The frustrations of buying a truck...

[wildkat]

OMG!!! What a week...nay 2 weeks. MEN drive me absolutely CRAZY!!!!

Why is it when you have to deal with SOME...not ALL but some...they think because you are a woman you are either stupid or ....

Well, here's my story...

Been owner operator for 27 years, just bought new Pete last fall (my avatar), been soooooo busy decided to check on buying #2 truck, got a driver, got the contract...piece of cake right? WRONG!!!

Salesman was superb...absolutely A+ it was the finance guy who nearly had be spitting. First, I told him in no uncertain terms what my terms were...I'm a cheap Scotswoman

So he comes back with an approval with terms I can't abide by & I tell him so..politely So, he's says will work on it. One week later no news, I call finally tell him contract, driver won't wait forever, give him date on when I walk.

He call me with second approval, but doesn't jibe...my gut tells me something is wonky with it. Can't put my finger on it, but I don't like it. Sounds good, but feeling is all wrong.

So I get to the dealership yesterday sit down to sign the papers..."Oh BTW says he, they want to put 35000$ lean on your house" WHAT! I go "Oh I didn't see that on the offer" Now I am CHOKED!! :evil: So I calmly (yeah right) put the pen down & looked him square in the face & said...You must think I am INCREDIBLY stupid or just plain naive! Do you really think I would be STUPID enough to jepardize my house for a TRUCK!!! You must be INSANE! Needless to say I got up & walked out. I was some MAD that if I'd have sat there for one more second I would have been spewing some pretty un-ladylike things

So, this morning at 8 am I get a call from my A+ salesman wanting to know what's wrong...so I told him. 10 minutes later I get a call from finace guys boss...seems he has taken over my file & will get back to me with proper finance offer by end of the day.

To finish this lovely tale...he calls me 1 hour ago to tell me that I have approval with terms that I wanted & if I still wanted the truck it would be ready for me to pick up next Friday.

So...wildkat has become a 2 truck operation! Have i LOST MY MIND?????

[COLT]

Good for you, it's soo easy to fall into thier traps. If I ever buy a big truck, I know who to take shoping with me You knew what you wanted, and stuck to the plan! If that Mac pipeline goe's thru, well I might be talkin to ya. I hope everything works out well. What are ya haulin where ? If you don't mind, just curious. P.S. Easy on the "men" thing, I could tell you how a woman did me wrong lately, Lady North knows that story....

[COLT]

Well now I have to tell that story... Me and my bud caught up to a loaded super at the top of a hill, (Peterson's, south of Liard) We are m/t trains, we pullout to pass... he grabs 2 atatime, then the big gear... we are governed @110 km, he's playin a dumb game with us... I have been watching a spot of pavement around the curve just for situations like this. I tell my bud to stay out, nothin comin, he'll back off when we get close to the corner, he did back off. Well, we stoped at Liard for lunch, ahwile later the truck pulls in...this huge woman gets out of the pass. side , comes in to the resteraunt and tells us off! The driver dosen't get out of the truck... No patrons in the place, just staff. (good thing) She's saying that we passed on a solid line, I calmly ask her why are we at our governed speed +, downhill, with a loaded super b of fuel holding us out in the left lane ? She didn't have an answer, she say's "I hope your happy, his side window got blown out" I was! he he Then she says you got a "big suprise" when you get to Watson. She freakin called the R.C. S, The scale house, and our head office in Niskiu.... We got to Watson, had to produce our licence's for a fax to the cop shop, I just went there, told my side, cop says go have a beer and forget about it. I did, till I got back from Inuvik! Then it all starts again! But I would never say anything against women in general... Get it kat ?

[Shawnee]

COLT, that guy must have been a real pansy if he had to get his old lady to go in and cuss you guys out,

Wildkat, good for you for not letting yourself get taken advantage of by those jerks, I have had my share of people try to rip me off because they think that I am just a stupid woman,

about the two trucks, I know I don't want more than one, but seeing that you've been at it for as long as you have I think you can handle it.

[JewelsnTools]

Wildkat,
Congratulations on your expanding fleet!! 8) You'll find small, tired people everywhere...it's just good to know that you stood your ground and held out for what YOU decided you wanted.
Huge Respect for you!!
Jewels

[LadyNorthStar]

COLT, that guy must have been a real pansy if he had to get his old lady to go in and cuss you guys out,

I know the guy, hes a SUPER pansy!

Lady North knows that story....

Yea but it wasn't me who did him wrong! (Some might read it that way. lol)

[COLT]

Thats why I had to tell the story.

[joettanne]

Congratulations Wildkat on your new endeavour! Geez, maybe should have contacted you for a driving position?

Hey, I hear ya on the purchase problems. When will some of these men catch up, and get into 2007?!!!

[Mack2]

Just to let you know the sales people do try and pull some of that same sh*t on men. Not as often but it does happen.

[wildkat]

Well it wasn't the salesman...he was Super! But then I DO have a bit of a rep around the dealership as a kind of no nonsence, don't piss with her kind of thing...guess the finance guy never heard about it!

Anytime you want to go truck shopping colt will be happy to tag along.

No prob asking what am up to. Am an o/o for Grimshaw Trucking, they are wonderful to work for, and we are SOOOO busy I inquired about putting a 2nd truck & the response I got was "yesterday"! For me that was a heck of a boost as I am the FIRST woman they've ever had on the highway (linehaul) they've had 1 before in town, but she didn't work out too good from what I heard. Anyway, I know they are pretty happy with me, so am hoping with #2 will be the same.

We truck mostly into northern Alberta & the NWT. Some is done into northern BC & Yukon, but not so much. I am in the LTL linehaul division, general freight, mostly Rocky Mountain Doubles. I prefer to stay out of "Bring Cash". I spent 10 years back & forth to Vancouver & tourists (terrorists) drive me crazy!

I'm pretty much dedicated Yellowknife & #2 truck should be pretty much the same.

Lucky for me I guess, I TRULY enjoy what I do. Makes it easy to get up & go to work every day! :wink:

[COLT]

We have the same parent company... Mullen. We've got alot of iron in the north... You buy another 379, with what engine? From edmonton ?

[wildkat]

We have the same parent company... Mullen. We've got alot of iron in the north... You buy another 379, with what engine? From edmonton ?

I can imagine... yes bought another 379 long nose, with 475 Cat, 2004, yes from Stahl in Edmonton

[COLT]

Twin turbo ? Don't much matter now... Speaking of Grimshaw, there was an interesting wreck last year... Feb 06 ? south of Grande Prairie. Tractor pulling dubs, flew off the road, down, way down the ditch, everything stayed upright.... This was the middle of the night, loaded in Draton, came back north durring daylight. The bumper, hood looked all good but there was hamburger all over the the flaps in front of the drivers ? I thought the driver must have hit an already dead moose/ elk that was in the driving lane, picking the steer axel up.... It, I'm sure was a Grimshaw. Ring a bell ?

[wildkat]

the turbo's are one behind the other (in front..whatever) :wink: once you have them you wonder how you ever did without them. they give extra *boost* when more power is required for pulling a big hill for instance (i can pass 5 axles on hills! ) the 2nd turbo only kicks in when required, it a bit of a unique sound to get used to & makes it so the engine doesn't have to work quite so hard pulling big stuff up big hills

i don't recall the accident specifically, but dead stuff & debris is a major hazard on the highway, specially at night. I nearly hit a few already dead ones already. thank god for my arctic road lights (100 w/lite) or i would have never seen it in the dark...only takes one 10,000$ repair bill to do all possible to avoid hitting anything.

on an update, brought the new truck home last night, looks good, but sure handles differently from mine. nothing wrong, just different.

Here is a quick shot of the new one:




And here is mine: