Watkins Shepard 30 day training as experienced by Warpdrvr

Znine · Mar 19, 2010

Whats up with the truck Warp? March Madness or the open road?

Warpdrvr · Mar 20, 2010

Znine said: ↑

Whats up with the truck Warp? March Madness or the open road?
Click to expand...

How's about March Madness ON the open road....

They finished yesterday....said the transmission was good to go...right! Still slips going into 4th and 5th gears....usually in a busy intersection or getting on the freeway

Anyways, I got my first long haul load today, a run from Socal to Canton, OH, over 2300 miles. Not bad for a first run!

So, I'll keep updated on how it's going....I only made it as far as the twin TA's in Ontario tonite, since if I ran to my first fuel stop, I probably couldn't get parking, so I'm gonna call it a nite early and hit it before dawn tomorrow.

Talk to you all later....

Znine · Mar 20, 2010

Sounds like you might have to watch it slip out of the truck. Be safe.

soon2betrucking · Mar 20, 2010

Warpdrvr said: ↑

Anyways, I got my first long haul load today, a run from Socal to Canton, OH, over 2300 miles. Not bad for a first run!
Click to expand...

yess!!!!! when you get out here you better call meeeee!!!!!!!!

Owner's Operator · Mar 20, 2010

I am assuming you'll take 40 across to 44 then to 70? It's a nice ride, have fun.

Johnontheroad · Mar 20, 2010

Your automatic is doing the same thing that a truck I drove did..

After several instances such as you describe, it continued to get worse and it wouldn't shift into any gear and the truck stopped moving altogether. This of course would always occur at the most inconvenient moments, such as rush-hour in NJ intersections. I was able to get it going again somehow, but I forget how exactly. (may have had to shut down completely and restart the engine while pushing the gear selector button in a magical manner. Hocus Pocus, I commend you, auto-shifter, to grab a gear! This was said while waving a dead chicken above the dashboard and chanting incantations..

Not long after that I was at a shipper and the thing decided it would no longer shift into any gear, even after doing my usual ritual. The engine would run but that truck wasn't going to move one inch under it's own power. Luckily that breakdown occurred in a wide open space at yard on a Saturday afternoon. If I would have been unlucky it could have happened on a DOT scale, or in an intersection, or get the drift..

That began a 7 day long stretch of me sitting in a hotel somewhere in Texas.

Anyway, I wanted to relay this story because by your description of your problems with this truck, it could be you're on a similar path and you should be prepared for it. Don't get frustrated when if it happens. Once I got the truck back, it worked great. That truck had about 360,000 miles on it when the auto-shift died and I think I remember the mechanic saying that amount of miles is the average life expectancy before serious problems begin to arise..

Warpdrvr · Mar 20, 2010

Owner's Operator said: ↑

I am assuming you'll take 40 across to 44 then to 70? It's a nice ride, have fun.
Click to expand...

Yep, that's the route the computer gave me...nice scenery so far thru Arizona and New Mexico...got a couple of nice pictures of the cool mountains

Johnontheroad said: ↑

Your automatic is doing the same thing that a truck I drove did..

After several instances such as you describe, it continued to get worse and it wouldn't shift into any gear and the truck stopped moving altogether. This of course would always occur at the most inconvenient moments, such as rush-hour in NJ intersections. I was able to get it going again somehow, but I forget how exactly. (may have had to shut down completely and restart the engine while pushing the gear selector button in a magical manner. Hocus Pocus, I commend you, auto-shifter, to grab a gear! This was said while waving a dead chicken above the dashboard and chanting incantations..

Not long after that I was at a shipper and the thing decided it would no longer shift into any gear, even after doing my usual ritual. The engine would run but that truck wasn't going to move one inch under it's own power. Luckily that breakdown occurred in a wide open space at yard on a Saturday afternoon. If I would have been unlucky it could have happened on a DOT scale, or in an intersection, or get the drift..

That began a 7 day long stretch of me sitting in a hotel somewhere in Texas.

Anyway, I wanted to relay this story because by your description of your problems with this truck, it could be you're on a similar path and you should be prepared for it. Don't get frustrated when if it happens. Once I got the truck back, it worked great. That truck had about 360,000 miles on it when the auto-shift died and I think I remember the mechanic saying that amount of miles is the average life expectancy before serious problems begin to arise..
Click to expand...

Yep, sounds like this one....mine has over 600k on it, so it should be just about ready to go kablooey.....I guess I should get a supply of dead chickens to wave over the dash...LOL

soon2betrucking said: ↑

yess!!!!! when you get out here you better call meeeee!!!!!!!!
Click to expand...

I will call you after I deliver in OH. Hopefully they give me something down south, not to that godforsaken NJ/PA area (sorry S2B, I don't like the NE). Heard today there's a good snowstorm in Oklahoma, hopefully I'll stay behind it far enough they can get the roads plowed.

I'm in Gallup, NM for the evening, did my full 11 today. Hitting the sack early so I can get going early....if I wouldn't have gotten here when I did, I may not have had a parking spot. No more than 10 minutes after I parked, trucks were looking and turning around looking for someplace else to park....very small TA here.

Warpdrvr · Mar 22, 2010

Sorry no update yesterday....I had a bad day. Broke down in Tucumcari, NM. About 40 miles out, got a warning that my coolant was low...so I stopped at the next exit, got out, and coolant was pouring out of the bottom of the radiator area. I called the shop, and they said to try and nurse it into town, as I may have to wait hours for a wrecker to come and get me. So, I stopped at every podunk stop between there and town and refilled the radiator. Made it into town, took it to the truck repair place and since it was Sunday, they couldn't get the part....naturally!

So, I stayed in a local Days Inn overnight, called the shop first thing this morning, and they authorized the truck repair place to fix it, but it has to wait one more day since they can get it for half price tomorrow...about $1800 bucks! So, one more day here in lovely Tucumcari..... I should have been into the Midwest by today. I guess my load will be late....

Znine · Mar 22, 2010

Sorry to read about your truck again. Hope this is the last bug worked out. Enjoy NM and will keep checking in from time to time Warp.

alex94 · Mar 23, 2010

thanks so much for that update warp. man that just sucks about your low coolant. you will get out there bud. keep your head up. be safe

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