I shouldn't complain about how other people treat their stuff

[PHPaul]

cuz it makes me money, but DAY-um some people shouldn't be allowed to operate equipment.

My neighbor/friend Dale the Builder - and his ham-fisted crew - are a steady source of repair projects. He dropped off a 5x8 trailer for "some repairs" yesterday.

Tongue jack - missing.

Lights - Every.Single.One. Missing or broken. Both tail lights and all four marker lights. And this is after I built "crash boxes" around both tail lights last year!

Wiring - In tatters. Flat 4 pin plug has been ground down from dragging on the pavement.

Fenders - I can't really blame this on abuse, it's mostly rust. Cut the remnants of both off and ground off the welds to put new ones on.

Railing - Right front corner broken almost completely off, 2/3rds of front rail twisted beyond repair.

Between, parts, steel and labor, he'll have $600 in repairs. Still cheaper than a new one, but paying attention (and not loaning your equipment out) is a lot cheaper.

 

[jimh406]

Some people are just really hard on equipment. I don't think this is fixable. At least, the people I know who are hard on equipment don't seem to learn from paying for the fixes.

Fwiw, one of my brothers blew up the engine on pretty much every vehicle he ever drove for any time no matter who owned it. Some were simply ran out of oil. He wasn't dumb but seemed to ignore even the idiot lights.

My FIL was basically the same. He didn't even notice when he lost a utility trailer on the way home from the dump. Oh, it had the safety chains on which eventually broke, and who knows what he was thinking as it was jerking the crap out of his truck.

 

[D2Cat]

When dealing the type of individual it's best to increase your charges by a good percentage. This earns more respect from the abuser. Kind of like increasing the rent gets a better tenant.

 

[GeoHorn]

If the $600 doesn’t teach the owner a lesson….. or if he doesn’t consider $600 significant….then the issue is already settled per the owner.

I wouldn’t charge more than the traditional rate for repairs….that would only make YOUR shop responsible for bad behavior…..and potentially lose the customer and his business.
It’s his equipment…and the workers are His employees….. It’s His choice to do business as he pleases with both.

He’s lucky to have you as someone who can perform quality repairs….and that’s why he keeps coming back to you

JMO

 

[lynnmor]

He wasn't dumb but seemed to ignore even the idiot lights.

I believe that is the very definition of dumb.

 

[S-G-R]

People have no respect for what isn't theirs and even sometimes for their own things. I work for what I have and look after it.

 

[chim]

I'm familiar with that stuff, Paul. The last 10 or so at work, vehicles and trailers were part of my responsibilities. We had over 20 utility trailers that ranged from smaller ones in the pics below to some much more substantial ones. Depending upon the weight rating and vintage they had no brakes, surge brakes or electric brakes. We also had several deckovers, a dump trailer and a fifth wheel.

Jacks often fell victim to drivers who somehow forgot to flip them up. Fenders were ripped off. Lighting frequently took hits. We had one guy who managed to catch the trailer cord under the jack, then cranked the jack and tore the cord off. We started using coiled harness tails and safety cable to make them almost impossible for the jack to step on and for the chains to drag on the road. The two black rings are all that's left of a tire from someone running a flat.

I came up with the armor for the lights and fender bottoms and it really cut down on the repairs. Many things that would have damaged our trailers got themselves broken instead. A bit of skateboard tape made them handy steps. Going to all LED lights and paying more attention to splices and wiring routing helped too.

 

[chim]

People have no respect for what isn't theirs and even sometimes for their own things. I work for what I have and look after it.

One of the things that could set me off was when someone said "It's only a company truck".

The first time I heard that was in 1979 when a young female apprentice used my truck and returned it with the tailgate crimped at both corners from backing into a building.

 

[S-G-R]

One of the things that could set me off was when someone said "It's only a company truck".

The first time I heard that was in 1979 when a young female apprentice used my truck and returned it with the tailgate crimped at both corners from backing into a building.

There's a construction company here who probably doesn't get a week in with a new vehicle before the tail gate is smashed or a huge dent in the box.

 

[NCL4701]

Long time ago, I had a Crown Victoria company car. Unlimited personal use for both employee and spouse when not working was part of the compensation. One weekend wife was headed to town in the company car. I was in the yard as she backed out of the garage at unusually high speed. Heard something that sounded like the crack of a .22. Look around and see what’s left of the left side mirror hanging by the wires. First thing wife says, “Good thing it was just the company car.” She didn’t care one bit. Accidents happen but the attitude got me riled pretty good tearing up a six month old car that didn’t exactly belong to us. I didn’t lose my temper but let her know that wasn’t the right attitude all.

First thing Monday morning I go to my boss’s office and tell him what happened. We walk out to the parking lot so he can look at the car, take a couple pictures for the fleet people in the home office, etc. As soon as he sees it he says, “Good thing it was just the company car.” Fleet manager calls me an hour later telling me to get it fixed, send him a bill, and if it takes more than a day, send him the bill for a rental car. No questions, no other comments.

When I got home, wife asked if I got in trouble or if they revoked her permission to drive. Told her no, boss said exactly what you did. Fleet didn’t care. Apparently no one other than me cared at all.

 

[PHPaul]

@chim : That's exactly the same sort of box I build around the tail lights on this trailer. Apparently they managed to back into something just right to smash the lights.

Same guy has an older plow truck. I've replaced both mirrors multiple times, and the tailgate twice and I see now it's missing entirely.

BRAND NEW 2024 3/4 ton GMC as his office/site truck, cleaned the passenger side mirror off it. Fancy, with lights/signals/cameras in it, $575 plus labor to replace and I won't touch it. Told him that was a dealer job.

 

[BAP]

Makes you wonder what kind of quality of work friend and crew actually does? If they treat the equipment like that then most likely they treat their work with the same kind of respect and do crappy work.

 

[jimh406]

I believe that is the very definition of dumb.

He's very artistic and can do a lot that I can't. I don't see that as dumb, but for sure, kind of oblivious to his surroundings.

 

[Scm]

Sounds like my 5x10 trailer. We paid $800 for it new back in 2015. I have moved SO much with that thing. It moved us to from MA to NH then helped get us get to MO. Easily, 10s of thousands of pallets. 1000s of hay bales. SO SO SO much. Just found a bunch of rot in the frame, maybe time to retire it. $600 would be great deal to get it up too newish again.

 

[PHPaul]

Makes you wonder what kind of quality of work friend and crew actually does? If they treat the equipment like that then most likely they treat their work with the same kind of respect and do crappy work.

Oddly enough, he's a highly respected home builder. Builds a lot of high end 7 figure plus homes.