- My clutch went out in Joplin. Had to get towed. Thanks to E-Trade having restricted my account due to rubber checks TO it in amounts less than my cash balance, I couldn't pay the towtruck and got it rolled into the repair bill for an extra fifteen percent.
- Got called about eleven times by dispatch and drivers asking me about loads I never heard of and info I didn't have.
- Asked repair place for a DOT inspection since it was there. They found bad brakes, leaking seals, and a bunch of other stuff. They just kept finding it and calling me at the hotel, so between them, dispatch, and drivers, I got experience as a switchboard operator.
- When the truck was finally done, the bill was over five Gs, and I didn't even have it. I was 400 short and had to get Ben the dispatcher to advance me that much. He's not supposed to since I'm an owner-op, but it was either that or make me sit with my truck held hostage.
- Despite this, I had to get my credit limit increased by a whole 300 bucks to get the 2800 left in my account out of it. E-Trade tortured me about as much as they could, making it a gruelling, painful ordeal.
- OK finally I get out and a load back. I deliver that load 5 hours early and make a desperate break for Canton in an effort to get my damned APU from hell fixed. I'd been trying for three weeks.
- I took a load picking up at 2100 and got to the APU repair place ten hours before that.
- Naturally, that wasn't enough time. Fate arranged to make sure that my deadline was passed and so was my secret safety margin before the A/C was getting recharged in the APU. Then it was done. And there was ANOTHER DAMN LEAK.
- I had to pull it out. I have to go back. That's right--ten hours, and I have to go back. I'll probably take the Albuquerque load that picks up at one a.m., be there for my APU at 0800, 19 hours early, and somehow, some way, get to the pickup at 1:15--stressed out and sleepless.
- SO, now I'm broke, owe money, must be working on an ulcer or heart attack or something, and got this damn piece of crap APU and it's co-conspirators perpetually torturing me. (I could have predicted that OTHER, additional damn leak after it all the other assorted repeat problems were allegedly fixed.)
- On the plus side, those seal leaks could have cost me my rear end, and my clutch should last over 600,000 miles. Now let's see if I can find a silver lining for the Cleveland Browns....
- Shoot me.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Wow
Friday, September 18, 2009
A Special Week
Part 1: Got a load from Albuquerque to southern California. Had a bad tire on my trailer which I had to replaceright away, thanks to the shithead who had got lucky and was able to leave it for me with tire unpopped. A rude, thinkshe'sabully almost got his ass kicked dude, by the way...
Anyway, that took three hours, so I had to bust it. Delivered ontime, of course. Then I was going for a truckstop. Made a wrong turn in Van Nuys and had to turn around. I saw another truck turning off of US1 onto Oregon street, and followed him--making a right turn.
Ever see the signs on the back of truck trailers: "This vehicle makes wide right turns", with a little picture of a dumbass stupid car getting crunched between a curb and trailer? Well, guess what happened. The driver of a city vehicle ignored my turn signal and tried to SQUEEZE past me.
Now dammit, you guys are like spastic little kids in go-carts, racing around slamming into people's legs. You need to take a damn pill. Why can't I blink? Why must you fill every available space as soon as possible? Why do I need eyes in the back of my head to look out for you? CALM DOWN dammit!!!
Sorry. Anyway that will no doubt go down as MY fault because...well I'm not sure why but that's just how it works.
At least the trailer was okay and I was able to go get my next load.
Got another flat tire immediately. Then my fuel filter got clogged in the mountains of Colorado, and I spent most of 120 miles creeping along at 15 mph. Oh yeah--and with another flat tire. Yeah--the third one.
Got to Denver and got my fuel and (overdue) oil filters replaced, plus my leaking airbag...and the trailer tire replaced. Meanwhile, E-trade had restricted my account due to a couple rubber checks TO me FOR DEPOSIT, despite the fact that I had plenty of cash in there without those checks.
I'd thought I had this fixed, so that I could pay for these repairs to my truck. WRONG. I had to sort of force the night dispatcher to stick his neck out and give me a biggger cash advance than he's supposed to. I appreciate that, and doubt that he'd get in trouble, since if I can't pay that bill I stay in Denver and can't deliver.
Oh--and E-trade that night promised me that as soon as these other guys got around to reading the email they'd sent that only a few hours after that then next day there was a pretty good chance that I would be able to use my debit card and checkbook to get at MY MONEY. Gee thanks.
Anyway, I can't go into detail, but my creativity and endurance is factoring in here.....
OK so the next morning I bust it, and pop another tire. Yeah that's right. So I limp 45 miles and get that and another one replaced...finding that the rest of them all got stuff wrong with them too....
Anyway this is the special part:
While they were working on it, I was wandering around killing time. Mostly I was on the other side of the building. I happened to be wandering through an empty bay when I looked up and saw the nose of my truck appear. It was moving.
Before I knew it I was running as fast as I ever had, hearing excited shouts and seeing a little guy in front of my truck actually trying to impede it's progress downhill towards a line of other trucks parked facing the garage.
Thank God I wear a retractable keychain so that my key was already in my hand as I came alongside the door--the bastard was just about to outrun me, but I got it unlocked and was able to get on the rail and hit the brake.
During this, I was seeing my carreer flash before my eyes. My truck and at least one other would have been totalled, and if the truck it hit was occupied the person(s) in it could have been badly injured or killed.
But today I am joyful. I mean, can you believe the LUCK? I mean, that I was right there when it happened, in time to stop it? 90% of the time I was anywhere but there, and the first clue I would have had would have been the noise of the crash (and oh yeah...I would have heard it.)
I am grateful. My company won't torture or terminate me over the Van Nuys accident. In a damn near miracle, I dodged a truck/carreer-ending smashup...life doesn't suck, ya know?
Anyway, that took three hours, so I had to bust it. Delivered ontime, of course. Then I was going for a truckstop. Made a wrong turn in Van Nuys and had to turn around. I saw another truck turning off of US1 onto Oregon street, and followed him--making a right turn.
Ever see the signs on the back of truck trailers: "This vehicle makes wide right turns", with a little picture of a dumbass stupid car getting crunched between a curb and trailer? Well, guess what happened. The driver of a city vehicle ignored my turn signal and tried to SQUEEZE past me.
Now dammit, you guys are like spastic little kids in go-carts, racing around slamming into people's legs. You need to take a damn pill. Why can't I blink? Why must you fill every available space as soon as possible? Why do I need eyes in the back of my head to look out for you? CALM DOWN dammit!!!
Sorry. Anyway that will no doubt go down as MY fault because...well I'm not sure why but that's just how it works.
At least the trailer was okay and I was able to go get my next load.
Got another flat tire immediately. Then my fuel filter got clogged in the mountains of Colorado, and I spent most of 120 miles creeping along at 15 mph. Oh yeah--and with another flat tire. Yeah--the third one.
Got to Denver and got my fuel and (overdue) oil filters replaced, plus my leaking airbag...and the trailer tire replaced. Meanwhile, E-trade had restricted my account due to a couple rubber checks TO me FOR DEPOSIT, despite the fact that I had plenty of cash in there without those checks.
I'd thought I had this fixed, so that I could pay for these repairs to my truck. WRONG. I had to sort of force the night dispatcher to stick his neck out and give me a biggger cash advance than he's supposed to. I appreciate that, and doubt that he'd get in trouble, since if I can't pay that bill I stay in Denver and can't deliver.
Oh--and E-trade that night promised me that as soon as these other guys got around to reading the email they'd sent that only a few hours after that then next day there was a pretty good chance that I would be able to use my debit card and checkbook to get at MY MONEY. Gee thanks.
Anyway, I can't go into detail, but my creativity and endurance is factoring in here.....
OK so the next morning I bust it, and pop another tire. Yeah that's right. So I limp 45 miles and get that and another one replaced...finding that the rest of them all got stuff wrong with them too....
Anyway this is the special part:
While they were working on it, I was wandering around killing time. Mostly I was on the other side of the building. I happened to be wandering through an empty bay when I looked up and saw the nose of my truck appear. It was moving.
Before I knew it I was running as fast as I ever had, hearing excited shouts and seeing a little guy in front of my truck actually trying to impede it's progress downhill towards a line of other trucks parked facing the garage.
Thank God I wear a retractable keychain so that my key was already in my hand as I came alongside the door--the bastard was just about to outrun me, but I got it unlocked and was able to get on the rail and hit the brake.
During this, I was seeing my carreer flash before my eyes. My truck and at least one other would have been totalled, and if the truck it hit was occupied the person(s) in it could have been badly injured or killed.
But today I am joyful. I mean, can you believe the LUCK? I mean, that I was right there when it happened, in time to stop it? 90% of the time I was anywhere but there, and the first clue I would have had would have been the noise of the crash (and oh yeah...I would have heard it.)
I am grateful. My company won't torture or terminate me over the Van Nuys accident. In a damn near miracle, I dodged a truck/carreer-ending smashup...life doesn't suck, ya know?
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