!?? an while replacing the broken shock I found the tie rod ready to fall apart!!! "Another possible bad accident waiting to happen!".

And while I'm on the subject... PLEASE be detailed! writing "Check Brakes", will yield you NOTHING!
Its the same as you being told to deliver this package to "insert your State here". its useless information without the necessary details.

Originally Posted by NEFARIOUS

Our building got all new p-700s about two years ago then about six months ago automotive said we were getting new trucks again. They took all our p-700s and gave us those same trucks. They keep telling us our new cars are on the way but we have not seen one yet...

We heard the same thing, We are soo short on vehicles that if we Red Tag any, then we don't have enough trucks to make the deliveries!? and with that added pressure, more vehicles make it out there with repairs that should have been done.

Originally Posted by dilligaf

RM, Most of last week I was in a '95 Oshkosh (700 or 800 not sure which) and that truck SUCKS. The power steering is great but the damn truck wanders all over. I've written it up many times and I get the same response. Nothing wrong/ safe to drive.

Sounds to me like an alignment issue or a bent or worn steering component.
If we had better equipment, it would be easier to find, verify and repair such problems. yet we are working on modern vehicles with 1950's tools.

Originally Posted by shadow3078

Pretrip's are very important,further more newer equipment is essential for all of our safety .

I believe the problem lies in many areas... Lack of time" overtime", manpower, proper tools, poor or no write-ups for obliviously dangerous problems and on and on....

I hope this is helpful to see things from the automotive techs perspective, The gaps in communication may be lessened. ;o)

[edd_tv]

we were always told to not to be specific when writing something up. they are afraid the mechanic may not notice something else if he was looking for only one thing. i think thats where the "check brakes" vagueness may be coming from

[klein]

nothing new here... p500 went thru fence.... new driver.
Even got to keep his job.
Was that kinda year when everyone was needed.

I was just greatful, he didn't hit the kids in the yard playing.

It could have been much worse.

[City Driver]

if i write up brakes starting to squeak, that tractor will sit in the shop for 3 weeks

the shop here is very understaffed

[raceanoncr]

Originally Posted by High Octane

True, and the fact that we are not allowed any overtime and are short on manpower.
I believe the problem lies in many areas... Lack of time" overtime", manpower, proper tools, poor or no write-ups for obliviously dangerous problems and on and on....

I hope this is helpful to see things from the automotive techs perspective, The gaps in communication may be lessened. ;o)

Well, true, BUT! Here, again, I say HERE, we have a prob with auto mangement. Exam:
Last week, a feeder driver had, what he perceived as, bad trailer hub bearings and wrote it up as such. It was a 100% pass-through load and when taken down to the shop, the supe on duty said (go figure), "OK to run". The next driver to pick it up in the same lot to continue it's journey took it down to the shop with (again, go figure) supposed bad trailer hub bearings. The mechanic on duty said that no way was he gonna sign off on these bearings, they were "cream of wheat". Download. Auto supe was furious! Tried his damndest to get someone, ANYONE, to take the load! Nope. Wasn't gonna happen.

Funny, too, is that same day, same thing happened later on with same supe! Glorious! Point is...we DO write things up, it ain't fixed.

Another exam:
Couple wks ago, I had a junky 53 at a meet point. Saw it had hanging top light. Worked but hanging by wires. Daylight so I take it. Blew a tire along with mud flap and bracket. Got tire fixed but upon return, wrote these and myriad of other probs with trailer. Next day I see same trailer in MT by-pass area, no tag, no fixey of light and mud flap (couldn't see other probs fixed). Two days later I see same trailer in load dr with light still hanging by wires and mud flap bracket still bent up toward sky.

I wrote it up but somebody probably wrote, "OK to run".


My fault? Uh, uh! I did my job. Now, If I get that trailer tonight, you know where I'll be before leaving?

[cachsux]

Originally Posted by edd_tv

we were always told to not to be specific when writing something up. they are afraid the mechanic may not notice something else if he was looking for only one thing. i think thats where the "check brakes" vagueness may be coming from

We`ll write the general "check this" message but those with experience will also put specifics with a "?" along side. It will save our guys some trouble. Get to know your mechanics and they`ll teach you things to look for that most people don`t even think of.

[MC4YOU2]

Our mechanic of 10 years, best one we had in my career, quit about 6 months ago, too much politics finally. He has not been replaced and our center is relying on local mechanic for some stuff and neighboring center mechanic on loan for a night or two a week. Nothing getting addressed unless its safety related, and then you might end up getting your truck red tagged and driving some old crap heap while they order an o-ring from China.

[bluehdmc]

I had a tractor I wrote up for brakes pulling, they said they adjusted them, I tried it they still pulled. Don't they road test it? Wind it out to about 10-15 mph and hit the brakes and see if it stops straight, DUH!!

Being a former diesel mechanic, I suggested maybe one of the hoses to the front brakes was collapsing inside, (like a balloon that closes off line) never got fixed. Was an experience bobtailing.
Wrote up that there was water in the air tank. Response: "drain air tanks", next day wrote it up again, response, "It's your job to drain the air tanks".
Finally I wrote that I understood it was my job to drain the air tanks, but that water in the air system was indicative of a bad air dryer. Which was THE MECHANICS JOB TO REPLACE!!!
His reply. "air dryer on back order, continue to drain air tank, I can live with that if that was his first response.
I have also seen my fellow drivers, drive a truck with a turn signal out or something and they check off that its safe to use.

I guess you can't get good help anymore, kinda why I quit being a mechanic. People wanted a 3 hr job done in 2, didn't want to pay a reasonable wage. (I worked in a Chevy dealer in Fla in 1970, the labor rate was $10 an hour, mechanics worked a percentage either 45 or 50% of labor charge. You were allotted 2 hours to remove and replace a transmission if you did it in 1/2 the time you made out. If you ran into a snag you lost. Plus I had health insurance that was paid for!
Today you can't find a mechanic that maked 1/3 of the labor rate the dealer charges, and he has to pay for his insuance, etc.
Lets knock down the little guy, the grocery store clerk, the mechanic, the truck driver, the delivery person. They costing us too much money, but lets give the CEO, CFO, and the other suits, (the money manipulating experts) a multimillion dollar raise or bonuses.