So ....10 days off. this'll be a great vacation!!

I got off my job at 4:30 Friday, and changed out into my real work clothes, to go check the oil in the truck.
I pulled the two rubber latches off, and started to pull up the hood from the center.
Terrible, sharp pain in my knee stops me cold.
I had put my rt.leg forward to push against without thinking, instead of using my left leg.
Right knee was broke in a motorcycle accident in the 80's and on again, off again, I could go a week,
or 6 months without it bothering, then I do something stupid and it reminds me.
So for the past 9 days I've had a knee brace on around the clock.

Tuesday I left at 8:00 AM to tow a Suburban and parked in a lot with an incline to deliver it.
Set driveshaft park brake, like I've done 1000 times before, and got out and walked halfway back the truck.
PING!!! I hear the cable snap, and the truck rolls down about 30 feet and smashes into a parked car!
Tractor Trailers system air keeps the brakes off, you lose air; the brakes clamp up. Mine is the opposite.
My Freightliner has air, but I pull it on to set the brake, that in turn pulls a cable into a drum on driveshaft.
So damage was about 6,000 bucks, sure my insurance will go thru the roof. I am always so safety conscious.
This just freaks me out. It was a mechanical failure, but will be a chargeable accident, cause I was driving.
This put me out of service 3 days, the closest part was in St. Louis, so they flew it overnight to Dealer.
I spent a day putting it all back together, along with changing the carrier bearing, and all the U-Joints.
So a $60.00 brake cable had me down for 3 days, and did 6 grand of damages. Wonderful.
This has to be the best vacation I have ever taken!! I go back to work at my regular job Tuesday;
and so ends the vacation from Hell, that is, if I don't get hit by a bus. At this point - it would be a relief.

 

Riiiiiiggghhhhtt! That'll fix everything.
No police involved, no charges.
Pure act of God, or someone?
I try not to lie, or even deflect the truth. Karma's a bictch.
I had vehicle in my possession, just couldn't get back in fast enough.

Wish Freightliner designed it with the same heavy duty crap
as Tractor Trailers, where your air fails and brakes slam on.
Still would need a re-design with a can pulling a rod,
Instead of pulling a dinky cable, like it is now.
So I would then be pulling the button to apply air,
to release the parking brake on the driveshaft.

My insurance is going to be outrageous now, again; I just
switched in April to a new company to get a better rate.

 

I hear you. Mickey mouse design, indeed.
Mine is an air switch on the dash, no lever on the floor, and the air can pulls the cable now, but it still goes to a wire cable that can break. Should be reverse - Air off, and it locks the brake.
Also should be activated with a rod.