Taking the plunge. My journey as an O/O.

That is generally what I try to do. When I have something small that needs doing, I get it done during a 34 if possible, if I can't get it handled myself, or overnight with little hassle. When it's something bigger, I try to hold off until home time so the truck will be in the shop while I'm not needing it to make money.

The problem here is that modern trucks are apparently designed to last 500k miles of moderate use, then start falling apart.

At this point, the way the repairs keep piling on, when the truck is paid off, it's getting traded in. Rebuilt engine and new clutch and new one-box be ######. I'm paying 1700 per month for the truck right now, but I'm paying more than that per month (on average) for non-maintenance repairs, and I do not think it's going to stop. When all the major mechanicals have been replaced, I'm sure the wiring harnesses and electronic components will start falling apart.

The new plan is to buy new or lightly used with lots of warranty, as soon as I pay off the current truck.

 

Also, update.

The problem with the AC has me scratching my head and wondering if the shop is covering up something dumb that they might have done by accident when they worked on it last time. They say that some of the battery terminals were not properly connected (the batteries were replaced in early July.)

They said the compressor was not getting proper voltage to activate, though the truck was starting with no issue at all. I'm more than a little suspicious that the engine could start so easily while the compressor was not getting enough power. Especially since the fault is at a place in the electrical system that is common to both. At the battery terminals.

However, I am no electrician. It is entirely possible that my doubts are unwarranted.

 

That's exactly what the Megas are doing, except they are selling trucks to their sucker drivers rather than just sending them to the spare parts yards where they belong.

 

2016 Freightliner Cascadia, dd15, Eaton manual 10.

 

What I got through the filter from the service guy was that there was insufficient power to activate the clutch of the compressor, and the fault was traced to bad terminal connections at the batteries.

This is through a filter, I did not speak to the tech directly, but I plan to try to do so when I go to pick up the truck in about an hour.

EDIT ADD:

What you said just percolated through my brain for a minute, and I realized you did say something that might be the problem, and the service guy might have misinterpreted it.

If the compressor ground is daisy-chained with the starter ground, then it is possible that the improper/loose/bad connection was there. That would allow the starter to work correctly, while inhibiting the compressor.

The service guy might simply have misinterpreted. I will ask if I can, when I get there.