Rollin' 18 Podcast
Welcome to the "Rollin' 18 Podcast." With over 40 years of commercial driving experience, I can share some of my learning experiences. We can also go over the changes happening in the trucking world. Like any job, trucking is not all about work. Learning how to balance life with trucking can be daunting, but knowing how to do it can be rewarding and comforting. Let's roll on down the road driver, together. Text me anytime with news, suggestions, and stories at (641) 990-5641. God bless, be safe, and keep it between the lines drivers.
Rollin' 18 Podcast
Truck Driver Responsibilities: Navigating Liability, Ensuring Safety, and Maintaining Your Rig
Ever wondered what it truly takes to be a responsible and safe truck driver on today's roads? Join me, Walker Gatlin, on this episode of the Rollin' 18 Podcast, where I promise you'll gain invaluable insights into the multifaceted duties and liabilities that come with the territory. Drawing from my 40 years behind the wheel, I share personal anecdotes from the 80s when we had to fix our own flat tires and manage our loads directly, highlighting the stark contrast with today's practices. From a cautionary tale about a driver's negligence on Facebook to stressing the importance of personal accountability, this episode is packed with real-world lessons that could save your job—or even your life.
We also tackle the crucial safety responsibilities that every truck driver must prioritize, particularly during drop and hook operations. Learn why thorough pre-trip and post-trip inspections are non-negotiable and get practical tips on using tools like temperature laser readers to avoid mechanical failures and legal liabilities. Compliance with federal motor carrier safety regulations is essential, and I break down industry-standard practices to keep you and the public safe. Plus, I'll share routine maintenance tips to ensure your vehicle stays in top condition. Whether you're a rookie or a seasoned pro, my heartfelt message is clear: stay safe, keep your rig in top shape, and remember, it's up to you to keep it between the lines.
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Email me anytime with news, suggestions, and stories at rollin18podcast@gmail.com. God bless, be safe, and keep it between the lines drivers.
Welcome to Rollin' 18 Podcast. This 40-year veteran is here for anyone wanting to stay up to date with the trucking world. Grab your coffee, hop on board and let's get on down the road with Walker Gatlin.
Speaker 2:Hello drivers and welcome to Rollin' 18 Podcast. I appreciate you folks listening and or downloading my podcast. I am also putting a visual of the same exact audio podcast on Rumble each and every episode, and that way you can watch my truck drive down the road as you're listening to the podcast, if that's the way you prefer it. Some people do. Now. Today's podcast is about truck drivers' responsibilities, and the reason this hits the mark is I've been watching on Facebook a lot of posts about drivers having problems with their equipment and then pushing the blame on something else. This last one kind of pushed me over the edge and said look, I need to talk to these folks. I need to let these drivers know how I feel.
Speaker 2:When I first started driving, I drove my own truck, and even if you drive a company truck, it is your responsibility to take care of everything, 99.5% of everything, out there on the road, whether it be a breakdown, accidents, anything like that is preventable. Now you say no, it's not. I say yes, it is. When I started driving back in the 80s, when a guy blew a tire, he got out, he broke out the wrenches, he removed the rim, he popped the tire off of it. He grabbed another tire off the back of his semi, he put it on the rim, he put it back up, he aired up the tire with the long hose that we drug back there, whether it be on the trailer or the tractor, whatever, and we aired up. This is how we did business back in the day.
Speaker 2:I mean, truck stops were few and far between. There was no Flying J, there was no Loves, there was none of this stuff. It was all mom and pop stuff. Different places, different small towns. A couple of cities had some. If you look today in Los Angeles, the only truck stops you'll find out there are the ones sitting out. In Ontario there might be a couple of small ones. Somewhere might fit five or ten trucks, that's it. They are landlocked. But even back then they wanted the truck stops out of the city. Now today there's a Love's and a Flying J just about every exit. You can crash and land on a fuel island somewhere in America.
Speaker 2:It is the truck driver's responsibility. If you say no, I'm going to tell you this. Every single lawyer in the country is looking for you to make a mistake so that if somebody gets hurt or somebody's personal property gets damaged, they're coming after you full vengeance. Now the posts that I saw on Facebook that threw me over the line. Okay, is this guy? He picks up a trailer. He's a drop and hook specialist. Okay, we know what those are.
Speaker 2:I'm sorry, I'm not making fun of you, but you know there's a lot of people that like to rather load their own loads and unload their own loads Whether or not somebody else actually physically unloads it. They like to be in control of that situation. Now, back in the day, I can also say that when you loaded a load, you physically had to stand there and watch them load that load and make sure they loaded that load correctly, because even to this very moment, you are responsible for that load. If it shifts and your truck crashes, you are responsible Not the guy that loaded it, not the guy that put the seal on it.
Speaker 2:A truck driver's failure to meet his or her legal responsibilities can give rise to a claim for negligence and compensatory damages. When there is evidence these responsibilities were violated in a willful, wanton manner, a claim for punitive damages. Now, these truck companies that are allowing you guys to pick up trailers that are already sealed and you don't get to inspect it, let me tell you, you're going to be the one in trouble if something big happens. If you get the right lawyer, a guy that knows what he's doing, he will pull your insides out to your anus and he will feed them to you. Okay, this is something you guys need to know, and a lot of truck drivers out there already know this. But we're all guilty of picking up a load that's already been loaded Okay and trusting the fact that they loaded it correctly. That is the wrong thing to do. It is still the driver's responsibility when that load is put on that trailer. And if you don't believe me, go talk to your company. If they deny it, then go talk to an attorney, because that attorney will tell you that that company is wrong. You are going to suffer 99.5% of all of the headaches when you have a problem and that company that you're working for. If it's bad enough, they will let you sit out there in the rain all by yourself.
Speaker 2:The guy posted that he picked up a trailer. It was loaded. Drop and hook specialist is what I call them, because a lot of guys out there that's all they do is drop and hook. You pick up a trailer, you go down the road. He went down the road. About what is it? 650, 700 miles a guy can drive in a day Guy. Hundred miles a guy can drive in a day guy that runs electronic log. Okay, he parks it for the night, doesn't do a post trip, obviously, all he does is pre-trips. So he goes to take off the next day, gets a little over a thousand of his 1200 mile run and his wheels on the right side of the trailer, the rear tandem, come off. God knows that he was. He was real excited that they didn't hurt nobody. They went down into the water, into a pond or a river or a lake or something.
Speaker 2:All he did was make excuses Not my fault, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. That's all we hear when we hear drivers make excuses. Now, I'm not here to make fun of anybody. I'm here to say look, guys, gals, everybody out there listening to me, this is not the way it's supposed to be. A professional driver will know exactly what to do during this situation.
Speaker 2:Now, if you pick up a trailer, okay, and you can tell by looking at that spindle that was sticking out, because that's all that was there. The drum was gone and both tires and rims were gone you can look at that spindle. Them bearings were burnt through. He's lucky he didn't catch fire. They melted off. You could tell by looking at that spindle. There is nothing but rust in there. It has been dry for a very long time. What is that going to do? That is going to produce a large amount of heat.
Speaker 2:One factor when you pick up, when you do a drop and hook and you don't get to see the inside of that load, that's a red flag right there. And I know a lot of companies are getting away with it. But I'm telling you we need to reverse that. You are responsible for that truck. Anything shifts, it could throw you into a jackknife and you're done. Chuck, you understand what I'm saying, but in this case you pick up a trailer from a shipper and it's sealed and it's loaded and you haven't had time to run with that trailer. Okay, which 99 of the time, that's the way dropping hooks are.
Speaker 2:You go 50 miles, 30 to 50 miles down that road. You pull over in a safe spot, not on the shoulder, ladies and gentlemen, unless you're broke down. Are going to put out triangles, please. That irritates the hell out of me. What you're going to do is you're going to pull off the road and you're going to take your hand and you're going to touch each one of those hubs to make sure. If you're not familiar with how to check oil levels in those tandems, then at least check the temperature. I would suggest going to Ace Menards, home Depot, whatever, getting yourself a temperature laser reader. Point it at that hub, see what the temperature is, see what the normal temperature should be on a normal operating day with a hub. Check the temperature 30 to 50 miles out. If they're all reading normally, kick it on down the road and that's how you're going to save from having this kind of expense.
Speaker 2:And you know what? I'm really shocked that the truck companies are dropping the ball on this deal and not teaching their drivers how to do that, because that could save them a ton of money. You know how much money this truck company is going to spend between bringing out all the brake hardware, bringing out a mechanic. He's probably going to have to come out twice because he'll have to come out the first time to see what he needs. Then they're going to have to bring out a new drum, new brake equipment, new bearings. If he needs a spindle, they're going to have to hunt for a spindle, replace that on the road, all of this stuff, unless, of course, he knows how to chain up that axle and limp it into the nearest repair facility, which in most cases is rare that they could do that because they're not trained to do that kind of stuff. That would be something I would do, but then again I would never have a wheel come off unless I know I was severely inebriated and back in the day.
Speaker 2:No, seriously, we guys, this is easy stuff to learn and I'm telling you, had those wheels gone through somebody's windshield and killed an entire family, you would be going to court and a lawyer from, let's say, this law firm here, dysart Law Firm, tells all there is to need to know about truck driver's responsibility. Operators of commercial motor vehicles who are engaged in the furtherance of a commercial enterprise for compensation have a wide range of responsibilities, whether the driver who operates the vehicle is required to have a commercial driver's license or not. The minimum responsibilities for cd, cdl drivers are found in the federal motor carrier safety regulations. Ladies and gentlemen, they do this for a living. This is how law firms get rich, filthy rich. These requirements are only the minimum and should be used in conjunction with accepted industry practices and standards of care for the type of vehicle the driver intends to drive, the commodity hauled, the driver's work environment and the company's procedures and policies.
Speaker 2:These lawyers will not miss a trick when they find out that you skipped rope and decided not to do your due diligence. And I'm going to say one more thing Any driver out there not doing a pre-trip and a post-trip a very good pre-trip and post-trip I'm not talking about sitting in the cab of your truck and saying I looked at things last night and let the clock run 15 minutes so you can hit the road. I'm saying actually went out there with a flashlight, went out there with tools, went out there with a temperature gauge, double checked everything, made sure the vehicle was running, not leaking nothing, make sure the wheels weren't getting hot, whatever. You need to double check and triple check everything. Your life and other people's lives depend on it. We're talking about 40 tons going down the highway to an average speed of 70 miles an hour. The following is a list of certain truck drivers' and I'm going to read off this list. I'm going to show you what these lawyers are looking for for people out there that are not paying attention. Okay.
Speaker 2:Entry level driver is responsible for receiving training and driver qualification requirements, hours of service, driver wellness and whistleblower protection. Drivers who employ themselves as drivers have all the responsibilities of both employers and drivers, so the kickback coming to you is twice. Every driver must have training, information and referral regarding alcohol misuse and controlled substance use. That's a given. We all know that Drivers must notify their employees regarding convictions or violations. Blah, blah. A given. We all know that Drivers must notify their employees regarding convictions or violations. Blah, blah, blah. We'll skip over that part because it has nothing to do with actually driving. Drivers are responsible for providing their employees with information regarding previous employment history.
Speaker 2:Drivers are responsible for determining whether the cargo has been properly located, distributed and secured in or on the commercial vehicle, and they must be familiar with methods and procedures for securing the cargo in or on the vehicles they drive. This is number one, two, three, four, five. So if you're not checking out your cargo, you're wrong. And if your company is not allowing you to check out your cargo, they are liable. And if you you're the company that's loading you does not let you verify and inspect your cargo, they are wrong.
Speaker 2:Okay, we've all gotten lazy. We all know what we can get away with, and 99% of the times we all get away with it because it just happens real smoothly. But the time that you got to live with the fact that you killed people because you didn't do your job, bam, you're going to have to live with that for the rest of your life, possibly spend some jail time and get sued for every dime you're ever going to you're ever going to have in your life, plus your kid's salaries. Is that what you want? I don't think so. Companies will leave you hanging out to dry. Okay, I have been suggesting for years that companies have you sign a contract and that contract says that you will bring up anything and everything that you feel is not correct and they will do everything in their power to fix it, or they will pay you to sit into a motel until they do fix it.
Speaker 2:But see, this is how we operate today. Everybody's, everybody's living on blind trust and faith. Okay, that's perfect for the Holy scripture. That's perfect when you go to church and you believe in God. It is not perfect when you drive a truck. Okay, so you must be responsible for the securing and procedures of securing the cargo in or on the vehicles you drive. You are responsible for inspecting the cargo and the cargo in or on the vehicles you drive. You are responsible for inspecting the cargo and the cargo, securement devices and systems, when not impractical, at the beginning of the trip and at certain times during the trip.
Speaker 2:See what I'm saying. It ain't about flatbeds, ladies and gentlemen. Everything has a problem. I have seen at least 30 pictures alone of trailers breaking in half because they weren't inspected before they were loaded. It takes a lot to break a trailer in half, so there is a lot of damage already on that trailer, underneath or in the inside, in the corners, whatever that is going to cause that trailer to clap. And if those pictures thank God, most of them were when that vehicle was either stopped or going at a low speed. Had it been going at a high speed it would have killed a lot of people.
Speaker 2:Now you know, you must know the working load limit and load securement devices. You must be able to verify that load and you must know how to check on your equipment from the very front of that truck to the very end of that trailer. You must know everything there is to know about that truck. Your brakes must be inspected. Your lines must be inspected, and I mean physically inspected. You need to check them for cracks. You need to put your hands on those things. Do you need to do that kind of stuff every day? No, but you do need to get a creeper and crawl underneath that sucker at least a couple times a week. Everything else can be verified by sight and if you can't see something, get under there and touch it and make sure that it is secure, not cracked, not ready to come apart. All that good stuff. I appreciate you drivers listening to my podcast. You can also watch a video on Rumble. I will put the links down below. As always, god bless, be safe and keep it between the lines driver.
Speaker 1:Thank you for listening to Roland 18 Podcast. Please visit my website at mediaiowacom or the podcast page at roland18podcastcom.