Central Refrigerated Truck Stop III

Yep, still here. Just haven't had much to say. Wait, now I do. "Hey CRST, please finish your biscuit and move so I can pull up and fuel my reefer."

 

Now with swift in charge.... Too much to complain about and not enough time to type... lol....

 

Ok... Here is one for you... This happened to us just yesterday.
picked up a trailer that someone dropped with NO break lights.

could not contact breakdown because we had not done a mac2.
But to do the mac2 you have to give the eta for the 90

But wait, I'm to give an eta for a load that I can't even leave the shipper with? Ya right!
So I did the mac2 but the eta was to be the 25th (even though we drop it on the 24th) I put the 26th on it.Ok that set off some bells and whistles.... lol....

But, now I do the mac55 note my location, what's wrong, what I have checked.
They reply back asking for my location and they will find someplace for me to take the trailer.

EEEEERRRRrrrrr...... Wrong answer.
i now call breakdown on the phone.
Tell them I'm a Central truck and I get the "oh your Central. I'll transfer you to Central's shop"
Jerod at Central starts listing places to take it. I tell him "this trailer is not going any where with no break lights" He tells me "oh no, I'll call them to come out"

Next thing I get a call back form Swift telling me they are sending a service truck out from Denver (we are in Aurora... 15 minutes from the shop) so I go over with him that I have checked fuses, But I didn't have another relay to replace it but I did check and have power at the pigtail and that we got power back as far as the trailer.... Nothing at the lights.

Now the kid they sent out (yes kid, he is younger than me... He is a kid. lol... ) is nice but he came out with a socket set and a screw driver...

First he checks the fuses in the truck, then the replaces the relay I didn't have and still no break lights.

He starts digging around the service truck and come up with a roll of wire and asks if I have an extra light bulb. We'll I pulled out my light box and tell him to "choose one". My trailer light box only has about 25 to 30 different lights and theirs connections. He finds one and I ask what is going to do?
He tells me he need to make a tester, he didn't bring one. So I ask if he want to us mine?
Now I have to start pulling out, my air fitting box, parts box, light box for the truck, wire connector boxes and then I get to my tool box.
So he is now checking the pigtail and there is power there.... He goes and checks the lights, no power but the lights are good. He then checks the relays that are in the box that you plug the pigtail into... Those relays are good too.
So he starts tracing wires from the plug, under the trailer towards the back. As he is checking we are talking too.... I tell him that I have seen a connection under the trailers. He says there are on some but sometimes if the have to rewire some of these trailers they leave them out.
But low and behold.... He finds this ones connection. Just in front of the tandems, tucked up in the channel that runs from the front to the real, the plug eas half way unplugged. The markers and trail lights were barely plugged in but the break lights were not.
Fron the looks of thing that trailer had NOT had break lights sense before the last snow storm.... The road sand and crap that was built up on it to the point it had to be cleaned off before it could be reconnected.

I did get a some what compliment, I think.....
He said he has never seen a driver that is as well equipped and prepared as I was....

 

Ok... So I'm going to ask a question here...

What do others carry with them as far as extras... Lights, glad hand rubbers etc?

 

I keep a first aid kit extra blankets and a survival kit. I dont have a large supply of lights or a tool box though. I also keep extra oil antifreeze and windshield washer fluid, a extra pair of windshield wipers and a couple of break chambers. Just in case one of them goes out. Besides that i have a tv and an xbox 360 for when i am stuck sitting. A 600wat microwave and the fridge that came with the truck. As for not saying anything for a week i have been running like crazy. Only like 2 hours left on my 70 until i get 9hours back at midnight. Managed to get 5500 miles in one pay period thanks to finishing up 3000 miles that i finished last thursday. I am headed home i want to step out of the truck for 3 days. Its been like 4 months since ive been home. I wonder if my junk is still there or if it grew legs.......

 

I am keeping my fingers crossed and hoping i dont get anymore double dispatched loads.

 

Hey anyone know if you can buy your truck early with the lease to own which is what my contract is. I was a dork and didnt screw the lid all the way on some juice and it leaked out the fridge into the drawer where i had my contract stashed with a bunch of completed trips so i need a new copy of my contract......

 

Fluids, a tool bag, fuses, extra headlamps. No rubbers! I had a vasectomy and I trust my girlfriend.

 

i carry a tool kit, lights, glad hand rubbers, spare fuel filter, air line splice kit, fuses, bailing wire, duct tape