How Not to Fill Your Gas Tank
One morning, a fleet manager got a call from a branch office a company truck had been totaled in a fire.

The fleet manager investigated and found that the driver had left home at 7 a.m. He had been running late and needed to fill up the truck with gasoline, and he also wanted to get a cup of coffee.

Entering a gas station, the driver discovered he needed to hold the handle of the pump while filling the fuel tank. Since he still wanted his coffee, he jammed the handle in place by using his cigarette lighter.
The driver entered the store at the station, and by the time he went back to his truck, he found the tank overflowing and a large puddle of gasoline on the ground.

He immediately pulled the lighter from beneath the pump handle; unfortunately, the flint stone created a spark. The spark ignited the gasoline, which started a fire, totaling the truck and half the gas station.

While the driver sustained an injury to his arm, no one else was hurt.

Watch What You Tow

Several years ago, a tow-truck technician went out on a service call to retrieve a vehicle stalled in traffic. After loading the vehicle on the tow truck, the technician headed back to the shop.

Traveling in the right-hand lane, the tech was a few miles from the shop when, looking to his left, he noticed a van slowly passing by.

The technician tried to wave to the driver, but didn’t see anyone in the  driver’s seat. Looking over again to determine what was happening, he was astonished to find the vehicle was the same van he thought he was towing!

Panicked, but quick-witted, the technician maneuvered the tow truck alongside the van, forcing it to the road’s edge.

The proud technician returned to the shop where he relayed his story of heroism to explain the new-found damage to the van. Management did not share enthusiasm for the tech’s carelessness in neglecting to secure the van to the tow truck.

One Big ‘Doggy’ Don’t

A pharmaceutical sales driver parked his vehicle in a hospital lot, leaving in the vehicle his large dog, traveling with him that day.

The driver went into the hospital for his appointment. Apparently, the dog jumped into the vehicle’s front seat, knocking the vehicle out of gear with his paw. The vehicle drifted through the parking lot, striking three cars. When the driver returned, he couldn’t locate his vehicle.

According to the driver, police officers and flashing lights were everywhere, and his vehicle right in the middle of everything. The dog? Asleep like an angel in the back seat.

 

Keep Hands and Arms Inside the Vehicle at All Times

A driver was in his car while going through an automatic carwash when he realized he needed to get something from the back seat.

Believing there was enough time, the driver attempted to get out of the car  in the middle of the carwash.

The carwash mechanism hit the open door, and the driver wanted to know why the carwash owner would not take responsibility for the damage.

No Smoking – or Spitting!

One company’s policy prohibited smoking on any company property — including company vehicles.

The fleet manager reports, “I guess we should have been more specific and had a “no tobacco” policy. One rep tooled around all day with a spittoon in the company vehicle until I found out. Yuck!”

About the author
Lauren Fletcher

Lauren Fletcher

Executive Editor - Fleet, Trucking & Transportation

Lauren Fletcher is Executive Editor for the Fleet, Trucking & Transportation Group. She has covered the truck fleet industry since 2006. Her bright personality helps lead the team's content strategy and focuses on growth, education, and motivation.

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