How do you deal with maintenance downtime?

@wore out gotta Laff with ya…course I’m too old for all that s### anymore
Got home couple weeks ago…we got a real young buck in shop now p/t
I knew left drag link needed to go…before I left he started on it…youngin asked me as I walked by
You ever have to do this?
Yup why?
Well it’s pretty well shot
Yup it is
You ever do it on the road
Yeah WHY(getting lil short wanting to git
So why didn’t ya just do it when you were gone as it git bad?
Cuz I done it in a parking lot before numb nuts

 

I do have to say, in my past years driving, "Ryder", & "Penske" were Outstanding. Just my Opinion.

 

Ha Ha Ha, your avatar photo is killer, ha ha ha, #### ha ha ha

 

I would pay to hear this on an album, I don't think it gets right to the heart faster than that, you should write songs on the side

 

the spare truck

 

On the mental aspect it can be very stressful, suicidal stressful, while you're down when you're are an independent owner operator - and have no financial assistence or logistical support that someone else leased on to a carrier might get otherwise. Depends what a breakdown is too but for example a common thing - blown up turbo on those newer truck with towing involved can exceed $10k. When the good paying freight is scarce, as it's been the case the last 3 years, lots of owner operators depleted their cash reserves. One break down like that could mean the end of the game or being up your neck in debt.

 

That can’t possibly be real ha ha ha ha ha ha

 

That is a good reason to stay a company driver.

 

I said, many owner operators depleted their reserves. Seasoned owner operators for many years.
There was no company driver jobs for them to stay at. Maybe, to look for.

 

As a company driver I just call the shop and tell them what is wrong and you might need a tow truck or roadside repair. If truck is still running I can drive to freighter or truck stop shop if they want. That’s the best port vs get stuck on side of road.

The wait time for repairs is like a mini vacation as company driver because they pay the motel and I stir get paid because I have a guaranteed minimum pay every week. If you don’t have guaranteed minimum pay most companies will pay you something if you can drive for a couple days or week wait for repairs.

Then you can just go explore the town you in a little or hang out in motel room and sleep and watch TV. One time truck fuel pump went out and it was going to be like 2 week repair or longer waiting for parts. My trucking company yard was only like 250 miles away. They had tow truck bring me another truck and I was not very happy because I had to move my stuff into the backup truck and keep driving no mini paid vacation. It took Freightliner like 5 week to fix the truck because the new upgraded fuel pumps were on back order.