[scottyjoe]

Starter solenoid doesn't click, I would check to see if any lights work.
That will tell you if it is a supply (battery) problem, or a problem in the starter circuit.
Common things to check are the starter ground, the starter solenoid, maybe try to hotwire the solenoid, or just jump across it. !!Make sure you are out of gear first.!! Also an ignition switch can cause these symptoms.

My experience with these electrical gremlins is that they always come back, until you find them. Good luck. Also. I like to run my rigs clear out of fuel once, just to see how far I can go when it's almost on E

Thanks, very interesting read.

[Novacane]

I just woke up from a nice sleep, sometimes the truck is the most comfortable place on earth, other times, well you know. Not too much happened today, I had a short 3 hour trip to the consignee, and it was a pretty decent little place, had me unloaded in a jiffy.

I even got dispatched to another load nice and quick, AND it's over 800 miles, AND they are getting me home even though I said I could work the weekend to make up for missing so much, AND it was a no tarp load, cool. 8)

I have to drive about 150 miles south, almost to the WI, IL state line, and the weather was nothing short of beautiful. I started the day further north where there was still some snow on the ground, and as I went more and more south, the temps kept climbing(it wasn't cold where there was snow left, in the mid 40's) and the snow diminishing to reveal the wonderful land up here. If it weren't for being so darn cold, I could handle living up here, just wonderful stuff.

Anyway, I have this great weather, quick loads, decent miles, and lots of driving with little traffic, cool. 8) I get to my shipper, and find out that the load I am there to pick up isn't ready, and they are saying that it isn't supposed to load till Monday morning, man this will screw me out of a weekend both on miles, and home time, but oh well, it happens, small price to pay for a great day so far. I talked with them, and they said they would try to help me out and get me loaded today, I told them not to worry about it if they wanted to pay me for sitting there(that seemed to get the wheels rolling a little quicker, remember I said SEEMED).

I got there just before 1:30, and finally started getting loaded around 6:20, finished strapping down the load(had to use all 14 straps, and two portable wenches to get it right) and thankfully had just enough to secure the load using everything I had, whew, that was a close one. It took me a little longer than usual because of the way it was loaded, but was finished by 7:30, and unfortunately out of hours as well. I asked to park there, and they said no problem, so I laid down, and just woke up!

That's just about it, sorry nothing more exciting happened, but that's the way it goes, lol. I guess I will get off here, to be honest, I don't know where the wifi signal I am getting is coming from, and don't want to get in trouble for using it, although I think it's the business where I am at judging by the name.

So take it easy everyone, and lets head south toward the volunteer baby!

[casanova419]

hey how are you i been reading your stories im very impressed all those things that has happen to you but your still standing tall im happy for you by the way did you get the bank situation finally solve me im an enginner for the railroad but im planning to go back on the road so if i do it be great when im on the road to meet you ur nickname should be "standing-tall" :wink: im planning to go with central refrigerated service or maybe ffe hey keep up your diaries i really enjoy them bye fornow hope to chat with you some more take care

[Novacane]

Well, I took my tank tracks to the consignee first thing this morning, and had no problem getting unloaded, no long lines, weather was good, cool 8)

I waited for them to dispatch me another load about an hour, and finally was told to head to Ellenwood to pick up a relay load that scored me a whopping 200 miles, well, almost. I got there, found the trailer, holy moly!! This thing has to have 300 bungees on it, seriously, this driver just went crazy, but hey, it was totally secure. I think that it was either someone that was new and didn't know better or it was someone that was wanting to get rid of the old inner tube bungees because it seems as though we are getting more and more quality bungees now. I don't know if they are going to quit using the old ones or what, but I sure do hope so, I am so tired of being slapped by one that breaks from being dry rotted, it stings :shock:

I got my paperwork and noticed that if the load doesn't get delivered today that they won't accept it, so I knew I had to move it, and I also knew that they didn't give me enough time to make it considering that I had to make two different drops. So when the qualcomm beeped, I got the address and started to move. I got the rest of the information while I was on my way to get fueled up, but didn't bother to check it since I would have to stop to do so.

I made it to the fuel stop and got the other address, and decided to call both of them and let them know that I was on my way, and would have to deliver early to one, and possibly late to the other. There was just one problem, I didn't pay close enough attention, and just figured that the first qualcom message was the first place I was supposed to go to, but it wasn't.

So even though I called the places to let them know my schedule, I messed up. I told the first place I would be early, but actually that should have been my second drop. I told the second place I would be late, and that should have been the first place I stopped at, get it? ops:

Even though I called and said I would be late, I actually delivered to the first place early(which should have been my second drop) which made the people there happy. But the place I called and said I would be early to, called(at this point I still didn't realize my mistake) and asked where I was, I told him and he got mad, then told me to be there by 4 or they would be gone, uh oh.

I don't even take the time to fold the tarp right, I just do it quickly and strap it down good to the trailer and head out. I actually make it there, to see that the parking lot I am supposed to pull into is full of cars, and I mean full. I was carrying fiberglass material, and this looked like a custom car shop.

There was just no where to put the truck, nobody could have done it, there just was no room whatsoever. I have to sit in the street and wait for them to move these cars(mostly limo's) some that were just bare bodies that had to moved with a forklift. They finally made enough room for me to back in there up a double "s" route, with high dollar cars on both sides.

I would not have been able to do this last year, but thankfully, I have had so much practice that it was not that big of a deal, I was just nervous because everything was expensive(I am parked next to a stretched hummer that would knock you're socks off as we speak). 8)

So I finally get unloaded, and ask to sleep in the parking lot for the night, and they said no problem, they were pretty cool and understood that I was out of hours. So I shut down here, and have to go down the road a little ways to get to a steel plant, pick up a load of steel, and take it to Virginia, not great miles at a little over 500, but better than today. Plus I have to come back, so round trip it will be a thousand.

Another cool thing was that I asked to be back by the 17th because I had to meet with the detective on my theft case, plus that is the day I am supposed to find out if I get my money back or not, and I would like to be there in person to throw a fit if they try to screw me out of it. I was told today that they are shooting to get me home by 3 pm on Thursday, and I thought that was awesome, especially with such short notice.

I am beginning to feel good about the decision to stay with Roehl through thick and thin, they do surprise me every now and then. Plus they are going to practical miles(if they don't keep putting it off) and there is a rumor going around that the qualcom is going, and that all trucks will get laptops with a new program that pretty much does away with dispatchers, and supposedly lets the driver be his own dispatcher and choose loads and hometime.

Now, this doesn't sound right, but maybe there is SOME truth to it, time will tell. The only thing that makes me want to believe it, is that I have heard it from several reliable sources. I don't know how a driver could pick his or her own loads and hometime, the good loads would go instantly and no one would want to take the short runs. But there is supposed to be some companies out there now using a similar system, and I was wondering if anyone has heard of such a thing?

Well, lets go to Virginia!

[Novacane]

Not such a good day..........

I got up and arrived at my shipper early this morning, but as soon as I started getting loaded, I knew that I wasn't going to be happy. I was getting a load of steel, and that's no big deal, but this was a load of different size and shape metal, and that's not good for securement.

They finished up, and after throwing 4 straps, something had to give. The straps were only touching the corners of the load, because the middle was shorter than the sides, so in other words, nothing was keeping all the pieces in the middle from sliding forward or backward besides the friction of the pieces themselves.

My first thought is to build a bulkhead, front and rear, but the load was too high for that to work. So I thought I might use some dunage on top of the shorter stuff, but that would only work on so much of it, still leaving many places unsecure. I saw no way of making the load as safe as I would want, so I reluctantly called dispatch to see what I needed to do.

I don't want to mention specifics, but was told more or less that this has been an on going problem, and that I should talk with safety. This was a much better reaction than I anticipated since I figured they would be angry at me for making a "stink" about a load. I was told the main safety person was in a meeting, but a message would get to him, and he would get back with me. Happy with not being chewed out, and hopeful they wouldn't make me pull a unsafe load(in my opinion) I gladly waited even though I needed a full 10 hours of driving to make it to the consignee.

I wait from 9 in the morning till 1 pm for an answer of some kind, and finally got it, seems as though the safety person doesn't even know of my situation, and tells me to let him know whats specifically happening. I tell him, and he says to just build a bulkhead and it should be fine. I have waited all day(and didn't finish covering the load since I just knew they wouldn't make me pull it since they say they are so safety conscious) to find out that I have to pull it anyway, and there is no way I can make it on time. I was literally seeing red, I could have been tarped as good as possible, and halfway there if they told me they weren't going to do anything to help me out. Safety said he called the company, and they said once it's loaded, they won't touch it again, so I am stuck.

It takes me twice the normal time to tarp because I have to use every single piece of dunage I have trying to make the load as safe as possible. I also added extra pieces of tarp on the front and back of the load, hoping that would help a little. I finally got it to the point that the company would call it safe, but I still didn't feel 100% about it, but of course I have a higher standard when it comes to doing my job. I just have no wish to die, nor kill an innocent person because the load isn't perfect. I don't want to pull something that "should be safe" I pull things I KNOW are safe.

It was a work of art really, and a lot of hard work, but after driving all day(what was left of it) the load still sets where it was, so I guess I did something right. I am just really disappointed that I tell them I don't feel safe with the load, and they don't do anything with all the safety they preach. I snapped some pics of it to prove what it looked like before I strapped it down, and some pics of how I secured the load in the end for future reference if needed.

I finally got on my way, and was headed for a truckstop to fuel up, and to grab something to eat to try and put the worst part of the day behind me. I get out to fuel, and there is diesel everywhere on the ground, and what do you know, I slip, and take a small tumble, no big deal, but I got covered in fuel, my pant leg was totally soaked, man this day just keeps getting better and better.

I finish up, and go inside to pay, and tell the people that fuel was every where and it was slick. They gave me a free shower(besides the one I got for fueling) and free washer and dryer to clean my clothes. So even though I should have got back to the road, I figured the rest of my day has been a waste, why not take advantage and clean up instead of getting fuel every where in the truck, and still not being able to make it.

So I hurried and and took a shower while my clothes were washing, then got a bite to eat waiting for them to dry I finished my meal before the dryer was finished, so I decided to go ahead, pull them out and hit the road since I had been there over an hour counting fueling time. I got in the truck, hung up the almost dry clothes, and realized just how much better my day was, wow a shower is a miracle worker every once and a while, and even though I felt bad about wasting time, I was very glad I did, and the rest of the day was better because of it.

Anyway, I am just glad the day is over, and will be even more happy when I can deliver this load. Nothing much to mention today other than that load, so maybe something better to report tomorrow.

Now, lets go to Virginia!(and actually make it this time)

[mrdoregon56]

WOW :shock::shock::shock::shock::shock: this stuff you cant make up.

I am so impressed about your concern for safety. To me that has to be
job 1 in all regards to whatever we do.
Do you have pictures of your final piece of artwork. Id sure like to see what you came up with to secure your load.

[Novacane]

Everything I do comes back to bite me in the rear.........

I got up this morning and hit the road after checking my load(many many times and having to rearrange 3 or 4 times). I made my first mistake by trusting Roehls directions, I was in a hurry since I was cut 4 hours short yesterday, and didn't make my own, big mistake.

45 minutes after getting lost due to faulty directions, I arrive at the consignee anxious to see the end of this load. I got there around 10:30 and finally got finished up by a quarter past 12 because it was taking them a long time since there were so many different sizes and so on, it just wasn't you're typical load.

Now my arrival time was 10 am, and I arrived half an hour late, which wasn't too bad considering I figured on being around 2 hours late. If I would have just put up with the diesel on me yesterday, I would have made it, everything I do comes back to bite me in the rear. If I had got my own directions(which I do every other time) like I should have, I would have made it.

Aw, don't get down on yourself novacane you might say, it was only 30 minutes, and you would have probably waited in line for that long anyway! But dispatch didn't see it that way and wrote me up for not being on time, and gave me a sound tongue lashing along with it(I almost totally lost it, if it weren't for the fact that I could have prevented it, I would have).

Look, I know that I didn't make it on time, and I know that the time was there, BUT, if they would have just told me to take the load and they weren't going to help me out in the first place yesterday, I would have easily made it.(yes this was the same dispatch that I talked with yesterday about the load)

It was just the start of another bad day. I had to drive about 2 hours to make it to my next shipper, and made it there no problem since I made my own directions to get there. I am there for the next 3 hours, first got loaded, scaled out, and I am over gross, go back, take some off, scale, and too light, go back load again, scale out, and it was ok.(I am hauling mulch)

I get tarped and hit the road, and I get a call from dispatch, seems as though they don't want to get me home by Friday morning for my meeting with the bank, lawyer and detective, even though they told me that they were going to make sure and get me home Thursday evening(I even bragged about it in a earlier post). And get this, they want me to call everyone and see if I can be there in the afternoon instead, yep, lawyers, cops, and bank investigators usually have free schedules all day long, they just set up appointments weeks ahead of time for the heck of it.

I tell him I will call him back with an answer(even though I don't think what I want matters). I just concentrate on the load, it's due in Ohio, and I want to be able to get some miles under my belt. I get a message about 6:30 and since I didn't want to stop to check it, I called to ask what the message was just in case it was important. I call, get put on hold waiting for someone to pick up, have to hang up. Few minutes later, I try again, with the same results. Wait a few more minutes, and again only manage to waste minutes on my cell phone, so screw them, I have had it, they can just wait like I do.

I drive until around 8pm, and shut down at a pilot since I was going to have to take a state hwy that probably wouldn't have any place to stop. I check the message, and it says to call dispatch!! THEY TELL ME TO CALL, AND WHEN I DO, THEY WON'T ANSWER!!!! I have now wasted more than half an hour of my minutes, and have had it, I write them a message, tell them I won't stay on hold any more, if dispatch wants me, they know my number, and in case they didn't, here it is.

I get a call about half an hour later, it was dispatch asking me what the problem was, I said I don't know, they are the ones trying to get a hold of me! She puts me on hold yet again, and comes back saying that they were wanting to know the answer about getting home. Normally I would have felt bad, but they have been jacking me around so much today, that it almost felt good to stiff them, especially since I KNOW my answer won't affect the outcome, it never has before, don't know why it would start now.

I just don't know how much more I can take, JB Hunt can't be any worse than this, and it would be drop and hook most of the time. I have been tempted with other places, but it's hard to get a job as a flat bed driver when you are a woman, and all the smaller locally owned places around here require 2 years experience, so it looks like if I do decide to make a switch, it will be to another large company where things may or may not be any better. Plus, I don't know what Roehl may put on my DAC, I know I don't deserve anything, but have heard all kinds of horror stories, though none from the horses mouth, so I don't know about the credibility of them.

I am starting to doubt myself, maybe I am not as good as I think I am. I just keep getting the short end of the stick, maybe I deserve it. I have always thought that some people wanted me to quit driving flatbed because I am a woman, but maybe I am just not good enough, or too safety conscious for my own good. I just don't' get it, I can drive, I can load, and I don't mind work, if I did, I wouldn't have started driving flatbed. Yet I get wrote up, yelled at, don't get home for important appointments(even with notice) and don't get good miles to boot most of the time.

I think I am just going to start fresh, with a clear head, put the past behind me, and try to have a perfect couple weeks to make up for all this, I will just have to work harder, try to drive more efficiently(don't know how) load faster and stay out longer, everything by the book. Maybe that will put me back on track, but I don't know, you can only be wrote up so many times, and this is my second one, the first was for going over 67 too many times. I don't even want to know how hard it will be to find a job if they put this stuff on my DAC cause the technical terms for my write ups sound horrible. Something like unsafe speeds or something that make me sound like I speed all the time or am unsafe in some way, which is totally opposite of the way I really drive, but no matter how much I explain it wouldn't matter.

All it would take is a decent offer from a good company at this point, this is my last hoorah for Roehl, I have put up with enough. If things don't work out this time, I fear I will be searching for other employment. I just want to drive! This is my dream job, it really is, but I can't take all these setbacks. Granted I have had some bad luck lately, and have required a lot from Roehl like staying home last week, and a late arrival this week, but I don't feel like I am being treated fairly, but maybe it is just me. Take care everyone, and wish me good luck, I really need it.

[navguy05]

Sorry, but I don't think you can blame dispatch entirely for your load yesterday. You said you didn't like the way it looked so you called them, which is a good idea, keep them informed. But, you sat there and lost 4 hrs staring at a load to be tarped? You sometimes have to be creative in flatbedding as to securing and tarping some loads. I know from personal experience with irregular steel, lumber, and machinery loads. You're the one out there doing the job, not the dispatcher. Sometimes you have to make a decision on your own and if you're not comfortable doing that, maybe you should find another job other than driving.
As for faulty directions, how long does it really take to pick up a phone and call the consingee and double check? I don't know you, but from what I've read on here, you're time management skills come up quite lacking. When I was driving, if I wanted a load, I was on the phone with dispatch or qualcomm till I got one. Not send them one message then take a nap and wait for them to contact me. The whole diesel fuel thing, why not wash it off your leg, change pants, and get on down the road? Wash your clothes, shower, and eat when you shut down for the night. There used to be a saying "If they ain't turnin, you ain't earnin". If your truck's not going down the highway, you're not making money for you or the company. Maybe that's why you're not getting the loads or miles you think you should. You may just be a number there, but people in the office will remember that number, for the good or bad. I'm not by any means saying scarific safety for a delivery time, that would be just plain stupid, but come on...
Do you really think it'd be any different with a drop and hook company? The first time you hook a trailer in the middle of a rainy night in a mud field that supposed be a drop yard and has to have the taillights rewired to work, you gonna figure the rest of your day is a waste and just sit there? That'll go over well, I'm sure. This is the life you chose and things don't always go as planned. You have to the best you can with what you have.

[freebird]

One thing to remember on directions, more often then not, they are directions put in by one of your fellow drivers!
After finding these mistakes are you sending in corrected directions?
If not why?
Very simple to do!!
The same goes for the "directions not found!"
When you call to get them and they work, send them back in for the next driver!!
....and it never fails, if you don't call they won't be right! :wink: :lol: :lol:

[cableman]

Originally Posted by freebird

One thing to remember on directions, more often then not, they are directions put in by one of your fellow drivers!
After finding these mistakes are you sending in corrected directions?
If not why?
Very simple to do!!
The same goes for the "directions not found!"
When you call to get them and they work, send them back in for the next driver!!
....and it never fails, if you don't call they won't be right! :wink: :lol: :lol:

Good point freebird, I know in the cable business there were times that I would get an address for a new connect or disconnect of service, but when I would go out to the supposed address either it was wrong or not the correct spellung of the street. I would call to get updated directions which they would look up on Google but those wouldn't help either. Notes in the computer given by previous tech was the best because there were in some cases that someone had been out there and now we had turn by turn directions to the address.