The Day Was Going So Well, Until.....

well, we finally got a look ad dropped off, picked up our empty, got our next load assignment which picked up about 5 hours from when we got the info, so we stopped, grabbed a quick bite and used the facilities and headed to the shipper , hoping the load would be ready, but we expected to have to wait until the appointment time.

we get to the shipper about 2 hours early, dropped our empty, and returned to the security gate to check on the outbound load, and magically it was ready, which my trainer and I were happy about, because it meant we could deliver several hours early... we go and hook up to the trailer, check the lights, and wouldn't you know, some of the lights were out, both on the trailer and tractor. we figured simple fix, we will check and change any blown fuses and we would be on our way.... no such luck, the fuse change didn't work, so we put in for a breakdown request, they would come out and fix it...

well, here we are, almost 3 1/2 hours later, and no word from breakdown.... ugggh.... not sure if they realize that we could have made the delivery pretty close to on time or not. well the DM took us off the load, and we are still in limbo since we can't move, since some of our truck lights are out..... oh well, I guess its part of the hurry up and wait game....

well, here we are, almost 3 1/2 hours later, and no word from breakdown.... ugggh.... not sure if they realize that we could have made the delivery pretty close to on time or not. well the DM took us off the load, and we are still in limbo since we can't move, since some of our truck lights are out..... oh well, I guess its part of the hurry up and wait game....

This begs an interesting question.. On a non-commercial vehicle, normally you would just drive to the nearest auto parts store and buy some light bulbs, yes? Is driving a "big-rig" to the auto parts store going to be a bad thing to your cdl if you get pulled over?

When you have multiple lights go out...the problem usually isn't bulbs...What this situation sounds like is that they dropped their empty trailer, then hooked up to loaded trailer...and it probably had a dead short in the light wiring, which would traverse directly to the truck wiring, and blew some bulbs...So..even tho they unhooked from the trailer, they may still have a wiring problem. As O/O's we always carried extra clearance lights, and headlights..and wire, and about anything that kept us from calling any kind of road service. But company drivers don't have that headache, they call for service, and all they lose is time...

Thanks Starcar for that, I guess my real question is what happens to your cdl if you get pulled over knowing you have an equipment violation in an attempt to fix it? Is it just a warning? Is it a "fix it" ticket or being a commercial vehicle, are you in real trouble?

It seems extreme to just shut down for hours if not days if it wasn't as serious as a "short" and was something that could be fixed if you'd just drive a couple miles down the road to buy the part don't you think?

David, as a company driver, your company will appreciate you taking care of the truck and trailer lights. I don't ever call break down for lights, it's a waste of time for me to be sitting around waiting for them to come and fix something that I can do myself and be right back on the road. I drive a flat-bed and therefore I do not have near as many drop and hook situations as you will, but it can really be a pain to get a trailer that has a host of problems before you can even get started.

Here's what I do. When at a terminal see if the shop will give you some extra lamps or even some of the plug in lights for the trailer. I've never had any trouble with this and they usually are so happy to have someone who will take the initiative that they will provide me with plenty of extras. This saves you and them both time and money. It's one of the little insider tricks that helps you keep rolling when other drivers are sitting around waiting on help to arrive. Another thing is that almost all of my post-trip inspections are done at a truck stop, so if there is anything amiss and I don't have what I need I just purchase it from the truck stop and send in the invoice with my load papers. I've never had anybody even question me on these purchases - the refund appears on my paycheck and I don't have to wait for breakdown to come and get me fixed up.

It sounds like you are with a trainer now and they really should be teaching you about little tricks like this, but all trainers are not perfect. When you are on your own you can take advantage of little tricks and tips that will keep your wheels rolling. It's funny because I talk to drivers quite often that would never take the initiative to do things on their own, they just think the way you handle this stuff is to call breakdown and wait for someone to magically appear with the cure, but those same drivers are the ones that complain about not getting enough miles or money.

And yes you do want to make sure you've got your lights working. A failed inspection will go on your CSA score, but for each good inspection it counts against your negative scores so it is important to keep those lights tended to. You won't be put out of service for a light being out, but you do want to keep everything in good working order. It's best to have some spares with you instead of trying to explain to the officer that you are on your way to the auto parts to purchase a light bulb.