Do Your Vehicles Get Fixed?

[MassWineGuy]

Ok. I know that many of the vehicles we use are old and decrepit. How well do your station mechanics fix and maintain them? I couldn’t prove it, but it seems like the ones at my station are highly selective with what they repair.

There’s a Ford van I often drive. The last couple of times its horn worked sporadically. Usually, when I pushed the center section of the steering wheel, nothing happened.

I wrote it up yesterday in the VIR but nothing happened. I drove it again today, wrote the problem up and added that I was giving a copy to the senior manager. Later, the mechanic suddenly had a new-found interest in fixing the horn. I’m sure that I’m not his favorite person. But that’s not among my priorities.

The morning guy who always drives this van wouldn’t write it up if it caught on fire.

 

[Operational needs]

I’ve never had a problem getting trucks fixed. Sometimes they’re slower than other.

 

[Stat41]

In my station the mechanics fix thing promptly. In my old station, not so much. I think it depends on the mechanics at your particular location. Ours are great.

 

[vantexan]

My Sprinter got its lug nuts removed after it fathered several Transit Connects.

 

[Wally]

Ok. I know that many of the vehicles we use are old and decrepit. How well do your station mechanics fix and maintain them? I couldn’t prove it, but it seems like the ones at my station are highly selective with what they repair.

There’s a Ford van I often drive. The last couple of times its horn worked sporadically. Usually, when I pushed the center section of the steering wheel, nothing happened.

I wrote it up yesterday in the VIR but nothing happened. I drove it again today, wrote the problem up and added that I was giving a copy to the senior manager. Later, the mechanic suddenly had a new-found interest in fixing the horn. I’m sure that I’m not his favorite person. But that’s not among my priorities.

The morning guy who always drives this van wouldn’t write it up if it caught on fire.

If you add "in case of accident" in regards to a problem needing attention, the shop tends not to ignore it, as it puts them on the hook.

 

[Cactus]

If you add "in case of accident" in regards to a problem needing attention, the shop tends not to ignore it, as it puts them on the hook.

Or "Not Safe."

 

[Star B]

I don't have any issues getting my stuff fixed because the mechanics know if they just pencil whip it I'll point back to the pencil whip and go "Their fault, go after them, kthxbye!"

That and if I'm actually writing it up, it's an actual safety issues or regulatory issue, not because I think that the blower motor should work faster.

 

[SmithBarney]

The new Digital VIR will lock out the vehicle from being used if its written up for safetly issues the day prior....

 

[dezguy]

No issues getting stuff fixed because they know I will write it up every day till it's fixed. It's my ticket if I get pulled in by the Ministry or cops so I don't really care if the mechanics get annoyed by it

 

[fdxsux]

The morning guy who always drives this van wouldn’t write it up if it caught on fire.

This seems to be the bigger problem at my station. Nobody wants to write anything up because they don’t want to work out of a rental for a few days.

 

[AB831]

At my station, they wouldn’t fix anything and would go to managers to get them to tell us to stop writing up the same thing every day.

 

[MassWineGuy]

That’s amazing. I would have complained director the district safety person.

If you use the Leo VIR report, what exactly happens? I got as far as putting in my manager’s sign off information. Then the screen went back to the opening page. How are vehicles locked out and would they still be locked out if you used a Power Pad?

 

[bacha29]

At Ground.... "Don't fix it when it's broke.... fix it when it quits running. That's no exaggeration. Whenever Ground delivers something to my place all I have to do listen to the truck or watch it heading back down the road . Carrier bearings, hung up calipers, mufflers, cracked spring leaves, lights out etc, etc. As long as it left the building in the morning station management doesn't care.

 

[Star B]

They aren't. You can still use

If you use the Leo VIR report, what exactly happens? I got as far as putting in my manager’s sign off information. Then the screen went back to the opening page. How are vehicles locked out and would they still be locked out if you used a Power Pad?

Marks the vehicle OOS, send an e-mail to all managers & mechanics, throws up an ugly "VEHICLE OUT OF SERVICE DO NOT DRIVE UNLESS YOU CAN SIGN OFF HERE" if you try to use it.

There is no logic to prevent you from going on-road until you change vehicle numbers, though. Yes, you can mark a vehicle OOS and then go on-road using that vehicle number. Smrt!

 

[throwaway10]

They aren't. You can still use

Marks the vehicle OOS, send an e-mail to all managers & mechanics, throws up an ugly "VEHICLE OUT OF SERVICE DO NOT DRIVE UNLESS YOU CAN SIGN OFF HERE" if you try to use it.

There is no logic to prevent you from going on-road until you change vehicle numbers, though. Yes, you can mark a vehicle OOS and then go on-road using that vehicle number. Smrt!

Well of course it's not going to stop the vehicle from running and driving but at the OOS screen a manager needs to sign off, if you drive an OOS vehicle without that signature you risk getting in trouble... finally Ops Managers are held accountable when they use to say "just drive it today, ok"

 

[MassWineGuy]

I’m now told that if I see a vehicle issue, keep it out of the electronic VIR and mention it to a manager. I’m certain that was the plan all along, right?

 

[Star B]

Well of course it's not going to stop the vehicle from running and driving but at the OOS screen a manager needs to sign off, if you drive an OOS vehicle without that signature you risk getting in trouble... finally Ops Managers are held accountable when they use to say "just drive it today, ok"

Well, yeah. I'm talking about denying putting your 10/22/on road code in with the busted vehicle number still as your "current" vehicle.

I’m now told that if I see a vehicle issue, keep it out of the electronic VIR and mention it to a manager. I’m certain that was the plan all along, right?

Yea.... no. That's just your management being dumb. Just wait for someone to get that on a recording and watch the fedex money flow for a settlement when someone your station crashes.

 

[Operational needs]

I’m now told that if I see a vehicle issue, keep it out of the electronic VIR and mention it to a manager. I’m certain that was the plan all along, right?

Yeah, that’s not going to happen. I will not be getting fired for a mechanical issue that wasn’t fixed because it isn’t in writing somewhere. CYA at all times. Tell him to give that to you in writing. If not, ignore what he says.

 

[whenIgetthere]

I had a rental today, and wrote it up for three different problems.

 

[MassWineGuy]

If something is wrong I also write it up manually. After the mechanic ignored my write up I did another adding that I’d cc’d the senior manager. Suddenly, he had a new found interest in repairing it.