Braking Mudflap Hanger Bracket
Topic 29556 | Page 1
First off....it is not an accident. That is "Fatality, Injury or Tow" FIT.
A smaller company may care. A large one probably wouldn't notice. At least not at prime..cause stuff happens and a $40 mud flap and bracket ia nothing.
My concern is that you are doing it while backing under a trailer and not aligned properly. Make sure you GOAL before going under. It may help. Perhaps it is happening while parking bobtail?
Or. You could just be in really cold weather. Another forum member and I both suffered from WY -40 degree cold and our nuts and bolts were cracking and breaking. Its crazy to see your wheel cover fly off or a cab extender bracket fly away.
Good luck
Bobtail:
"Bobtailing" means you are driving a tractor without a trailer attached.
1depends who you drive for2did you cause damage to another vehicle or property every company is different when it comes to minor damage or damage in general but the best thing for you to do is call it in and be honest about it ....
Ok so I have used this forum from the time I have started considering a career in trucking and still use it for advice today. However I have finally decided to actually make an account to ask a question.
I have 7 months of experience and this is the second time I have broken the hanger bracket on my tractor. I didnt rip the mudflap, its the whole bracket that snapped off. The first time I called maintenance and they made it seem like pa such a minor inconvenience but this time im afraid of what the outcome might be. Is this considered a preventable accident? How much trouble do you think I could get in over something like this?
First off....it is not an accident. That is "Fatality, Injury or Tow" FIT.
A smaller company may care. A large one probably wouldn't notice. At least not at prime..cause stuff happens and a $40 mud flap and bracket ia nothing.
My concern is that you are doing it while backing under a trailer and not aligned properly. Make sure you GOAL before going under. It may help. Perhaps it is happening while parking bobtail?
Or. You could just be in really cold weather. Another forum member and I both suffered from WY -40 degree cold and our nuts and bolts were cracking and breaking. Its crazy to see your wheel cover fly off or a cab extender bracket fly away.
Good luck
I think you misread that. I was hooked to a trailer on both occasions. I know it seems like I'm being irresponsible but believe it or not both times I did G.O.A.L. the first time It was my first month solo and I didnt think rubbing against the curb would hurt anything but I was wrong and it bent the bracket hanger but this time all that was in my way was a little mound of snow I would have driven my car through but it still managed to snap the bracket off without even damaging the mudflap some how.
Anyway, to sum up what happened in the end. I called my dm and explained what happened and even offered to pay for it out of pocket if it meant avoiding getting a preventable put on my DAC. However he told me it wasn't even considered an incident and to just get a new one put on next time im at a terminal (I run flatbed so I rarely bobtail meaning I won't be in violation) hopefully my story can help a new driver like me that gets themselves in this kind of mess. It was a lesson learned and I'm happy that I was upfront and honest about it.
Bobtail:
"Bobtailing" means you are driving a tractor without a trailer attached.
Terminal:
A facility where trucking companies operate out of, or their "home base" if you will. A lot of major companies have multiple terminals around the country which usually consist of the main office building, a drop lot for trailers, and sometimes a repair shop and wash facilities.
Dm:
Dispatcher, Fleet Manager, Driver Manager
The primary person a driver communicates with at his/her company. A dispatcher can play many roles, depending on the company's structure. Dispatchers may assign freight, file requests for home time, relay messages between the driver and management, inform customer service of any delays, change appointment times, and report information to the load planners.DAC:
Drive-A-Check Report
A truck drivers DAC report will contain detailed information about their job history of the last 10 years as a CDL driver (as required by the DOT).
It may also contain your criminal history, drug test results, DOT infractions and accident history. The program is strictly voluntary from a company standpoint, but most of the medium-to-large carriers will participate.
Most trucking companies use DAC reports as part of their hiring and background check process. It is extremely important that drivers verify that the information contained in it is correct, and have it fixed if it's not.
I think what happens sometimes is that snow pushes the flap against the tire, which then rips it off. Anyway, glad to hear it wasn't considered an incident.
Im sure thats what happened but I was just shocked that the hanger bracket snapped right off. I would have happily poked some holes on the mudflap and screwed it back in but there's not much I can do with a snapped off bracket lol
Im sure thats what happened but I was just shocked that the hanger bracket snapped right off. I would have happily poked some holes on the mudflap and screwed it back in but there's not much I can do with a snapped off bracket lol
Mudflaps and their brackets breaking or falling off are everyday occurrences. People back the trailer wheels to the curb when parking and it drips a flap off. If you do that with the tractor it can tear a flap off and bend the bracket. I've had 2 of the plastic mudflaps and the metal tube brackets between the wheels and the cab of my tractor just break off while I was driving. Never noticed them. The metal gets fatigued from road vibrations and off it goes. If your company is concerned about the cost of mudflaps and brackets then I'd start looking for a new company and they are probably broke and about to go under. Most companies replace mudflaps like many drivers I've seen out here change underwear, once a month if they're dirty...
Im sure thats what happened but I was just shocked that the hanger bracket snapped right off. I would have happily poked some holes on the mudflap and screwed it back in but there's not much I can do with a snapped off bracket lol
Sorry, you said "somehow" so I thought you weren't sure how it happened. But I see now, you meant you're not sure why the bracket broke instead of the mud flap.
New Reply:
New! Check out our help videos for a better understanding of our forum features
Preview:
Why Join Trucking Truth?
- The High Road Training Program
- The High Road Article Series
- The Friendliest Trucker's Forum Ever!
- Email Updates When New Articles Are Posted
Apply For Paid CDL Training Through TruckingTruth
Did you know you can fill out one quick form here on TruckingTruth and apply to several companies at once for paid CDL training? Seriously! The application only takes one minute. You will speak with recruiters today. There is no obligation whatsoever. Learn more and apply here:
TT On Facebook
Ok so I have used this forum from the time I have started considering a career in trucking and still use it for advice today. However I have finally decided to actually make an account to ask a question.
I have 7 months of experience and this is the second time I have broken the hanger bracket on my tractor. I didnt rip the mudflap, its the whole bracket that snapped off. The first time I called maintenance and they made it seem like such a minor inconvenience but this time im afraid of what the outcome might be. Is this considered a preventable accident? How much trouble do you think I could get in over something like this?