What would happen if a truck decides to throw a hissy fit?

Trucks are no different from cars, in that there are lemons out there, and once in a while you can get afflicted with one of them. I borrowed a daycab F/L Century one time and came back from the trip with a 2 page write up of things wrong with it. And to the credit of our mechanics art the shop, they fixed everything once someone took the time to report it. usually, I find that a truck with those kinds of problems is suffering from one of two problems. Either it has been neglected in having maintenance performed because a regular driver isn't bothering to report it, or it's a truck that everybody drives, but no one is the driver. Again, if the problems aren't reported, then the mechs don;t know something is wrong with them.

Trucks do accumulate quirks and their own personalities as the miles pile up. Since we often run trucks well beyind the million mile mark, it isn't unexpected that a truck will settle into it's own groove as time passes.

Many of the things you are describing though are simply things that wear out over time. I had 3 springs break on one tractor over the 250k miles i drove it. They were the original springs and simply failed at the end of their service life. An arm rest fails becaue it gets raised up and down 50-60 times a day over a period of 5-6 years. And air bag fails because the rubber becomes saturated with road salt and grime and the rubber deteriorates. These are all replacable components, and replacing them is simply part of operating a truck.

Unless a truck is an obvious lemon from the beginning, the costs of maintenance will eventually increase as the truck ages. the key is to decide when you have spent enough and should transfer your attention to a newer machine.

 

Ditto to Burky. The way it's driven can add to the problem too. Improper shifting, over-revving, or over idle can wear a rig down prematurely. Call it rode hard, and put away wet. Then again: I had a brand new truck simply crap out on me! If it's a new truck, warranty usually helps. If it's a fleet truck (company owns it) then it's the company's responsibility to fix it. (barring driver negligence). LoL. They can and DO develope their own quirks. That's when the company usually decides to sell it.

 

I don't know I listen and talk to my truck call me crazy, but my truck has prevented me from being involved in several accidents, that if I would have left at a certain moment I would have been involved vs just driving by it.

i talked about trading my truck, and selling my truck at one point to a friend of mine and not more than a couple of days later problems started to pop up, and when I finally made the decision that I was going to do nothing, those same problems disappeared. Kinda funny but weird.

I had a brand new pro-star as a company driver about 5 years ago there wasn't a thing wrong with it, got to one customer really tough blindside back, called safety told them there was no way I could do it, was convinced to do it anyways, had another person help me, I did get the trailer into the dock but I bumped a pole with the front, I swear to you not more than 10 hrs later I started having all sorts of problems as the truck was mad at me.

so for me I would say talk nice to your truck and treat it like your trophy wife and you will find that problems will be minimal.

 

I've had a few trks with hissy fits,its like calgon take me away,lol.I hear what you're saying Lowa talk and be nice to your trk it'll be nice back.So whats this trks name?

 

My truck does not get a number, it gets a name. Treat me nice and I will keep you out of a ditch.... LOL

 

Rolled over 960,000 on the Mack I drive Friday, company truck and I've had it about 4 months now, so far more reliable than the last one I had which had a lot less miles on it.

 

Mrs marjie

 

Had a trainee constantly slamming doors, and letting the tarp unroll & crash closed. Finally....I said " what the heck did that truck ever do to YOU???".

Right over his pea-brained head.

 

SPANK IT!!

BAD TRUCK!!!!