I've been in this truck (2007 Volvo 670) since I came back to work here in August. Every week I've had it written up for the same thing, an air leak under the cab, every weekend. I've also put the truck into the shop during the week for that exact same problem. It's a very audible leak and, with the engine shut off, will completely drain the air tanks in under 5 minutes.

Well, this morning as I was putting fuel in the truck, the company owner came out of the office and walked past my truck. I saw him turn his head towards the noise of the leak, so I casually said "You'd think the mechanics could find a leak that bad, wouldn't you?" He continued on without saying a word to me and walked to the garage. Before I finished fueling up, a mechanic came to me and told me which bay to pull the truck into. Incredibly, the air leak is fixed.

That's not all, though. Since my issue with the engine dumping oil into the cooling system (not happening any more), I've been having cooling issues. The first one to come up was my heater core in the front going bad (fogging up the windows). That one took 2 weeks before they fixed it. I mentioned to the mechanic that he might want to change out the heater hoses because you could see where antifreeze was "weeping" out of the hose (not leaking, but you could see antifreeze on the outside of the hose). His reply to me was that I didn't know WTF I was talking about and the hose didn't need changed. That was on a Thursday. The following Monday, I blew a heater hose while on the road. That $2 piece of hose cost the company $227 to get repaired.

I also get random whiffs of antifreeze around the truck. Not constant or on a 'normal' basis, but it's there. Yesterday I noticed the radiator steaming and could smell it pretty decent. I topped the tank off and drove the 400 miles to the shop. This morning it was a gallon low on fluid. Well, when I put the truck into the shop for the air leak, I also wrote it up for the coolant leak and explained to him exactly what it was doing. Guess what? He didn't so much as open the hood on the truck to check the coolant leak. I was in the truck/shop the entire time and he did nada.

That crap drives me insane...

Gotta tell one "truckers story" that's related to my original issue (the air leak):
While I was at the shop today, I was talking to another one of our drivers. You know, how's it going, running hard, why's your truck in the shop, blah blah blah. When I told him about the air leak and how often it's been written up, he laughed and said that another driver of ours had the exact same problem - they knew what the problem was, but didn't want to order a replacement valve that it needed. Well, the last time it was in the shop, the driver got into an argument with the mechanic over the air leak. The mechanic used his normal "you're a driver, not a mechanic and you don't know" line on him. So, the driver pulled out of the shop and bobtailed to the weigh station less than 2 miles from our shop. He pulled in, parked, walked inside and told the DOT officer "My garage can't find the air leak under my truck. So, I was just wondering if you could." Needless to say, the DOT found the air leak and the driver had that new valve installed the same day.

WHY would they fix the trucks when drivers keep showing up to drive the junk!

Same thing happened to me in 1997 when I had the First Rear End Blow on my Truck. The Shop put in a Rebuilt one and I was like there is something Wrong. How did I know Seat of the Pants and the Oil Temp in the Engine and Tranny and that Rear End all Jumped 20 Degrees HIGHER than the old One. Shop Foreman called me a DUMB ARSE Driver that did not know what he was talking about. Well Just past the I-35/80 Spilt in Des Monies IA that Rear End LET LOOSE with a BANG. Took out itself the Thru Shaft the Front Diff Power Divider and then because the Rear Diff was Still LOCKED up as I was sliding for about 20 feet when the Pinion Shaft let loose the Ring Gear failing around took out the Housing and the Axles Broke to allow the Wheels to Spin.

Needless to say the BOSSMAN went back thru all my write-ups and saw that Every time I had been at the Yard since having that Diff put in it was on the list and the Shop had not LOOKED at it he well lets say BLEW UP. If the Diff had not been replaced by the Rebuilder along with everything else it had taken out he would have had to pay close to 15 Grand in Repair costs that week. He was NOT a happy Man at all.

Hey Mal... just checking. You're still scratching your initials in these trucks for me... right?

But... IIRC... I followed your job hopping escapades earlier this year(?) and I lost track. Which company are you with now? I just wanta make sure I scratch them off my list!

I've only worked for two companies (not counting a chitty O/O) in my 8 years. The first one, a small independent company had a good garage! I'd come in from a week trip, write anything up and park the truck in front of the garage (even if nothing wrong.) They'd fix everything, check everything, and usually have my unit under my load when I showed up for the next week's run. [and actually leave the SIGNED mechanics copy of the work order for ME to acknowledge and turn in!]

The Fedex contractor I drive for now will take my truck to Volvo (or another shop) ANYTIME I tell him there is something wrong. Just got off the phone with him about a similar leak under the cab...(foot valve according to the shop last week.) He'll have it fixed before I go out again Tuesday.

Your BOSS sounds like a stand-up guy with his mind on saving money by fixin' things at HOME (instead of on the road.) But, it seems there is no "standing policy" with his mechanics in the shop. Does he have an "open door" policy? Maybe, some of you IGNORANT drivers should coax him to have a little "policy" talk with his shop.

I've often thought about taking a diesel mechanics course on the weekends. Instead of driving to a weigh station like your "buddy" did... I was hoping you were gonna say he whipped out his mechanics CERT! I'd just LOVE to hear what the mechanic would say THEN!

BTW... I about spewed my beer when you said... "just ONE trucker's story!" Heck man... you could write a BOOK! LOL!

Keep the faith.... Be SAFE!