Where is everyone #5

If it's not changing the dye color, i wpuld look at compressor or EGR cooler as @ElmerFudpucker mentioned.

Pretty much 3 ways to get pressure from a cylinder. Head gasket, injector cups, or cavitation in a liner.

All of them would have caused that dye to change color.

Air compressor wouldn't cause a color change.

But if you're losing coolant, but not because of pressure in the cooling system, start by looking at that EGR cooler.

 

I gotta question for you guys. I've mentioned a customer of mine in the rock business.

Guy pays great, easy to deal with, no drama. Keeps me pretty busy on my loads out of here from April to November ish. All of his customers are great to deal with. All of the loads go west, which I like

One of his customers in Salt Lake has had a broker approach them about hauling this rock. Apparently for 750$ less than my rate.

He called last night asking if I could help him on the rate, for this customer only. He wants to avoid any brokering for several reasons. Probably the biggest though, if his customers find out where he's buying rock, they could cut him out.

I've never been one trying to get business by being cheaper than everybody else, I try to be better than everyone else. But, it's a load rock anybody can haul.

I really hate to cut that rate. He says it's only this one customer balking. I quoted him normal rates last week for some new customers he's picked up across Idaho, with no pushback.

At the reduced rate, I'm still doing good with todays fuel prices. My biggest concern of course, is him thinking I'll drop the rate on my other runs. If that happened, I'd just have to fire the customer.

What would you guys do in this situation?

 

Cavitation would mostly likely put coolant in the oil as well. So if no water in the oil I wouldn’t think that’s it. Dollar’s to doughnuts I’m betting it’s the gasket. Just don’t know why. Sunk liner, cracked head or bad tune. Those are my guesses

 

Are you still happy with the new rate? Maybe cut it by less than 750. Maybe raise the others to compensate.

Someone is always going to come after your freight. Do what you can until the juice isn’t worth the squeeze.

 

I remind my customers why we have done business all these years. On time if not early delivery. Taking care of him when... Having someone he could trust. I then run the numbers. None of my expenses have gone down, has his? Let him think about it.

To mention the obvious, I don't just have one good customer. You are in a pickle you need to grow a bit. One maybe two drivers that you know really well and would have your back. Then go find customers cut from the same cloth. They both still exist.

 

It really sounds like it’s your customer’s problem. It also sounds like he is passing freight charges to his customers. He could just as easily eat the cost. Especially if he’s trying to protect the fact that it’s a blind shipment.

But you know him and how hard you can push back. You may piss him off and lose it all. Decisions, decisions

 

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It really is his problem. While other guys can deliver the rock, nobody's gonna get it done like I will. I think that's why he called.

The big customer in SLC is one of the biggest players in construction matl's out west. They have commented multiple times to him, "Make sure that guy brings my stuff"

@ElmerFudpucker If I was sittin at home watchin the LB's for work, I might grab a load at that reduced rate.

@TX2Day, Yeah, I've entertained the thought of buying another truck. If these loads across Idaho pan out, I won't be able to haul it all anyways. I have a guy who would drive it, and he's good.

But honestly, I'm pretty happy with where I'm at, and don't want, like, or need the added stress. Also, I never really intended to have any dedicated customers, it just kinda happened.

A couple good hands who could pick up the slack with their own trucks would be great. You would think that would be easy, but...

Think I'll just stay where I'm at. He needs me to haul it more than I need to haul it for him. I like the guy and want him to continue to succeed, we'll see how it plays out.

 

Every one of my customers has cut the rate once or more in the last year. It’s difficult to swallow but I always look at my alternatives. am I better or worse if I leave for something else? It caused me to buy some different equipment and do some different lanes but… at the end of the week the “new rates” with the old customers still make the best business but not good for my pride. (If that had anything to do with it?)

Also I look at all my customers as a collective. They all have to mesh together otherwise the whole trip falls apart and they know that. But they don’t know each other… I’ve been able to stay off some of the cuts but not all of them.
One of my customers even started managing his own trucking thinking he could do it better? Jury is still out but he calls me every week telling me how difficult it is…

 

This was my original thought as well was the egr cooler. And so that took me down the path of tearing down that side of the engine because I had a spare egr cooler on my shelf.. the truck has been demandated and egr cooler blocked off so no air flow.. i thought well maybe it leaking internally and just evaporating aince there still coolant rolunning thru it . but like I said when I pulled the exhaust manifold the exhaust ports were wet and valves look steam cleaned which leads me to believe it is being burned, since egr cooler is downstream of the exhaust manifold I essentially ruled it out . Is that correct line of thinking ? Just thinking out loud here.
I tried to do every test I could when I parked it, short of pulling the pan and pressuring the cooling system. Who knows at this point with it been sitting so long it's probably only gotten worse

I appreciate the info

 

The moisture inside the exhaust could pretty much only come from inside the clyinder or head. But, if coolant can get into the cylinder, combustion gasses will definitely get into the coolant, which should have turned your dye green or yellow.

One thing I'll do in questionable instances is put a pressure tester on the radiator with zero pressure. Start the truck and let it warm up.

In my experience, a truck with no internal issues doesn't go over 3-4 psi sitting at high idle, even setting for hours at high idle.

If you hit 7 or 8 psi pretty quick, you've got issues.

I'm not sure what year your truck is, but most of my ISX knowledge is early stuff.

Some other guys may have more pertinent info.