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Old 19-02-2020, 02:20 PM   #35
smoo
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Join Date: Jan 2005
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Default Re: Shortage of truck drivers in Australia?

Quote:
Originally Posted by BENT_8 View Post
Lets look at it from another point of view Trev, I flagged that issue and that's the reply I got, nothing. If I pulled the pin and a new guy went down the road and cleaned someone up, what do you think would happen?
I'll help you out again, firstly Major Crash will roll up and start their inquiries, they'll load it on to a tow truck and drag it down to their facility where they'll soon discover the inoperative ABS light, pull the dash and find the globe missing.
They'll then head on down to the business and start asking questions, the owner will pull out the certificate of compliance and say it passed, do you think Major crash will then head down to the government testing station and ask how it got through, of course they wont, they look further along the chain to the mechanic, did you remove the globe, mechanic checks the pre trip paperwork, not me, never been flagged and so they look at who signed for it on that day, the driver, who probably didn't even realise there should have been a globe in the first place but because COR says he signed to say it was ok, the buck will fall with him and he will be splashed across the media and head into a very long and expensive court proceeding where it becomes a he said she said.
I don’t think you understand what is required of transport companies & their workshops or service providers when it comes to repairs and maintenance, and the CoR.
EVERYTHING has to be signed off (not necessarily repaired) for that vehicle to be deemed ‘safe’.
You’ve covered your **** by noting down the ABS defect.
The onus is then on your management to liaise with workshop management or maintenance contractor to get it sorted.
It is up to workshop to repair or sign off that it is ok to run.
If they can’t repair and aren’t happy sending it then your management need to accept that, and in my experience I’ve never had fleet control or dispatch or sub contractor demand a truck when I’ve told them it’s not safe to be on the road.
You’ve done your part, the CoR will have **** flowing uphill if you ended up in an accident and the original defect has not been repaired or has been signed off as safe when it isn’t.
All transport companies will keep a few years of maintenance recordS including drivers prestart/run/defect sheets explaining any defects and what acton was taken to remedy them. All of this paper work will have been signed off on completion by a mechanic and his or hers supervisor or manager. Transport companies are anal on this incase the worst should happen.
You are well within your rights to refuse to operate a vehicle you deem unsafe.
Management need to respect that. If they don’t then I’d be looking for another job. It’s not like there is a shortage of driving jobs around .
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