It's all about #'s not safety. In the 15 years I've known my husband (he's a pkgcar driver), his "accidents" have been... in a 500- tread flying off & went sliding sideways down roadway. Was asked to drive 20 miles to get tire fixed. In a 500, axel breaking and seeing wheel slide out from rear of truck. Luckily he was in a residential area. In a 600 - brakes went out. Made it safely through intersection and brought safely to stop. Was asked to bring back to center. Asked manager if they would be responsible if there was an accident. "Well, No." "Well why would I drive this truck!" Refused! In a 600 - windshield fell in his lap. Again was asked to drive into center. Another time the fire ext. went off. Sprayed the entire inside of truck. Was not allowed to clean up. "Just drive, you'll be fine!" These are just the ones I remember. I know he doesn't tell me every situation. It's getting to routine & I can't do anything about it but listen & pray he gets home in one piece.
That is sad. Since he has so much time in as a driver,(and even if he didnt) he just needs to park it and call, every time. I drove a few times when I didnt feel safe with things not right on my truck, now I have a superb mechanic and a regular truck, and now Im not afraid to say "nah, not doing it" If you know in your heart, it is not safe, you are the professional, it is your job to not drive it. A few weeks ago, I had a seal on my rear brake leaking. I went to the mechanic, he filled the resevoir, gave me 3 cans of brake fluid, and told me to check it every hour. When I left the bldg, before I knew I had a problem, I went down a hill and had very little brake. I did not feel comfortable with this decision. And I get the old eyes rolled at me, "the pain in the a** woman, now shes a mechanic look. So I went to the mgr, then and only then did he decide "well I better drive it around the bldg and see how bad it is, "What is was, was my concern. I did not like to over ride another professional, but I would rather p*** off a mechanic, than be dead by eve, or kill someone. And if I over reacted I could eat that. I did not. See mechanics road calls are like our overallowed or missed pkgs. They get gigged too. But my mechanic had eyes the size of saucers when I told him what the other guy wanted me to do. A few weeks before that he wanted me to drive all day with no 4 ways. I said, Nah aint doing it. He said just use the turn signals. Duhhhhhhhhh. You cannot legally do that on state routes, which is where I would definetely need them, I use them at every stop.. So once again my mgr brought out a fuse, but I already had it working again, by beating on it. But it got fixed that night. So tell him to be professional, he cant get in trouble, and yes it may make for a long day, but he will come home that night. This is the one place I see where you are like a pilot, what the pilot says is the decision, he is like God, and no one can question him. Its final. Now to use that to be a pain, about little things, like a door sticking, not the time to use it, but for safety reasons, always.
