Worst breakdown experience?

Discussion in 'LTL and Local Delivery Trucking Forum' started by Mehsurewhynot, Sep 7, 2021.

  1. Mehsurewhynot

    Mehsurewhynot Bobtail Member

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    Aug 31, 2021
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    What is the worst breakdown experience youve had? Currently sitting in a day cab 5 hours into my run and heard a pop. And trailer went dead (lights) pulled over. Started working again. Go to move and they go out. Checked everything i could think of.
     
    JSanborn103 Thanks this.
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  3. HoneyBadger67

    HoneyBadger67 Road Train Member

    2,056
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    Dec 15, 2018
    Savannah, TN
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    Worst breakdown?
    After truck was hit by lightning one of the hot battery leads would ground out to the frame. I didn't know it was grounding at first, just knew if I wiggled 'this' cable the truck would run again.

    Running through PA, hit a bump and truck shut down going uphill at a busy freeway intersection. All the locals were barreling around the curved on ramp and I was at the end of it.

    Got on the radio and hollered about the disabled truck at the end of the ramp and then got out to see what kind of room I had behind me. Backed onto the shoulder and waited for the breakers to reset, made my way to nearest fuel stop and called breakdown in the morning.

    It doesn't sound bad, but with no lights and the speed the locals were running, coupled with still being a rookie, it was a pretty tense situation.
     
    Mototom and Mehsurewhynot Thank this.
  4. Old_n_gray

    Old_n_gray Road Train Member

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    Apr 9, 2016
    western pa
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    Blew a radiator hose at the 104 exit in Pa on 81, 52 miles from yard. Sat 13 hours waiting on service truck. Still finished my run to my EOL terminal. 480 miles later.
     
    bzinger Thanks this.
  5. Cattleman84

    Cattleman84 Road Train Member

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    Nov 1, 2017
    The Sticks, Idaho
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    Dropped the oil pickup tube to the oil pump... Wiped the engine out before I could get it shut down. Sat on the shoulder for 6 hours for a tow. Luckily I was only about 50 miles from home base.
     
    bzinger Thanks this.
  6. bzinger

    bzinger Road Train Member

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    Dec 10, 2014
    omaha , ne
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    I've never really had any real harrowing breakdowns but i have twice brokedown at the top of 2 mountains requiring towing of the 78k truck and trailer down the mountain by a couple wrecker drivers I'm sure we're related to evel knevel !
     
  7. John E.

    John E. Light Load Member

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    Apr 4, 2021
    New Brunswick
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    From a financial standpoint being an independent operator was pulling my hood up and finding water in my oil. Happened at the Flyin J in Fargo, ND.
    Ended up bobtailing from Fargo to New Brunswick, Canada in a snow storm, a big one all the way back to home base in the middle of February.
    Was running a 444 hp cummins at the time. Pulled the engine apart at home, bought new liners , pistons, bearings, heads and cam rollers. Was 7 days installing the new in frame. Got lucky that time and run the truck another half a million miles before I sold it. Yeah, them was some tough yrs.
    But, that was the truck that started to bring it all together for me.
     
    HoneyBadger67 and bzinger Thank this.
  8. HoneyBadger67

    HoneyBadger67 Road Train Member

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    Dec 15, 2018
    Savannah, TN
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    I had one where I broke down on a high crossing er in Dallas with a combine. International boat anchor quit on me and wouldn't fire up again. Luckily I'd made it past the apex of the climb and was able to roll down the ramp and park in the middle of the merge, giving myself and the wrecker just a bit of breathing space.
     
    bzinger Thanks this.
  9. snowbird_89

    snowbird_89 Road Train Member

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    Aug 21, 2009
    Massachusetts
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    One night I was on a two lane road and the truck just shut down right before a curve. Luckily it was in an urban area where the speed limit was like 35 MPH. I still had some people pissed off at me like it was my fault. I called the local police for assistance directing traffic. Even the cop gave me an attitude. People behind me had to cross the double solid line to get by me. This was in the winter time when the temperature was like below 30°. Think I waited at least 1.5 hours for a tow truck. Truck was a 2012 International Transtar with junk Maxxforce engine. I remember the message on the dashboard said "electrical fault". Few days later, mechanic told me it was a bad fuse that caused the truck to just shut down.
     
    bzinger Thanks this.
  10. Digman943

    Digman943 Medium Load Member

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    Mar 17, 2016
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    I have a lights and signals curse on me. Usually they get fixed in the yard or the freight has to be swung into another trailer. I had a brake lock up on my rear trailer going 65. Was only the drivers side brake. I had to bust out the fire extinguisher to put it out. No air leaks and shoes looked fine on pretrip. A tow truck ended up towing the load to a near by yard.
     
    bzinger Thanks this.
  11. slim shady

    slim shady Road Train Member

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    Sep 14, 2011
    Chicago, Il.
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    Southbound I65 Indiana about the 180ish mm.
    Sitting at the bottom of a hill in a curve
    And watching all those container trucks flying by me and not even attempting to move over, "I never put on a life jacket on again Chief' These clowns were inches from my mirror let alone me.
    I will say most driver mover over but those chicago volvos?
     
    bzinger Thanks this.
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