It Just Keeps Getting Better

Background: I've had this issue with my tranny for years. It's an automatic ten-speed. Like all commercial diesels, it has a high and low range. Fifth gear is the top of low range, and sixth is the bottom of high.

When it's cold, sometimes my tranny fails to get into sixth gear. It tries and "misses", tries/misses again, and then gears down while disengaged, and remains disengaged--stranding me wherever I rolled to a stop.

Twice I took it to a Freightliner, and they repeated the same steps the second time, including charging me every penny of what I paid the first time. And the problem came right back.

I learned to live with it. I warmed it up longer. I shifted and rolled a little between reverse and foreward several times. I made sure to have a safe spot in case it screwed me again. When it did strand me, I shut down and let it sit for ten minutes. The computer--which had me now in "failure" mode--would refuse to even let me start, until I did this.

OK second background issue: My old steer tires had worn unevenly. When that happens, it gets worse over time, until the vibrations and pulling threaten to shake everything apart and make you lose control.

So a few months ago, I got new steers.

More recently, I almost lost a wheel bearing. I got that fixed, but now the NEW tires had worn unevenly, and now, already, have reached the dangerous stage. So I pulled in here to Cinci to get that fixed: Replace the steers, get an alignment, knock out a DOT inspection--take care of any other issues they found.

Oh yeah. And found issues they did. I needed both bushings on the springs. One of the bushings was shot so I needed a whole new leaf spring. I needed a drive tire. A wheel seal was leaking. Some brake drums were cracked. I needed some shoes.

Almost forgot: Robert the boss called me at 6:30 am to tell me that my tranny was in failure mode and he couldn't get it off his rack, and he had work backing up. I told him to try the reset thing, then realized that it was above freezing, it had sat in a heated shop overnight, and there was no way they'd got it anywhere near high range. It had simply failed while sitting there.

They dragged it outside with a towmotor, and I fiddled around sith it, including disconnecting the battery for ten minutes. Nothing worked. moreover, I was out of air. Robert was kind enough to have his road service guy pump air into my tank. I have two air tanks. The primary fills first, then the secondary fills. Except it didn't. The seconday tank remained empty.

I had to once again call Korena and tell her that after being stuck over the weekend getting repaired, I was out of commission again. Fortunately, I hadn't been committed to a load, and the broker had plenty of time to get the air freight covered.

Robert got me a two truck to two me the 200 feet to the Freighliner (another lucky thing) for 100 bucks (believe it or not that's a good deal). And another lucky thing is that unlike most Freightliners, they said they could get me in to look at it last night or this morning.

I'd left my suitcase and (more importantly) my trailer here at Days Inn. So this time I had to call a cab to get back here.

Today is wednesday and I've been here since friday. The bill for the suspension repairs and three tires was 2450. I still need the rest of the alignment, and Freightliner is too backed up to do that--and will only do the full alignment. But they'll do my DOT while they're doing the other stuff, and I'm hoping Robert can get me in/out quick...

Oh no--I can't skip that! New bushing and spring and no alignment? That's a great way to wear out my drives at light-speed like I did the steers!!! I get 100,000 mile tires and they last 35,000--no more of that crap!

I can hear Korena's frustration, though she works har to hide it. Might be fear, too: She just got this lucrative air-freight gig for me (and her), and now I may miss an available run. While I haven't compromised any loads, still somebody else could get in there and nail it down--acing us out.

I swear, it challenges my rationality. It's hard for me not to conclude that I'm cursed.

And I'm scared about the Freightliner bill, and just how bad this problem is.

Korena asked me if I thought I'd be cack on the road today. I really doubt that.

It's 0940 so I'll check on it...

they won't get it in til this afternoon...