The Final Chapter - SRT

I had posted earlier about my wife and I driving team for SRT. Except for some minor (although irritating) complaints about the shop, we were happy there.

Then one day we picked up a load in Sc headed to Chicago. They gave us a really weird route on 2 lane US highways parallel to I40. It was a beautiful morning driving through NC on US25/70. I had to wait until I got to room to pass a golf cart and later a riding mower. Rural America is a little different from the interstates. Lots of mountains and scenery to look at on the slow drive. But then we had plenty of time.

I had picked up the load at 1:30AM. I planned to stop someplace once we got on I40 for my 10 hour break to give my wife a 34 hour reset. As I entered TN, I noticed how much nicer the roads got. It was about 15 or 20 miles until we hit I40 for fuel stop when I noticed some smoke in the mirror. I woke my wife to send a qualcom message. It was a 2 lane mountain road with no pulloff area. I could not safely stop in the road especially with all of those curves. It was arounbd 3 miles until I reached a spot to pull off the road. There was a brake fire on one of the drive axles. It was not until later I learned it was from a mechanical malfunction. There was no cell phone coverage. While I was out with the fire extinguisher my wife sent another qualcom message asking dispatch to call a fire dept. We had not been on that road before and did not know the closest town and even knowing had no way to contact anyone.

As I was trying to use the extinguisher, an airbag blew sending me back into the fence and imbedding little pieces of rubber in my skin. My wife put on a nightgown and got out of the truck. When she was away, I got back in the truck. The qualcom had a message from dispatch saying to send a macro 14 which goes to breakdown. Breakdown is in the shop and they check messages when they happen to walk by the screen and see a message. I did send a macro like instructed and got out of the truck. It was still a small brake fire. We flagged down motorists to get help from a fire dept.

The fire was growing some under the trailer and tractor. Still small, but growing. I got back in the truck and sent another qualcom message asking for help to contact a fire dept. We then flagged down more motorist as they came by to get a fire dept. It was not a busy road that Tuesday morning. None of the few motorists had a cell phone signal. A passing mailman did take off to get a fire dept and knew the closest one. Still we were waiting and the fire was growing. Against my wifes wishes I climbed in the truck once more to send a fifth qualcom message asking for help now.

As I heard the fire engine finally coming, the right diesel tank went. It was like a 30 foot blowtorch setting the aluminum trailer and and tractor body on fire. As the fire dept arrived, the 2nd fuel tank went. Our first qualcom message was just before 10AM. The fire dept was contacted at 10:38 AM by a motorist. The arrived there at 10:55AM. A minute later one arrived from the other direction. But, it was too late.

I had been so busy trying to prevent the fire from becoming major, I had not even thought to get anything out of the truck. I had thought about disconnecting the trailer, but had less than 10 feet in that small pull off to move forward and with bags exploding, etc did not risk my arm pulling the pin.

45 miutes after the trucks were there, SRT called the fire dept. ARGH!!! Everything we had was lost in the fire. We were livng in the truck and had given our home furnishings away to a reserve who needed help after his call up. After 4 hours standing beside the road, the higway patrol man gave us a ride to New Port, TN. During that time it took 3 fire depts to put out the by now big fire. The first 2 ran out of water. I had informed them of what the load was when the first truck arrived.

New Port, TN was a town of wonderful people. We got to the hotel room about 2:30PM. There was my wife in a nightgown, no footwear or clothes or her glasses. They gave us a room although I was also a mess with black rubber all over me and sooty clothes. By evening people had stopped by and my wife had clothes and footwear. We also had a ride to go and replace our medicines. Through out the next 2 days there we were treated wonderful. Even at the scene the firemen were GREAT! My wife was allowed to set in their vehicles. When I mentioned she was thirsty, they gave us so much bottled water we had some left even after we got home.

We set in the hotel room 2 days waiting for the company to decide what to do. They decided finally to terminate us. They sold the truck the same day, but I was able to get my wife's camera bag which had a pair of glasses in it. When the fire depts were getting the fire down, I was able to get in and get my wife's scortched wallet with all of her ID and medicals, etc. I wanted to get more of our stuff, but the fiberglass roof had sealed in some things. I did not know the truck was being or had been sold. I had a collection of flutes I played all over the country worth a few thousand dollars as well as cameras and computers with all our photos and persoanl info and contacts. Since the company sold the truck as unsalvagable, we were unable to ever get any of our things except one camera bag that had been on the front passnegers seat.

At home we started hunting for another job. After awhile we learned why we had been fired. The company had never given us a reason. I had assumed it had to do with fire. Although, my wife was in the sleeper and had some questions. It turned officially not to have to do anything with the fire. We were fired for misconduct. Which really seems to be preventihng us from driving again.

Again, I do not want to make a blanket statement about SRT. These are just one couples experiences as they happened. Perhaps you may find some value in them as you examine different comapnies.

Wayne

 

I wanted to add something since this may be used by someone to find info on SRT. Today we did get our third quarter bonuses at the same time the current drivers got theirs and in the correct amount. SRT always did what they said they would. Out difficulty was unusual and had nothing to do with anything the company had told us.

Wayne