Ever had those times when you just wanna bitch and complain? Well, I definitely do... I've had truck issues that started last week and are continuing to now:

Last Monday: I come in for the week, truck starts right up (sat the weekend) and I go to pick up my load. It's an inside dock, so after I back in, I have to shut it down. After they're done loading me, the truck won't start because of a dead spot in the starter. After about 2hrs of jumping across the starter relay on the firewall, I get it going. I drive directly to our shop and the mechanic checked it out - yup, needs a starter but they were out of them. Ok, so I just won't shut it down.

Thursday @ 1am: When I parked on Wednesday, the temp was nice, so I shut down for the night. I'd shut the truck down 5 or 6 times through the week and didn't have a problem, so I assumed I'd be ok. Ya, right, after paying $145 to get the truck jumped.

Friday: After a week of not shutting down the truck while I'm out I come in for the weekend. They put the truck into the garage and another mechanic checks the starter. He started it about 5 times and it was fine each time. So, no new starter.

Sunday: I come in to start my week and the truck won't start because of the low batteries and dead-spot. They jump me and tell me to run it.

Monday @ 4am: I wake up and go to start the truck - nope, batteries are low and it's right at the dead spot again. It's pouring down the rain and there I am jumping the relay again to get it going. Luckily it only took 2 or 3 tries and it was running.

Monday @ 6pm: I was at our terminal fueling and noticed that my coolant was low. I pull down to the garage and proceed to dump 4 gallons in. Ok, time for the shop again. The transmission cooler lines have rubbed through. Not a major job, just time consuming. The mechanic that worked on the coolant lines was the same one that originally said I needed a battery. He asked about it and I explained everything that happened. He just shook his head in disgust.

Monday @ 11pm: Finally out of the shop and time for some sleep.

Tuesday @ 5am: I wake up to start the truck. The truck has other ideas and absolutely refuses to start - low batteries and dead spot. Notice a trend here?

So, now I'm sitting about 1 mile from our shop waiting on them to do something with the truck. They came out and tried to jump me, but couldn't get it going.

Think I'll make my delivery which is 550 miles away and is due @ 7am this morning? It's 6:54am now, btw.

 

If I was you I wouldn't shut that truck off again,they don't want to fix it right then I sure wouldn't be worried about fuel.

 

Yer bitchin to the wrong crowd Mal. Your just such a kind hearted sole, not throwing the bone to a pooch and getting the problems fixed by roadservice. The boss appreciates your concervatism(is that a proper word?).

 

Well, after I posted the message this morning the shop came out and put 2 batteries in the truck. It started right up. The mechanic said to take it in to the garage so they could check it.

Their "checking it" consisted of them telling me that it was ok now. Well, we'll find out tomorrow morning after the trucks been shut down for about 10 hours. I'm sitting in eastern NC and I'm sure that any road service for them won't be cheap.

Until they fix it properly, I'll shut the truck down every night. There's nothing like a few $150-200 road service bills just to jump the truck to get them to realize it has a problem.

Then, to top it off, after I went to the shop this am, I ran over to the office to let dispatch know that I'd be late for my delivery (by 11 hours) and to not preplan me a load for today. They proceeded to bitch at me for being late. I told them to get trucks that don't require constant repairs and I wouldn't have been late (that plus the fact that they wanted me to run 900+ miles yesterday).

I'll be job searching after the first of the year. My vacation time comes available the 2nd week of January and I'm not walking away for $1,000. I'll collect my vacation pay while I'm doing orientation for another company.

And they wonder why they can't keep drivers any more...

 

If you're with the company I think you're at, I'll be glad if I'm allowed to experience that again.

I like dealing with Qualcomms better than the current company I'm at where they're always pestering me to get a new cell-phone!!
That and the "fish-out-of-water" vibe I'm getting here is disturbing.

East LA and most of California blows in general.

After being here for 21 years(I'm only 25, but suckage-detection comes early), I'm prepared to give a more, secluded, more simpler area a shot.

 

We have QC's, but still do quite a bit of cell-phone business as well. Our dispatchers sometimes have the idea that their job is to only get the loads, not to get information that the driver needs, such as directions, appointment times, p/u & del numbers, an address and many times, not even a phone number.

Small companies definitely have their benefits, but they also have a huge number of drawbacks, such as older equipment, crap benefits, etc.

I doubt I'm with the company you're thinking of. We're out of WV and the drivers have to live local - the trucks have to be in the terminal yard every weekend, unless we're running a load, of course.

 

Well, that settles that.

I'm basically a driver for a small, fleet owner that's leased out to a small, local dray-company.
Just look at the other threads of mine and that'll give some hints.

 

Wow - the truck actually started this morning on it's own. It didn't seem too happy about it, but it did start.

 

BOL Malaki. I sure am sorry to hear about the problems that you are having. Maybe some Mingo County lubrication would help? Hang in there.

 

Spoke too soon. I had to drive maybe 1 mile for my p/u. It's an inside dock, so I had to shut down again. Guess what - it's in the dock now and won't start. Road service is enroute.