Saying Hi! Begin my Orientation Oct 11th.

Discussion in 'KLLM' started by Romans612, Oct 3, 2010.

  1. Romans612

    Romans612 Light Load Member

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    Jul 6, 2010
    Dallas Texas
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    Well RoadToad, I can officially say I have had my first horror story concerning the shop. :biggrin_25512:

    I took a load from LA to Delaware, and right after I dropped it and picked up a load going to KY, my turbo started going out.

    Stopped at Freightliner in VA, got a hotel room, the next morning road breakdown calls me saying they dont want to pay FL $5000 for the repairs and to get the truck to Jackson. Spent 3 days waiting for a load going to Jackson, 900 miles in under a day and a half, (all overnight), had to freeze with the windows down and stop every few hours due to the massive exhaust leak.

    finally got it to Jackson, dropped it in the shop, spoke to shop super, road breakdown, John Fitzgerald, and a few others.... My list was as follows.

    1) Turbo. (poor fuel mileage, no pulling power, burned through a gallon and a half of oil in a day and a half, overheating, exhaust leak.)
    2) Brakes
    3) APU (under the 30 day clause)
    4) Inverter replaced (30 day clause)
    5) PM

    grabbed a rental car and took 6 days hometime. (was told the turbo was a five day job.)

    came back on Sunday, looked at the truck, Air to Air in the turbo was replaced, EGR valve checked, flexpipes sealed, brakes done, APU and inverter NOTHING. (PM was done on the 22nd) They worked on the truck for 2-3 days... then let it sit)

    bedded down Sunday there instead of taking a load, talked to shop Monday morning..... they played the "lets patronize the driver" bit because they didnt believe my APU wasnt working...

    (I won that arguement) Truck went into shop at 9:30am

    3:30 pm the mechanic is pouring over TK schematics and looking more frustrated than ever..... I am told "wont be ready till tomorrow."

    Now, I am pissed... Lost revenue for Sunday, Monday, and however much of Tuesday remains to be seen... had to get a pet friendly hotel for $85 out of my pocket.

    I have never not been taken care of by the company, so I will withhold judgment till after I request 2 days layover, and hotel reimbursement.

    but the shop is ...... well, it sucks.

    and why? because they didnt want to check out what the driver said 6 days ago...

    guarantee that the tech got in, turned the apu on, set it for AC, 50 degrees, waited for it to blow and thought "this driver doesnt know what he is talking about"... forget the fact that I told them there was an electrical short keeping the APU itself from starting....

    what do I know though... I have only driven this truck for 3 months.
     
    Jarhed1964 and 123456 Thank this.
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  3. the professor 94703

    the professor 94703 Light Load Member

    83
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    Oct 17, 2010
    Hope, Ar , USA
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    Romans not sure what to say. All the best to you.
     
  4. Gears

    Gears Trucker Forum STAFF - Gone, But Not Forgotten.

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    Aug 20, 2009
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    Bummer dude.
    That's not how we like to roll now is it?
    Hopefully you'll get your layover and all that stuff....and charge it to the shop.
    Take care...
     
  5. Romans612

    Romans612 Light Load Member

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    Jul 6, 2010
    Dallas Texas
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    update:

    simply spoke to John F, who is over the shop, and yet again KLLM has risen to the occasion and taken care of me. Getting layover for the days I have been and continue to wait, and they are reimbursing me for the $86 hotel room.

    KLLM continues to impress.... except for the shop...lol
     
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  6. Gears

    Gears Trucker Forum STAFF - Gone, But Not Forgotten.

    4,511
    3,184
    Aug 20, 2009
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    Wow!
    Frankly, I'm surprised!
    Hope there's some newbies reading this thread...and maybe some others that aren't so newbie:biggrin_25525:
     
  7. Mrs_Chat

    Mrs_Chat Bobtail Member

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    Sep 9, 2010
    Starke, Fl
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    Romans glad to hear that KLLM came through for you! My husband has also had some bad experiences with the KLLM shop, but the company has always been good to him. My Husband started as a company driver with the company and a few weeks ago he completed the lease purchase program. I am patiently waiting to see how this will pan out. Right now the gas prices seem so high that the actual cost of fuel is more than half of what the truck is bringing in, but he did have an off week this week. I'm wondering if this was the right business decision?!?!?!
     
  8. RoadToad69

    RoadToad69 Mistress of Mayhem

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    Sep 20, 2007
    BFE, TX
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    Oooo...wait...look...I'm the Great Karnak....was the <bleep> who patronized you Scott? Or was it Stan? I'm going to bet that it was one of the two. Those two have it down to a fine art. John wanted to call Scott into his office so "we" could address his attitude problem. I told John that Scott could kiss my shiny white southern exposure before I EVER said another word to him. John was smart enough not to pursue the meeting.

    I also addressed with John, the fact that shop supervisors and personnel do not listen to the drivers and this was causing a lot of wasted time and incomplete repairs.
    I then discussed with him the fact that when the shop personnel look at these trucks...they see trucks...but for us drivers...that is our HOME and that we spend FAR more time in our trucks than we do in our own houses. So, yes, when you kick us out of our HOME and then we are left sitting out on the curb waiting for repairs to get done and:
    A) We are not being listened to and having our concerns taken seriously;
    B) We sit out there for hours watching NO ONE doing ANYTHING to our trucks;
    and
    C) The shop personnel stonewall us, treat us like ###holes and don't communicate with us
    #### YES...WE'RE GOING TO GET HOSTILE.....SERIOUSLY HOSTILE....and we're going to be talking crazy to every shop person we encounter.

    Tell them you want an invoice for EVERYTHING that was done to your truck...and get one every time from now on.
    And when you are listing for them the problems you are having with your truck, write them down, two copies, and make them sign both. Give them one copy and keep one for yourself. A pain, somewhat...but then they can't say that you never told them about this or that problem.

    And if all else fails...stare at them like they're stupid until they start to squirm and babble. I've found that staring over the top rim of my glasses with a "Just waiting for you to realize what an idiot you sound like" look works very well.

    Oh...and Red Roof Inn...pet friendly, $45.14 a night w/ no pet deposit, Shoneys and Waffle House and several convenience stores in very easy walking distance, free WiFi and $16 cab ride from there to the yard if you don't feel like waiting for the van. I-55 north, take exit 96B, circle back under the freeway, right at the first light and follow the road around to the right and you'll see it across the street to the left when you get to the stop sign.

    RT
     
  9. RoadToad69

    RoadToad69 Mistress of Mayhem

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    Sep 20, 2007
    BFE, TX
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    As for me, all of my demands were met, I was reimbursed for my hotel expenses (4 days), they pushed all of my missed payments to the end of my lease, gave me an invoice for all work done, and my truck is, so far, running like a top.

    It just irks me that I have to go all Lizzie Borden on their butts to make them do what should have been done in the first place....

    RT
     
    Jarhed1964 and trucker43 Thank this.
  10. newbiewannadoitright

    newbiewannadoitright "Right Wing Nut Job"

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    Sep 26, 2007
    Cajun Land
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    Never underestimate the power of a pissed-off woman. :biggrin_25523:
     
  11. the professor 94703

    the professor 94703 Light Load Member

    83
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    Oct 17, 2010
    Hope, Ar , USA
    0
    RT : One of the things that has kept me at KLLM is there has always been a good group of people here, inspite of the roller coaster ride.
    Anyone remember Stephen B? And remember where he ended up?
     
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