westcoaster

The benefits of driving a company vehicle to, from and for work are great! no gas, no insurance, and no maintaince. (not a taxable benefit either) However, I also have little control over how the van is maintained. Right now the rear tires are bald. There may be 1/8"-1/16" tread on the rear drivers side and even less on the passinger side. The fronts are 15-20% these tires were a snow type tire and as such has two deep rings that run around the tire that are still close to a 1/4" deep. so it looks something like an airplane tire and I can't get new tires!! It's December for crying out loud!!!
My operations manager so far has steadfastly refused my request for new tires.
I think it is time to start refusing to work in the van and go over his head if necessary. this sucks...

Dr. Evil

You have both a right and an obligation to REFUSE unsafe work. If operating a company vehicle is part of your job then it qualifies as work. In the past I have worked in the oilpatch......Ive seen guys refuse to drive a new truck that has new factory tires on it. They do not cut it out in the bush and need to be replaced. Many companies pick their new trucks up at the dealership and drive it right to the tire shop for better tires.

You have to ask yourself....how much does this company value my work AND my life??

If the tires are close top the wear bars (2/16&quot they NEED to be REPLACED. I never understand companies that cant maintain their vehicles yet expect it to keep running and making money.. ???

Your boss probably wouldnt want to get hit by a lawsuit from your family if something happened to you in this vehicle would he??

westcoaster

The wear bars on the one tire are long gone...
I am more angry about having to be put in the position of having to "beg" for tires. to resort to refusing to work. They have never been like this before (the company) I may be dealing more with a personality conflict with the operations manager.

Shovelhead

I would take a picture of the tires (and anything else on the Company owned vehicle in need of repair) and type up 2 copies of a letter stating these defects and that the supervisor was notified on such and such date and time and have him sign both copies in front of at least one witness.
Explain to him that if the defects cause you to be involved in an motor vehicle collision (There are no accidents ), that you're just trying to protect your own keester from the resulting lawsuit.
Let him know that you'll be mailing the 2nd copy to either his boss, or the motor vehicle supervisor (or his boss).

Dieseldude4x4

My wife use to drive school bus for a private school and the vehicles were in the same shape. She is liable for the health and safety of those children while on that bus and they were not going to get everything I had, however little that is, because of a law suit over a blown tire or something like that. Not to mention the fact that you were responsible for injuring (or even worse perish the thought) young children and others in the path of that large vehicle.
I told them either get it fixed or I was going to call the state police right to the house and have the vehicle impounded along with the state inspection station that inspected the bus the last time. I don't mind a marker light not working or something like that but brakes and tires are not a place to cheat. She got a much newer bus about a month after they fixed that one and didn't have any more problems.
I'm afraid I would have to raise the issue a little higher in your case or look for other employment. My life to me is worth a whole lot more than a few tires. Life is too short already without upping the odds of it ending sooner than it does over something stupid like a set of tires.
Good luck.

spots

Yeah been in the same position many years ago. Vans were not up to any maintenance (scary to drive). Two of us refused to work with them. We were both canned the next day, with new drivers who didn't care waiting for the keys.
Document everything, and go over his head if necessary. Cutbacks suck.

Redleg

Don't know how your area operates, but Michigan has Motor Carrier officers. They are part of the State Police that specialize in commercial vehicle enforcement. If you have an agency like this, they should be able to either write an equipment ticket to the company, or maybe if they have had other bad contacts, be interested in a fleet inspection. Normally they could opt to write the driver or the company. If the driver made a respectable attempt to make corrections, they would be happy to assist.

RamDan03

Like others said, I would definitely go above the manager's head. Get a local tire shop to do a quick inspection and write their findings on an estimate sheet. Send this to your managers. It's unfortunate that so many improperly maintained fleet vehicles are on the road.

If you don't get anything accomplished from the suggestion above, you could always take this harsher approach. You could "accidentally" run over some nails or screws. Or slash one of the tires when it is parked. Then they will be forced to replace them both.

spots

[quote author=RamDan03 link=board=10;threadid=23862;start=0#msg225037 date=1071671103]
Like others said, I would definitely go above the manager's head. Get a local tire shop to do a quick inspection and write their findings on an estimate sheet. Send this to your managers. It's unfortunate that so many improperly maintained fleet vehicles are on the road.

If you don't get anything accomplished from the suggestion above, you could always take this harsher approach. You could "accidentally" run over some nails or screws. Or slash one of the tires when it is parked. Then they will be forced to replace them both.
[/quote]

I had initally typed that in about cutting the tires but if the manager wanted to take a criminal approach that is vandalism, even tho the tires aren't worth anything. This is why I deleted it.

Redleg

I guess another way would be to check your local law to be sure, but here, it's a 90 day misdemeanor to knowingly operate and/or knowingly allow to operate on defective equipment. Might advise him of this, and the fact that being a commercial vehicle, if there is injury when you crash, a magistrate would be inclined to impose the sentance with the fine. I doubt the company would be standing by his decision then.

Mule Skinner

Father in law had similar issue with tractor trailer he drove a round town, told his son (cop) where he would be at given time of the day and arrainged a stop, had a fellow officer call DOT (keep son out of issue) and the truck was parked til fixed. Too bad employees have to go thru this BS to get companies to keep vehicles safe.

westcoaster

Hmmmm.... I think the sidewall might just have to catch a screw... The tire store won't repair

Dr. Evil

I guess thats a solution....but its pretty sad and doesnt say much for the company you work for, if it has to come to that......

Good luck.

scuzman00

I know that drive in movies are a thing of the past, but some local flea markets still employ the tire shredder device that used to adorn the exits of the old drive-ins. If ya approach one of these fast enough I can see 4 new tires in your vehicle's immediate future... Tell the boss that you ran over some type of metal debris... You would not be lying and you did not commit any type of malicious destruction (road hazard)....

Gary